Another Timmins drafted into OHL
A familiar surname was announced last Saturday on Day 2 of the 2023 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection.
Chosen in the 10th round, 197th overall by the Sarnia Sting was Southern Tier Admirals defenceman Carter Timmins.
The 16-year-old Thorold native is the cousin of Toronto Maple Leaf Conor Timmins and the nephew of Dan Timmins, the head coach of the Thorold Blackhawks when they won the Sutherland Cup.
His relatives have been a big influence on Carter’s hockey career.
“He (Conor) has been my inspiration over the years and he’s the one who made me want to push myself to the limit and get drafted into this priority selection,” he said. “I look up to him and my uncle as well. He has coached a lot of junior B and he knows a lot about hockey. I go to him and my dad whenever I need guidance on my journey through hockey.”
The Grade 10 student at Denis Morris has continued to stay in touch with his cousin.
“Last summer, we got out on the ice a couple of times and that was pretty cool. He tells me about his experiences going through the OHL and NHL and it sounds pretty exciting. It is good to get the inside information, learn what you need to be good at and learn some helpful tips. His tips have really helped me grow as a hockey player and I appreciate his experience.”
Timmins followed the draft in his Thorold home with his parents, Kevin and Jennifer.
“I got a few calls prior to the selection and in the 10th round I saw that Sarnia was up and I knew they had some interest because they reached out to me,” he said. “I was just hoping for the best and it was very exciting to have that memory with both my parents there.”
The five-foot-11, 154 pounder sees his selection as an opportunity regardless of where he was picked in the draft.
“Any player who is drafted has a chance to show what they have to the team they get drafted to and I am excited to work hard and spent time over the summer getting stronger and faster,” he said. “I am looking forward to showcasing what I can bring to camp even though I was a later-round pick.”
Timmins played several years of double B hockey for the Thorold Blackhawks with the exception of one year with the Southern Tier Admirals. When he heard that Kevin Rosebrugh was coming in as head coach with the Admirals, he returned to AAA hockey.
“I tried out, I worked hard for it and for the last two years I have been playing for the Southern Tier Admirals.”
He will use that experience of making the jump to AAA from BB in his quest to make an impression with Sarnia.
“That is a big confidence booster knowing I jumped from BB to AAA in one year and the next year becoming an asset to my team on the power play and penalty killing. I know with hard work comes success and opportunity and as long as I keep putting in the hard work good things will come out of it.”
Timmins will attend the Stings’ rookie camp on May 19 and 20 in anticipation of the main camp later in the summer.
“I want to get heavier and put on weight so I can use my physical abilities. I know I need to put on weight if I want to play at the next level. I also need to work on my shot and get some velocity on it because all these guys have hard, solid shots and quick releases.”
His goal for training camp is to make an impression on the coaching staff.
“If it doesn’t work out this year, I will come back stronger again next year and put my best effort out there.”
