BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW
Sudbury native and Sudbury Wolves right winger, Bobby Chaumont has learned first-hand just how good the hockey is in the Ontario Hockey League.
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Sudbury Wolves Bobby Chaumont is on pace to reach his goal of scoring 35 to 40 goals this season. |
Now in his third season with the Wolves, Chaumont is finally rounding into the kind of player the organization thought he would be when they selected him in the fifth round of the priority draft three years ago.
Chaumont followed a solid rookie campaign, with a frustrating sophomore season last year when the team collectively went through a nightmarish campaign.
Now in his third and potentially final season of junior?he could come back as an overage player next season?Chaumont has become a much more well-rounded hockey player and it suits the Wolves brass just fine.
Head coach and general manager Mike Foligno has seen Chaumont put forth a consistent effort each game this
season.
?Bobby took control and ownership of being one of the guys that stepped up his game and has led by example ever since he got back from the Detroit (Red Wings) training camp,? said Foligno. ?He has become a leader and that?s what the team really needed. He has worked very hard each and every day to live up to our expectations.?
For Chaumont, it was a matter of coming into this season and trying not to feel an incredible amount of pressure to be a major offensive contributor.
?I am not feeling any pressure this season,? said Chaumont. ?I think in the past I felt pressure, but this year we have a lot of guys capable of scoring goals and I felt less pressure coming in, so that was big for me. I also feel a lot more confident in my abilities, which is great.?
That said, Chaumont still wants to be a guy looked upon to fill the opposition?s net with pucks.
?I wanted to come in this season and be more of an offensive threat,? said Chaumont. ?I knew we were going to have a young defence and I knew I was going to have to elevate my game and be one of those ?go to? guys.?
Chaumont has set some personal goals for himself and he?s determined to achieve them.
?For me, I want to hit the 35 to 40 goal mark,? said Chaumont. ?I also want to make the playoffs, so that?s a big one and hopefully we can get it done.?
Chaumont has noticed the opposition has been keying in on him, but believes he?s battling through the increased checking. Going to the Red Wings camp was a big boost for Chaumont.
?When I went to the Detroit camp I got a glimpse of just what it takes to make it to that level,? said Chaumont. ?It gave me a lot more confidence. I thought I played well there. I came back here and just wanted to carry my play through. Hopefully it doesn?t stop now.?
Foligno has watched Chaumont assume more responsibility as the season has progressed.
?He?s being very responsible defensively now, which he has taken great pride in,? said Foligno. ?For the first couple of months of the season, Bobby has been our point leader and he?s also working really well on specialty teams, especially with the penalty killing unit. He has become one of the leaders in that department.?
Foligno has seen a rise in Chaumont?s game since the hard-working and crafty Rafal Martynowski was obtained early this season from Kitchener.
?Rafal and Bobby are usually teamed up together and they read each other well,? said Foligno. They?re both responsible defensively in the defensive zone and that allows us to utilize these players in a lot of different roles.?
Chaumont knows he has meshed well with Martynowski and wants the success to continue.
?The chemistry is definitely there,? said Chaumont. ?The first day he came in, the coach put us together and we
clicked. It?s just one of those things He sees me and I see him and things are going great for us.?
