Christmas answers call to duty
BRAMPTON, Ont. – Defenceman Kevin Christmas’s first call to Ontario Hockey League duty came with the Brampton Battalion suffering casualties on the back end.
The Battalion was without veteran defenders Phil Oreskovic and Stephane Chabot because of injury and rookie Ken Peroff, sick with flu, for two games last week. Christmas, 17, joined fellow rookie Brad Albert and veterans John de Gray, Kyle Sonnenburg and Tomas Stryncl in constituting a five-man blue line brigade.
Christmas, scratched for the Troops’ first three games, made his OHL debut in an 8-1 win Thursday night over the host Toronto St. Michael’s Majors, scoring one goal and assisting on another.
“It was nice to get in there and get some experience,” Christmas said Monday. “It’s good to play in exhibition games, but to get into a regular-season game is pretty exciting.
“I tried to take it shift by shift and ease my way into it. I had some butterflies, but you can’t be too nervous because that’s when you make mistakes.”
Christmas, six-foot-two and 197 pounds, said the veterans helped him through the game.
“Those guys helped me out a lot. They talked to me, and you try to listen and work with them, and that makes it easier.”
Christmas earned his first point in the second period, stepping out of the penalty box and feeding the puck to a streaking Aaron Snow, who beat Toronto goaltender Chris Carrozzi.
“I waited for the puck and got it to Snow, and he did the rest of the work,” said Christmas.
Christmas, who had 21 points, including two goals, in 48 games last season with the Mississauga Chargers of the Provincial Junior A League, scored in the third period, beating Carrozzi with a slap shot from inside the right point.
“I saw the puck come out when I was pinching in and I shot it towards the net looking for a rebound, and it bounced in. I had a few other chances that night but I was glad to get that one.”
On Friday night the Troops dropped a 5-4 shootout decision to the visiting Barrie Colts, a team Christmas watched on Battalion ice several times last season.
“I had seen Barrie play here a few times last season, and they have some outstanding players. I tried to take it as just another game, but I knew I had to be ready for them. I was trying to limit my mistakes, because they have guys who could have capitalized on them. I just tried to get the puck out of my zone and to the forwards.”
A sixth-round pick in the 2005 OHL Priority Selection, Christmas practised with the Battalion last season when his school and playing schedules allowed.
“It was great to get to know the guys. I got to know what the coaches want from me and I could work on that over the summer. Having a chance to play with Michael Vernace and Wojtek Wolski really made me try to step up my game.
“You watch how hard the guys work in practice and how hard they work out off the ice. That makes you a better player, because you take what they give you and apply it to your own situation.”
