Picking up points, night after night: Emmett Sproule
We’d like to make the argument that the acquisition of Emmett Sproule on October 5, was one of the best moves in the OHL this season. Seriously, the former Erie Otters who was selected 21st overall in the 2017 OHL Priority Selection joined the maroon and white in exchange for a sixth-round pick and has been responsible for much of the Petes on-ice offensive success so far this season.
Before arriving in Lift Lock City, the 5’11”, 174 lbs forward recorded 30 goals, 45 assists and 75 points in 187 games with the Otters. In his first 21 games in a Petes uniform, the Collingwood, Ontario native tallied nine goals, 24 assists and 33 points, where he now holds the Petes’ modern-day point streak record. His impressive record dates from October 7 to December 8, 2021, lasting just over two months.
“I want to help the team win but I can’t stop thinking about it,” explained Sproule upon reflecting on his personal record.
“Going into the third period in Barrie [Saturday, November 13], I didn’t have it but at the end of the day I want the team to win and I want success for the whole group and then after that I think about personal statistics.”
BREAKING: With an assist on Joe Carroll’s second goal of the game, Emmett Sproule (@Emmett9393) now holds the longest point streak in Petes’ history!#GoPetesGo pic.twitter.com/7dooeF7UUM
— Peterborough Petes (@PetesOHLhockey) December 3, 2021
Sproule grew up playing minor hockey in the small, waterfront city of Collingwood, where his dad coached him during his youngest years at the ‘A’ level. Once the left winger picked up a couple of championships in his youth, he and his family recognized that he had progressed beyond local league hockey so he joined the AA program in Barrie for four years before playing with the Grey-Bruce AAA Highlanders, shortly before his year of OHL draft eligibility.
Upon being drafted to Erie, Sproule was momentarily confused as to whether he would be playing hockey for the next three seasons on the Canadian or American side of the border.
“It was really weird, when I got my name called to Erie, I didn’t realize Erie wasn’t in Canada.”
A couple of months later he would become a hockey staple in the small Pennsylvania community and meet some of his closest friends, like Anaheim Ducks defenceman Jamie Drysdale.
Although slightly shocked at the news of his trade from the Otters to the Petes this fall, Sproule has met the transition with ease and has gravitated towards the coaching style of Rob Wilson.
“I think he’s a great, great coach. He has a lot of experience playing pro down in Europe. I like his comeback attitude. Say I have a bad shift or the team has a bad game, he turns it around and is always positive about it and doesn’t dwell on it.”
Predictably, Sproule has become friends with some of the senior players like Joe Carroll – who also joined the Petes this season through a trade, Tucker Robertson and J.R. Avon.
HOLY SPROULE ????
There are no words to describe Emmett Sproule’s (@Emmett9393) highlight-reel tally ???? #GoPetesGo pic.twitter.com/AzPnmXbOmS
— Peterborough Petes (@PetesOHLhockey) December 17, 2021
When he isn’t on the ice breaking records, the Highlanders Alumnus is currently taking university business courses online and has developed an authentic passion for entrepreneurship – something he hopes to pursue whenever hockey wraps up.
“I’m big into marketing and entrepreneurship. Schools have talked to me about going there and playing after this season, but my main goal is to get a professional contract. I’m taking online business courses through Athabasca online.”
Sproule and his girlfriend Ally Kincasde, together, started the athletic clothing company Manchester Wear during the OHL’s paused season.
“We had a lot of downtime during COVID, I spent a lot of time with her. We were like why not start a clothing line? She loves clothing, we love working out and it kind of took off from there and we had a lot of sales for the first couple of months,” commented Sproule.
“We’re going to keep it progressing, she’s largely managing it now. I think it’s always going to be there for us.”
Since throwing on a maroon and white jersey, Sproule has tallied 11 goals, 26 assists for 37 points across 26 games so far this season. You can watch Sproule and the Petes back in action on Thursday, January 6 at the PMC against the Hamilton Bulldogs. Sproule is a prime example of the punch a player can pack in a short period of time with some determination and an opportunity to lead on the ice.
