67’s’ Bahl brings size, skill and a winning attitude to Canada’s blue line

 

Kevin Bahl knows a thing or two about playing with a dominant bunch.

Standing at 6-foot-7, he skates on the back end of the OHL’s defending Eastern Conference champion Ottawa 67’s, who head into the holiday break on an 11-game winning streak.

He’s a big defender on a big team, and that “big team experience” is one he’s hoping to carry with him as he takes to the ice with Canada’s World Junior squad in the Czech Republic.

“We’ve had a pretty dominant season, and I know we have a lot more to give,” he said.

And oh, hey… what’s this?

A little story on Bahl from today. https://t.co/JkyeIhEVz0

— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) December 19, 2019

He also acknowledged the learning curve that comes with playing on a winning team.

“When you lose, you obviously learn, but when you have a team with so much elite talent, you have to be able to learn from when you win as well.”

Amidst a busy couple weeks that included a quick paced camp and a trade that saw Bahl’s NHL rights traded to the New Jersey Devils  in the Taylor Hall sweepstakes, the Mississauga born defender’s focus has been on the opportunity to impress in a different setting – the international ice.

“On the international stage, you can show that you have that complex skating,” he explained.

“When you’re in the OHL, it’s more just playing smart and focusing on reads. Here, position is going to be more important, and there’s also the factor of having to close more quickly on players and not give them space to make plays.”

Ottawa boasts strong offensive talent in top NHL Draft hopefuls Marco Rossi and Jack Quinn, overagers Austen Keating and Joseph Garreffa. OHL veteran Noel Hoefenmayer boasts a league-leading 44 points among defencemen, and third-year goaltender Cedrick Andree’s .915 save percentage and 2.46 goals-against-average place him among the OHL’s leaders.

The Barber Poles rounded out the 2018-19 season atop the league with a franchise record 106 points. They swept their way through the playoffs past the Hamilton Bulldogs, Sudbury Wolves, and Oshawa Generals before falling to the Western Conference-leading Guelph Storm in the OHL Championship Series.

Being one of the oldest guys on the team in his fourth OHL season means assuming a leadership role, but if there’s anyone he feels he’s learned from the most along his journey with the esteemed club, it’s his D-partner, Hoefenmayer.

“He’s been my partner all the way through. As soon as I’ve arrived on that team,” he said. “He’s been around the league for a bit and knowing a guy that you can trust like that is pretty special.”

The dude is 6’7″ and has skill. A look at one of the pieces the @NJDevils got in the Taylor Hall trade, Kevin Bahl. pic.twitter.com/EV6fbvaVH0

— NJ Devils on MSG (@DevilsMSGN) December 18, 2019

The 67’s sit second in the OHL’s Eastern conference with 24 wins and only six losses this season, next to their neighbouring division rival Peterborough Petes.

Bahl boasts five goals and 15 assists for 20 points through his first 28 games this season, well on pace to blow past his 34-point total in last year’s 68-game season.

Midway through the season, they’ve gotten off to another praiseworthy start, but Bahl prefers not to fixate on the numbers too much.

“Statistically, I don’t like to set expectations,” he said.

“But there are definitely expectations in how you keep your teammates accountable, in terms of work ethic, improvement, and playing a team game.”

And if there’s anyone who can speak to Bahl’s on-ice production, it’s Ottawa head coach André Tourigny, who joins Dale Hunter’s staff behind Team Canada’s bench.

“In terms of impressing [Andre] a bit more, I need to keep on moving my feet and keep on expanding my game,” said Bahl.

Kevin Bahl will be officially representing the red and white at this year’s @HC_WJC in the Czech Republic.????????#NoQuit | @HockeyCanada pic.twitter.com/Rmwfth2vVn

— Ottawa 67’s (@Ottawa67sHockey) December 17, 2019

Though the two never spoke about a guaranteed spot on the roster heading into the tournament, they did have conversations about what earning that spot would look like.

“We talked about being reliable defensively, moving pucks quick and moving my feet,” Bahl said. “He told me if I can work on that, I’m going to have a good shot.”

His shot at the gold medal begins on Boxing Day against the United States. In between the hard work that comes with showcasing his worth as a solid defensive player, Bahl’s enjoying the energy exuding from the top junior players hailing from all over the country.

“They all come from different cultures hockey-wise, with how they’re coached and how they’re brought up, so it’s cool to mingle with them and talk with them about what’s going on in their life or with their teams,” he said.

“It’s a cool vibe.”