Sjoerd Witteveen
Michael Del Zotto (from left), Cody Hodgson, Steven Stamkos and Stephen Gaunce are introduced by TSN’s James Duthy to the Markham Waxers AAA team at York Downs Golf and Country Club Monday night.
Sports
August 21, 2008 09:19 PM
By: Mike Hayakawa
Cameron Gaunce had vivid recollections of the days when he was a young minor hockey league player who looked up to those headed for an NHL career.
These days, the 18-year-old Markham native is beginning to feel what it’s like on the other end of that spectrum.
As one of four former Markham Waxers minor players selected in this year’s NHL amateur entry draft, Gaunce, a second-round pick chosen 50th overall by the Colorado Avalanche, and former teammates Steven Stamkos, Cody Hodgson and Michael Del Zotto gathered at the York Downs Golf and Country Club last week to field questions, sign autographs and posed with members of this year’s Waxers AAA atom team.
The four players were honoured to be a part of the festivities, responding to the queries and requests raised by the group of 10-year-olds seated before them.
“I remember when I was younger and I looked up to a couple of guys who made it to the NHL.
“Now these kids could be looking up to me,” said Gaunce, a six-foot, one-inch, 203-pound defenceman with the OHL’s Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors.
“A lot of the questions the kids came up with were good. It certainly was good to hear from them.”
Waxers AAA atom coach Bill Jefferson, who organized the event with team manager Jennifer Reid, said the idea to have his players listen to the group of NHL draftees stemmed from the moment they were chosen in this year’s annual lottery.
With four former players drafted within the first two rounds — a first by any minor hockey organization — Jefferson felt it could serve as a motivational tool for his youthful charges.
“They say the odds of a player making it to the NHL are like one million to one. Well, here’s four kids who came from one organization that made it,” Jefferson said.
“They dreamed of it and worked hard to get it. It shows that it’s possible to do if you work hard.”
He acknowledged it was a challenge getting the four together since each have other commitments during the summer. But eventually, a day was found when they could make an appearance.
Their forner Waxers coach, Paul Titanic, also took part in the event, sharing the memories he took away from the experience of coaching them and the hard work and dedication it takes to be chosen in the NHL draft.
“Overall, the night was great. It was terrific. The guys did a great job and we got a lot of good feedback,” said Jefferson.
In this year’s draft, Stamkos was chosen first overall by the Tampa Bay Lighting, Hodgson went 10th overall, picked by the Vancouver Canucks) and Michael Del Zotto 20th overall by the New York Rangers.