Memories important for overagers
BRAMPTON, Ont. – An overager’s season end is like no other.
For Cameron Wind, Brendan Childerley and Francis Menard, their junior eligibility ended with the Brampton Battalion’s defeat at the hands of the Sudbury Wolves in a first-round Ontario Hockey League playoff series.
“I remember my first game, visiting the Niagara IceDogs on their little pad out in St. Catharines,” said defenceman Wind. “It feels like it was last week, but the time flew by. I remember playing with Cody St. Jacques, and he told us about how quickly his career in the league passed by. I never really understood what he meant until now.”
Wind, who became the first player in Battalion history to play five seasons, set the club’s career record with 291 games. The third-round pick, 52nd overall, in the 2008 OHL Priority Selection was best known for his defensive acumen, but he scored seven goals and added 62 assists for 69 career points. Wind had one goal and seven assists for eight points in 28 playoff games.
The Barrie resident, a leader of the Troops’ rearguard unit for the better part of his career, twice was voted by opposing coaches as the top defensive defenceman in the Eastern Conference.
“Cameron has been here for 33 percent of the team’s existence,” noted coach Stan Butler. “I can’t say enough about him. He didn’t play a whole lot in his first year because we had a really good team, but you’d still find him working out and on the bike staying positive.
“As a 17-year old, he came back and worked even harder and beat out a couple of guys who helped us to the finals the year before, and it forced us to move a guy.”
Said Wind: “It’s been a learning experience. For the last three seasons, I’ve been one of the more experienced guys on the back end. I learned to deal with pressure and other responsibilities that will help me at the next level.”
Wind cited two memories as particularly significant.
“Going all the way to the finals in my first year was an awesome experience. I didn’t get to play through the playoffs or a whole bunch in that first year but, getting to play and practise with guys like Cody Hodgson, Matt Duchene and Evgeny Grachev, you kind of get to develop as a player on and off the ice.
“Scoring the series-winning goal in double overtime of Game 4 last year at Sudbury in the first round is something that I’ll always remember.”
Said Butler: “He had a great career here. He was voted top defensive defenceman in his last two years, and that’s done by other coaches. That shows you what others around the league thought of him. He’s a special kid, and I know he’s the type of person who’ll be successful.”
The Battalion acquired right winger Childerley off waivers from the Owen Sound Attack on Oct. 5. He quietly put together his most productive season, scoring seven goals and adding 13 assists for 20 points in 56 games while playing a solid checking role.
“Looking back, I have no regrets,” said Childerley, a resident of Stratford, Ont. “It was an amazing five years of my life, and I wouldn’t change anything about it at all.
“My coaches in minor hockey told me that talent is always beaten by hard work. I wasn’t the most skilled or had the best hands; I just always went out on the ice and tried to outwork everyone else. It’s what got me this far, and I’ll continue to do that in the future.”
Said Butler: “Childerley was a great pickup for us. He’s a great human being and a really hard worker. He was a great penalty killer and a key contributor down the stretch.”
Taken by the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in the fifth round of the 2008 OHL Priority Selection, Childerley played one season before a trade to Owen Sound, where he won an OHL championship and played in the Memorial Cup tournament at Mississauga in 2011.
“Moving to Brampton for my last year, I was treated like a pro under coaches who know how to develop players,” said Childerley. “The guys here were great right from the start, and it was the most fun I’ve had in a season.”
He scored 23 goals and added 31 assists for 54 points in 271 OHL games, providing four goals and two assists for six points in 32 postseason games.
Menard was obtained from the Peterborough Petes on Jan. 8 for third- and sixth-round picks in the 2014 and 2015 OHL Priority Selections respectively. The Embrun, Ont., resident scored four goals and had 14 assists for 18 points in 24 games with the Troops before adding a goal and four assists for five points in as many playoff games.
“I had a great career and made a lot of friends and gained a lot of memories,” said Menard, who played centre and left wing. “It’s time now to turn the page and start a new chapter in my life and see what the future holds.”
The Guelph Storm tabbed Menard in the sixth round of the 2008 OHL Priority Selection. His most productive season was 2011-12, when he had 24 goals and 36 assists for 60 points with the Storm. In 263 OHL games, he scored 61 goals and earned 96 assists for 157 points. He also had eight goals and 10 assists for 18 points in 22 playoff games.
“It was easy to fit in with the guys in the room here, and it was a great way to finish up my last year,” said Menard. “We thought we could have gone a bit farther, but that’s the way it goes sometimes, and it’s a learning experience.”
Said Butler: “Obviously, we had to use a couple of picks to get Menard. He came in to help us all around and give us a better chance in the playoffs. He worked hard for us, and I appreciate everything he brought to the table.”
