Levac back in Battalion fold
BRAMPTON, Ont. – Justin Levac needed time away from hockey to realize how much he still wanted to be a member of the Brampton Battalion.
Left winger Levac, an 18-year-old from Garson, Ont., returned to the Ontario Hockey League club Wednesday after missing training camp and four preseason games to tend to personal matters at home.
“He had some things to get sorted out, and I told him to get all that in order and, once he was comfortable, he could call me about his future here,” said Stan Butler, Battalion director of hockey operations and head coach.
“He really wants to be here. He loves being part of the team. He was away from it for a while and he realized how much he missed it.”
Said Levac: “It’s not that I didn’t want to come back. I just needed to clear my mind and get my stuff together. I had some family stuff and personal issues to deal with before I came back, and I had to make sure I was ready and mentally prepared to start playing hockey again.”
Levac said the start of training camp Aug. 29 reminded him how much he enjoyed the game.
“I didn’t know when I’d be ready to come back, but as soon as I realized I wouldn’t be at camp it was hard. You never have to deal with that at my age and you never think about stepping away from hockey. It’s not a good feeling, but I knew I’d be back.
“I’ve been playing hockey since I was four, and pretty much everything in my life is based around hockey. So when you’re away from it you really find yourself looking forward to it and getting ready to play again.”
Levac’s offseason included recovery from a broken right hand suffered in a freak accident in July.
“It stopped me from working out my upper body and it was a blow. I think I’m in good shape now. The only thing I have to work on is getting my stamina up, and I’ll be working hard in practice. It’s like coming off an injury that keeps you from practising. I’ll need to get my legs going again and I’ll be fine.”
Butler wasn’t sure whether Levac will be ready for duty when the Troops wrap up their five-game preseason schedule with a visit to the Guelph Storm at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
“He hasn’t skated in a while, so we’ll see how he does with a couple of practices. We’ll see where he goes from there.”
A second-round pick in the 2005 OHL Priority Selection, Levac played 24 games in his rookie season, recording five points, including two goals. Last season he scored 13 goals and added 23 assists for 36 points in 61 games.
“It gave me a boost when the coaches would put me in all kinds of situations, particularly near the end of the season and in playoffs,” said Levac. “I was getting great ice time for a guy my age, and they’ll count on me again at certain times of the game.”
Levac’s return moves the Battalion roster to 25 players, comprising 15 forwards, eight defencemen and two goaltenders.
“He’s a very valuable player,” said Butler. “He’s good at both ends of the rink and he’s a smart player with a pretty good understanding of the game.”
