Otters impressed with Sova’s off-ice preparation

Spencer Sova received a lot of texts the day he was drafted by the Erie Otters. Two of them were from Dylan Strome and Alex DeBrincat.

“They said ‘hey, you’ll love it there, let me know if you need anything,'” the Detroit Honeybaked 15U graduate remembers. “It shocked me a lot. I didn’t think guys like that would be reaching out. It meant a lot and got me motivated to be in the position they’re in, doing a lot of great things for Chicago.”

A pleasant surprise, but an appropriate welcoming party. After all, the program’s history of developing impressive talent like Strome and DeBrincat is one of the reasons he had his heart set on Erie all along.

“The history they have there, the players they put through their program…it’s obviously an exceptional program they’re running,” continued Sova. “Some of the guys there I know could mentor me and show me how to get to the next level. I met with their staff before the draft and I loved what they had to offer.”

Speechless upon being selected eighth overall at the 2020 OHL Priority Selection last April, Sova has only recently found the words to describe what it means to be one of the newest members of the Otters franchise. Having grown up attending Windsor Spitfires games regularly, and having been there for some of the team’s most memorable moments, the Windsor native is eagerly awaiting the day he’s able to play in front of friends and family in the same building as part of the visiting team.

“I was at the game where Windsor beat Erie to win the Memorial Cup. I never thought I’d be in those shoes. I’ll always remember them winning it, going on the ice with the players and looking up to those guys and now I’m hoping I could do the same in Erie,” he said.

#OHL Futures Watch ????:

Budding blueliner Spencer Sova (@sova_spencer) joins the @ErieOtters as the eighth overall pick of the 2020 #OHLDraft. He shares a few quirks along with highlights from his season with the highly successful @HoneyBakedHC 15U program ???? pic.twitter.com/x39RvuYa9V

— OntarioHockeyLeague (@OHLHockey) March 8, 2021

“As a kid you always look up to those guys, you always want to be in their shoes, in their position. It’s honestly unreal that I’m at this level, so I’m just excited.”

The 17-year-old defenceman boasts a quick, two-way game with superb vision and a heavy shot. He can play a physical game and has the ability to close up gaps and join rushes through the neutral zone.

“I’d say I’m a two-way defenceman, I play excellent in both zones. I feel like I get carried on my offensive ability but you have to play well in the d-zone before you go into offence,” said Sova. “I’ve actually been working on that a lot, watching tons of video.”

COVID-19 government regulations haven’t allowed Sova the opportunity to showcase that two-way game in the OHL just yet, but in the meantime, he’s been getting to know his teammates over Zoom on a weekly basis.

“We have Zoom calls pretty much every week. We did a lot of character building stuff, which is very interesting and very helpful for our players, I can tell you that,” said Sova. “We’re kind of doing Zoom calls now to get in the flow of talking with each other again and we’re also doing some video analysis which is also pretty helpful, to see other players you look up to do different things and how to try to resemble your game after them. It’s been really helpful, our Zoom calls, and really interesting too.”

Though he hasn’t had the chance to skate with his teammates just yet, Otters GM Dave Brown has been equally impressed with his off-ice work so far.

“He’s a good communicator, he thinks things out really well. He puts a lot of insight into his homework and his thought process, you can tell his preparation is where it’s at,” siad Brown. “When you look at some of the work Spencer has done, you can see why he plays the way he does. His attention to detail is impeccable, he’s been fantastic.”

#OHL Futures Watch:@ErieOtters GM Dave Brown examines his club’s top selections in the 2020 #OHLDraft as dynamic defenceman Spencer Sova, gritty forward Lucas Ross and big goaltender Nolan Lalonde lead the way forward ???? pic.twitter.com/RGdL4ONWzp

— OntarioHockeyLeague (@OHLHockey) July 22, 2020

The organization has met for weekly Zoom calls since June and have participated in a number of programs, including a virtual training camp back in June and a 14-week program focused on character.

“We’re really encouraging open dialogue and open discussion among the group and we especially wanted guys like Spencer to speak up and give their opinion on things because we thought it was important that when we get to camp and on the ice that there is that comfort level,” said Brown.

“I think our team is a step ahead of other teams,” said Sova. “I feel we’re staying well connected and everyone’s kind of getting their chemistry back in order with the other guys. I think that’s going to help us a lot in the long run.”

When he does finally get the opportunity to hit the ice in Erie, he’s confident in his ability to make an immediate impact.

“I just feel like using all aspects of my game would help our team out a lot and just doing want they want me to do there,” he continued. “I don’t want to make it too complicated, just simply play my game, and get used to the speed of play because I know it’s going to be a big jump. But I feel I’m ready and I feel I have a lot to offer offensively and defensively.”

And in making that jump, he’ll be looking up to his older teammates he hopes will help take his game to the next level, especially Jamie Drysdale.

“I’ve heard from everyone he’s a great guy. He’s obviously one of the best players in his age group. I can’t wait to learn from him and see what he does in the rink and how he is with the guys, he’s a great guy to look up to.”