BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW
J.F. Houle doesn't have to look far for
motivation because it's right under his feet.
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Houle finished his first full
season in the OHL with a respectable 19 points in 51
games. |
Houle, 17, is following in his father's
footsteps by playing hockey in the OHL, but he's out to blaze
his own path.
Houle's father, Denis, had a distinguished
OHL career in the 70s. He helped his team, the Hamilton
Fincups, take home the Memorial Cup in 1976, and
also represented Canada at the World Junior
Championship.
Houle hopes to carve out a similar career for
himself, but realizes it's a monstrous challenge.
"I am trying to follow in my father's
footsteps," said Houle. "My goal is to do as good as he did. It
will be extremely tough to match him or beat him because he won
a Memorial Cup, but it's still great to try and follow that
path."
Houle was even able to borrow some sound
advice from his father about playing elite level hockey.
"My dad told me even though the game has
changed since he played, I still had to work hard at everything
I do and things will go my way," said Houle. "My father is
proud of me."
Houle finished his first full season in the
OHL with a respectable 19 points in 51 games.
"Overall, it was a good rookie year for me,"
said Houle. "I started off on the fourth line, not playing
much. Then I got an opportunity to play on the top two lines
with guys like Wojtek Wolski and Tyler Harrison, and that
helped me. Playing on the top line was the highlight for me.
Playing with Wolski really helped because he told me all kinds
of advice and my job was to feed him the puck, so I learned a
lot."
Like most second-year players, Houle will be
looking to make major waves with a year's worth of experience
under his belt.
"Personally, I want to prove I can play in
the OHL," said Houle. "I want to contribute more offensively,
and help out on defence. As a team, I want us to have another
good season and have a better playoff run."
Houle will be a go-to-guy for Brampton in
2005-06.
"We were pleased with J.F.'s first year, and
I thought it was good," said Brampton head coach and director
of hockey operations Stan Butler. "He's definitely a skilled
player and very creative. J.F. just has to get stronger in
order for him to do all the things he's capable of doing. We're
hoping he
can play on our top two lines as a
right-winger and add offence to our team."
As a player, Houle enjoys dishing the puck
off to teammates so they can score goals.
"I always try to play an offensive game,"
said Houle. "I like to make nice plays and not be selfish with
the puck."
Houle always needs a little time to adjust
when he comes home to play against the Sudbury Wolves,
especially in front of the rowdy fans in the Sudbury
Arena.
"It gets at your nerves, especially since we
play in Sudbury about four times a season," said Houle. "After
the first period, the butterflies go away
and I settle down and just play hockey. I
feel good playing in front of family and friends."
Despite a lack of passionate fans, Houle
likes his current situation in Brampton.
"Brampton is a good town, but it's
disappointing because we don't get a lot of fan support," said
Houle. "I would like to see a few more fans in the stands.
Brampton's a good spot to play in because it's not too far from
home (Sudbury), and my parents come down and watch as much as
they
can.
"This summer, Houle plans to improve his
strength and overall speed, and pack on muscle with the help of
a personal trainer in order to prepare for
the 2005-06 season.
