Smith shows off his game
www.thebarrieexaminer.com
Didn’t take long for Givani Smith to give those on hand Saturday a taste of what’s to come next season.
The power forward, who was Barrie’s first pick in the 2014 OHL Priority Selection, spent most of Saturday’s rookie skate banging and crashing.
“That’s my game,” said the six-foot-one, 175-pound winger. “I like to do my work down low and also finish checks, and get the boys pumped.”
What Smith was also pumped about was playing with the Colts logo on his chest for the first time.
“It felt pretty good,” said the 16-year-old, sporting an ear-to-ear grin.
As for that rough-and-tumble style, Smith tries to play the game like a former fan favourite in Barrie two seasons ago.
“I like to model my game after Anthony Camara,” Smith said of the former Colt and Canadian national junior team member who is now a pro prospect in the Boston Bruins system. “Go in and be a hard worker.”
Smith, who played minor midget hockey last season with the Mississauga Senators, actually got to learn from the Colts power forward thanks to Camara having played at one time for his same coach in Mississauga.
“He allowed Camara to come out and teach us a couple of things,” Smith said.
Former Owen Sound Attack forward and current New York Islander Mike Halmo is another gritty player Smith tries to emulate.
“(Camara and Halmo) finished checks,” he added. “They’d do the little things right.”
