YOUTH CAN DO IT

The Steelheads are defying convention by betting on youth to lead them to the top of the OHL. So far, it’s paying off – especially in the crease

BY TONY FERRARI

THERE IS AN INHERENT ignorance in being young. You don’t know what you haven’t experienced. And when you haven’t experienced anything, you have nothing to fear. That’s the situation the Mississauga Steelheads were in as, despite having the youngest roster in the OHL, they sat near the top of the league standings. At last year’s OHL trade deadline, Steelheads coach-GM James Richmond understood embracing the youth movement would be the best thing for the club in the long term, but even he didn’t think the turnaround was going to be so quick. “After trading (Owen) Beck, (Ethan) Del Mastro and (Luca) Del Bel Belluz, I knew that this year would be about giving the young guys some opportunity,” Richmond said. “I know some teams don’t love doing it and rely on…

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The Hockey News (Digital) - 1 Issue, World Juniors Special 2024

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