Houbey-Dooby-Doo: 67’s Houben couples size and dogged mentality
Written on each of Zach Houben’s sticks is his comical nickname, Houbey-Dooby-Doo, in reference to the Scooby-Doo franchise.
IMDB describes Scooby-Doo as “a group of teenage friends and their Great Dane travel in a bright green van solving strange and hilarious mysteries, while returning from or going to a regular teenage function.” Really, if you replace the “van” with a bus, and “solving mysteries” with hockey, it’s not all that different from the junior hockey lifestyle.
It’s hard to find a comparison for the part about the Great Dane being there, but you’ll have to use your imagination for that bit.
On the Ottawa 67’s most recent road trip, they boarded the Mystery Machine for their annual trip to Northern Ontario, with stops in North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, and finally Sudbury. It was a good trip for Houben, the tallest Barber Pole, who notched his first OHL goal on Friday night against the Greyhounds.
“It was awesome,” Houben said. “It was a close game, and it was nice to get that first one out of the way. Hopefully, more to come.”
A season ago, the Stratford, Ontario native appeared in two games for the 67’s, but played the bulk of his year with the Komoka Kings of the GOJHL, where he scored four goals and 15 points in 38 games.
The Kings often found themselves on the wrong side of games, finishing the season with only eight wins. As hard as that was for Houben to stomach at the time, he says his tough-love introduction to junior hockey was a positive in the long run.
“Adversity is a good thing,” Houben said. “We had a great group of guys, and I learned a lot last year. Going through losses like that, and maybe not having the production that you want to see was really good for me from a learning standpoint.”
Though the 67’s have been uber-competitive early this season, they’ve found themselves losing more often than they would like. Riding a seven-game losing streak into Sudbury, they were determined to change that.
A hat trick from Luca Pinelli, and strong performances from Collin MacKenzie and Henry Mews put the train back on the rails, but it was a full team effort.
“I think it’s huge,” Houben said. “Every team has to go through adversity, and I think it’s important that our group rebounded the way we did. I think we’re on the right track now. We have the right mentality, and we’re playing as a group. I’m excited for the future.”
At the start of the season, Houben was scratched a few times in a numbers cruch, but with the 67’s carrying little in the way of extra bodies right now, he’s been a regular in the lineup.
“Being a new guy in the league, it’s bound to happen, but I’m trying to make the most of every opportunity I get,” Houben said. “That’s basically what I go into every day trying to do. It’s not going to be easy, but I’m up for the challenge.”
Only 12 games into his OHL career, Houben has been a sponge. He’s listening intently to everything he’s told, and he’s one of the hardest-working kids in the league.
This early on, that’s what it’s all about. What he sees on the stat sheet isn’t as important as physically becoming a better player.
“The confidence keeps growing,” Houben said. “I’m learning how to play the style I need to play to help the team have success. I think my overall work ethic is really important, and maximizing every opportunity I get. Once you’re here for a while, you grasp what it’s all about. I’ve had a lot of fun.”
It’s only his rookie season, but it’s also his first year of NHL Draft eligibility. Like anyone else, Houben wants to walk across that stage at the end of the year, but he knows it’ll take a tremendous effort to get there.
He’s not beholden to that being the only possibility, but he’s setting out to prove to everyone that he’s worth taking a chance on.
“I try not to let it affect me mentally, but it’s definitely there in the back of your mind,” Houben said. “It’s not a huge deal. As Dave [Cameron] says, it’s just a hat and a jersey. It’s an exciting time, but I’m just gonna stay grounded and do whatever I can for the team here.”
That’s extending into his goals. There are no personal ones, only helping his team be the best version of themselves they possibly can be.
“I think they’re team goals overall, nothing too personal,” Houben said. “I just want to do whatever I can for the team to have success here. I definitely want to just keep proving myself as a player and as an important piece of our group, but I think now that we have the one win [to break the streak], we’re focusing on getting some more.”
