Beck ready for ‘last chance to win it all’
by Peter Ruicci (Independent Media) | Photo by Bob Davies
For Soo Greyhounds rookies Brady Martin and Travis Hayes, this is the dawn.
For overage Jack Beck, it’s twilight time.
All three expect to be in full bloom come Thursday’s start of the OHL playoffs against Guelph (7:07 p.m. at GFL Memorial Gardens).
But for Beck, in his final season of eligibility, this time of year is extra special.
It’s precisely why the Richmond Hill, Ont., native decided to play in the Sault.
“I came here to win a championship and I think we have a great chance to do that,” said Beck, acquired from the Ottawa 67s in late September for a second-round draft pick in 2026 and a third-rounder in 2027. “It’s my last chance to win it all and obviously I want to go out on a high note. Nothing would make this year more special than winning a championship.”
Officially in his fifth season (2020-21 was lost due to COVID-19), the highly-intelligent, skilled left-winger has been around.
A year ago, he helped the Ottawa 67s (51-12-3-2) to a league-best 107-point season.
Can he see the Hounds going all the way?
“Obviously, I think we can win a championship,” Beck began. “I think we have the best D-corps in the league, Schenkie (Charlie Schenkel) is a monster in net and Millsy (Landon Miller) is unbelievable as well. And we have the guns up front.”
But as Beck learned last season, there are no guarantees. After eliminating Oshawa in five games in Round 1 of the Eastern Conference playoffs, Ottawa met up with the Peterborough Petes.
After winning the series opener, the 67s lost three straight, eventually dropping the conference semifinal in six games.
Peterborough went on to win the OHL crown.
“It was definitely heart-breaking,” Beck said of the second-round elimination. “You wind up shedding a lot of tears with those guys. They’re my brothers.”
The six-foot, 180-pounder went on to explain how the additions Peterborough made at the trade deadline had turned them into a “very special team,” and how “they came together in the playoffs.”
Drafted by the Calgary Flames in the sixth round of the 2021 NHL draft, Beck was never offered a contract.
Having spent his entire career in Ottawa, Beck sought a fresh start, believing that would offer a great opportunity.
“No disrespect to Ottawa,” he said of requesting a trade.
Hounds general manager Kyle Raftis jumped on the opportunity to acquire a player he believed had yet to show all he was capable of, during a career riddled by injuries.
He was right.
Beck, playing a full season for the Hounds, was outstanding, posting a team-leading, 27-58-85 stat line in 67 games.
That was good for 15th place in OHL scoring and ninth in assists.
And Beck’s ability to see offensive opportunities was surely evident on the power play. He wound up leading the league with 32 man-advantage assists.
“I could have gone other places, but I thought the Sault was the best option for sure,” he said. “Our team is super tight and it all starts with the coaches.”
The veteran winger went on to explain the relationship Greyhounds players have with head coach John Dean, assistants Brenden Taylor and Tyler Ertel and netminding coach Mark Visentin.
“This is the closest I’ve ever been with my coaches. I can talk to them about my personal life, I can talk to them about hockey,” Beck said. “They’re also there for us as players.”
Beck went out of his way to give the coaching staff credit, going so far as to say: “That’s why we’re so good.”
The Greyhounds completed the regular season on Sunday, finishing with a 45-18-3-2 mark – third best in the 20-team loop.
Against the Western Conference’s other serious contenders, London, Saginaw and Kitchener, the Soo’s combined record was 10-6-0-0.
Guelph, seeded sixth in the conference, enters the postseason with a 33-28-6-1 mark. Game 2 in the Storm’s best-of-seven series with the third-seeded Greyhounds is set for Saturday at 7:07 p.m. at the Gardens.
The series shifts to Guelph for games 3-4, Monday and Wednesday of next week, both beginning at 6:30 p.m.
“I’m ready to go,” Beck said of the upcoming postseason.
So what will it take to win an OHL championship?
“Everyone has to buy in,” he answered. “Deaner has harped on it all year. We have to play Greyhounds’ hockey.”
Asked for his opinion as to what that entails, Beck began by saying he and his teammates must play with pace.
“We want to get on top of you – it almost feels as if we have six guys on the ice,” he added. “And it’s a lot about competing. We’re a very-skilled team, but we don’t play a skill-based game as much as the stats might say.”
Instead, Beck spoke of how this season’s Greyhounds “work hard and compete for what we get. That’s what’s huge about this team and that’s what’s going to help us win a championship.”