Highly-touted Croskery to finally make debut
by Peter Ruicci (Independent Media) | Photo by Bob Davies
Dropping Callum Croskery into their lineup could be comparable to adding a top player before the OHL trade deadline.
The Soo Greyhounds certainly hope so.
Having missed the first 25 games due to an upper-body injury suffered during the exhibition season, the 17-year-old (2008 birth year) is slated to make his OHL debut on Friday (7:05 p.m.) in Sarnia.
“This young man will be one of the top defencemen in the league,” said head coach John Dean, who cautioned such a prediction will come to fruition “once he gets his feet wet.”
“We’re very excited to add him to this lineup now,” added general manager Kyle Raftis, who chose Croskery in the second round (No. 40 overall) of the 2024 OHL draft.
A future commitment to play at Boston College likely dropped the six-foot-one, 180-pounder out of the opening round.
After the Priority Selections, Raftis called Croskery the top rearguard in the entire draft class.
“I still feel that way,” the GM said in a recent interview. “Just seeing the growth in his game from training camp and exhibition games confirmed what we were thinking. He’s got an intelligence level where he sees the play so well.”
“Not being able to play the sport you love has been difficult for sure,” Croskery said on Saturday, following a morning workout. “Obviously, it’s been tough. But now, I just want to show how much I love to compete and how much I love to win.”
With an eye towards eventually attending Boston College and skating for the Eagles, Croskery spent last season with the United States Hockey League’s Chicago Steel.
However, with a change allowing Canadian Hockey League players to compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), Croskery signed with the Hounds.
Raftis spoke of how Croskery “has always put up points from the blue-line. But he can also shut down plays easily and then get things going the other way. He’ll be deadly for us as a fourth man in the attack.”
“He’s going to be a very effective player for us and we’re extremely excited,” said Dean, whose club carries a 14-9-1-1 record into Friday’s clash with the Sting. “But let’s give him some time. This league has already gotten significantly faster since the beginning of the season and he hasn’t played a game yet.”
Croskery said the coaching staff has done a great job of keeping him in the loop, including him in everything to do with the team.
He believes he’s well versed in the club’s systems.
For that reason, he doesn’t believe he’s missed as much as people would think.
“The toughest part is not being able to help the team. That’s tough mentally,” he added. “You want to be able to be down on the ice, sacrificing with your teammates. That’s what it’s all about.”
Asked to assess his skill set, Croskery called himself “a modern, offensive defenceman.”
One of his strengths, he added, lies in his ability to transition the puck.
“And I use my skating as well to help defend.”
“I see an extremely offensive-minded defenceman,” Dean said. “But one who also defends really well because his legs are so good. In the preseason, he was extremely impressive.”
Dean has refused to get into more details about Croskery’s injury.
The player was hurt on Sept. 12, on what he believed to be an innocent play during the Greyhounds exhibition game at Midland Civic Arena against the Saginaw Spirit.
“I just ran into a (Saginaw) player,” said Croskery, who finished the game but was diagnosed after being X-rayed afterward.
With Friday, in some ways, representing a celebration of his long journey, Croskery says he feels no pressure.
Instead, he spoke of being confident.
“The team has been very complimentary towards me. I know it won’t be easy when I come back,” he said. “But I’m ready.”
Highly-touted in NHL circles, Croskery entered the season with some considering him a potential first-round selection in the 2026 draft.
Despite not seeing the ice, he was still rated as a C prospect (potential fourth-or-fifth-round pick) in October by NHL Central Scouting.
Certainly, there are pro eyes to be opened, but Croskery said that’s far from his immediate goal.
“That’s definitely exciting, but far down the road,” he said. “I don’t think there’s much use in thinking about it now. I’m just determined to help this team get as many wins as possible.”
Having lost five straight, Sarnia enters Friday’s clash with a 6-13-3-1 record.
The Hounds are slated to visit Flint (7 p.m.) on Saturday. The Firebirds carry a nine-game victory streak and a 17-6-1-0 mark into a Wednesday home game against Saginaw.
Notes:
Hounds captain Brady Martin sat out Saturday’s 4-3 loss to London as a precaution, Dean said.
He’s listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury going into this week’s games.
