Fashion Lighting Player Spotlight: Michael Bianconi
Michael Bianconi has heard a lot of advice, but a quick interaction with a former NHL legend as a young hockey player still sticks out years later. “I was in the lobby after a practice; Paul Coffey was there because he was a coach of a younger team, so I went up, and I asked him, ‘what’s one thing I should do to be better and be successful?’ He said whatever you do, always keep your feet moving.”
With a brother three years his senior, it was racing to follow his sibling that inspired Bianconi to get started on the ice. “I would always hear about him playing, and I looked up to him, so I said, ok, I want to play hockey too.”
Growing up, Bianconi developed his game as a defender who could play a 200-foot game. “I like to consider myself a two-way defenceman,” he said “So I like to be good everywhere on the ice, not just in one zone.”
In his U16 season with the Toronto Jr. Canadiens program, Bianconi showcased his two-way game posting 31 points (five goals, 26 assists) in 57 games. He followed up with seven points in seven games in the 2018 OHL Cup, where the Jr. Canadiens were crowned champions winning the final 5-1 over the Vaughan Kings.
That strong season caught the attention of the Flint Firebirds, who selected Bianconi in the third round, 48th overall in the 2018 OHL Priority Selection. Before the draft, heading down to Michigan was not even on Bianconi’s radar. “I had talked to mostly all the teams except for Flint, so it was kind of a surprise that they ended up taking me, but the team was great, the coaches were amazing, it ended up being fun.”
On October 12, 2019, the Storm acquired Bianconi from Flint in a trade that sent him and a second-round pick in 2021 to Guelph, in exchange for Owen Lalonde, a second-round pick in 2022 and two conditional draft picks. Just twelve days after arriving in Guelph, late in the third period of what would end up a 9-3 win over North Bay, Bianconi broke through with his first goal with the Storm.
“I ended up joining the rush, it was a three on two, [Cam] Hillis stopped, passed it to me, and I grabbed it and shot it top shelf.” said Bianconi. “You hear the siren going off, and the crowd just went crazy.”
The 18-year-old finished his sophomore OHL season with one goal and eleven assists in 48 games, but he still believes he had more to give. “For me, I think I could have done better and showcased more of my skill and my talent.”
With spring just starting, it has given Bianconi more opportunities to work to stay ready for the OHL season’s eventual start. “I’m just working out, skating, going outside and using the rollerblades, just doing as much as I can to stay in shape and better my game.”
The free time has given him the opportunity to explore another passion of his on the guitar. “Not a lot of people know I can play the guitar, I basically taught myself off of YouTube.”
Normally short on time, the extended break has offered him a chance to learn some new music. “I can play Stand By Me, a classic song. I can play Fast Car by Tracey Chapman” he said, “I would play a bit during the season, you know, after practice and during free time, but now I’ve been playing a lot.”
As he waits for the season to begin, he has one clear goal for the year. “My goal is getting drafted, I feel I got overlooked last season, so this year I have to prove a point and show them, play my best and play with confidence.”
Heading into his third OHL season and second with the Storm, Bianconi’s goal is simple: keep improving, keep moving forward and maybe together both he and the Storm can get somewhere.
