Thomas excited to wear the C
The Niagara IceDogs wasted little time naming their new captain.
Before the IceDogs even hit the ice for the start of training camp Tuesday, the club had already announced veteran centre Akil Thomas as their captain for the 2019/20 Ontario Hockey League season.
“I’m very excited,” Thomas said Tuesday before hitting the ice for a series of inter-squad games. “Coming into my first year, I had Ryan Mantha as my captain and he was a really good guy to me. He really showed me the ropes. Then I had Johnny (Corneil) and Ben Jones. Just to learn off them was really cool.”
IceDogs head coach Billy Burke said Thomas was a natural choice given his play on the ice and the way he conducts himself away from the rink.
“It really was a bit of a no-brainer with Akil this year,” Burke said. “He’s a special case. He was a guy who came in at 16 and was good enough to make a major impact right away.
“It feels like he’s been here for so long. His play on the ice speaks for itself. He’s a warrior and a competitor on the ice but it’s the behind the scenes stuff that’s most impressive. He really is a team-first guy with no ego and very inclusive.”
Thomas, who was drafted in the first round of the 2016 OHL Priority Selection (12th overall), has accumulated 231 points (81-150) in 192 games with the IceDogs. He set a record for most points by an IceDogs rookie in the 2016-17 season (48), and was one of three Niagara players to surpass the 100-point mark in the 2018-19 season.
Thomas said having a strong leader in the room is vital.
“It’s huge. All three captains I’ve had here have been amazing. It helps the mojo in the locker room so it all starts with them and creates a team atmosphere,” he said.
Thomas, who was named an alternate captain in the 2017-18 season as a sophomore player, isn’t a huge rah-rah type of player, but also isn’t afraid to speak up when necessary.
“I think he’s a bit of a hybrid,” Burke said. “He’s not the loudest guy in the room —a Ben Jones may have been a little more vocal — where Akil will speak up but he’ll pick and choose his spots. He likes to take guys aside and communicate that way as opposed to speaking in front of everybody.
“He wants to be the best player in the league and use that as leadership as well.”
Thomas said he understands his role as a veteran on a team that is suddenly filled with younger players after having a locker room full of veteran stars last season
“For sure, (I’ll) definitely have to be more patient,” he said. “I like the opportunity. It gives me the chance to take over games and win games for my team.
“I’m excited for the role and to show the younger guys the way and to help them. Hopefully I can be someone they mention in an interview one day that helped them out.”
Thomas, a second-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings in the 2018 NHL Draft (51st overall), skated and worked out with some of the Kings during the summer and will be attending Kings training camp.
“I’ve been talking to them a lot. I played a little bit with them this summer and looking forward to it to see what happens there.”
Burke indicated the assistant captains will be named late this week or early next week.
Camp continues at the Meridian Centre Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. with scrimmages.
On Thursday scrimmages will be held from 8:45 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. and again from 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. The annual Black vs. White inter-squad game will take place at 7 p.m. All are open and free to the public.
The IceDogs take on the Barrie Colts Friday at 7 p.m. at the Vale Centre in Port Colborne in their first exhibition game followed by another pre-season game versus the Windsor Spitfires Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Fort Erie Leisureplex.
Niagara IceDogs captains
2007-08
Michael Swift
2008-09
Alex Pietrangelo
2009-12
Andrew Agozzino
2012-13
Ryan Strome
2013-14
Jesse Graham
2013-14
Luke Mercer
2014-15
Carter Verhaeghe
2015-16
Anthony DiFruscia
2016-17
Ryan Mantha
2017-18
Johnny Corneil
2018-19
Ben Jones
2019-20
Akil Thomas
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