Corvairs clip Blackhawks
Grayson Gare has some impressive genes in the hockey department.
The 18-year-old winger for the Thorold Blackhawks is the son of longtime National Hockey League scout Morey Gare and nephew of Buffalo Sabres great Danny Gare.
Grayson was obviously too young to have seen his uncle play, but has heard numerous stories about one of the most popular players in Sabres history.
“I obviously hear about him from people who watched him play and they’re always raving about him,” Grayson smiled, when asked about his famous uncle.
Grayson’s father, who is Danny’s younger brother, also carved out quite a career as a longtime scout with both the Edmonton Oilers and Carolina Hurricanes.
Grayson said his father and nephew have had a big influence on his game.
“It helps a lot because they’re always giving me help and tips on my game, especially my dad, who comes to every one of my games,” Grayson said. “He’s watching a lot and giving me a lot of tips.”
Gare, a native of Williamsville, N.Y., hooked up with the Blackhawks in training camp thanks to former Blackhawk Griffin Green, whose father is a high school coach at Williamsville South High School. His uncle also put in a word for him with Thorold coach Scott Barnes, who brought Gare in to take a look.
“We’d already been going for a while and had a few practices and then we were into the Pelham tournament and he played a couple of games for us,” Barnes said. “We liked what we saw but we weren’t sure and then in the Niagara Falls tournament, that’s where he really won a spot.”
Barnes loves Gare’s level of compete.
“He’s just a guy who does everything,” Barnes said. “He bangs and crashes and gets pucks in and blocks shots. He’s kind of that mucker, grinder, do-whatever-it-takes kind of kid to win that you wish you had 20 of them.
“When he’s on the ice, you know you’re going to get everything he’s got.”
Gare said he’s always played that style.
“I think it’s from playing midget where I always tried to be a guy who was selfless and do anything to win,” he said.
Gare admitted it was tough to arrive at camp and immediately be put on the spot to show his stuff.
“Not knowing anyone, I just tried to do my best,” he said. “I’ve always been a good teammate and put it all out on the ice.”
Gare has a pair of goals and five points in 20 games this season.
“I think he can add some offence to his game in the next couple of years,” Barnes said. “He knows what his role is and he plays it very well.”
Gare, who hopes to continue his career at the Division III level, has enjoyed his time in Thorold.
“I like it a lot here. It’s a great coaching staff and great teammates so I enjoy it a lot,” he said.
The Blackhawks, who haven’t played since last Monday, dropped a close 2-1 decision to the Caledonia Corvairs in a Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League game Monday night.
Newcomers Wyatt Gibson, Aiden Cupelli and Blake Hudson, all picked up from the St. Catharines Falcons last week in a pair of deals, made their Thorold debuts.
“We haven’t played in a week so it was a good time to make some moves and bring some guys in and get some practices under our belt,” Barnes said. “We’ll see how it gels. It’s some fresh faces and some fresh blood. We felt we needed to change some things up and bring some new guys in.”
Hawk talk: The Hamilton Kilty B’s topped the Fort Erie Meteors 5-1 in the other game Monday.
STATS PACK
Corvairs 2 Hawks 1
Thorold netminder Noah Fortuna with 29 saves.
Thorold Blackhawks: Rian Meisner (4).
Caledonia Corvairs: Nick Cutaia (2); Daniel Moro (2).
Game stats: Shots on goal: By Thorold on James Norton (29); by Caledonia on Fortuna (31); Power plays: Thorold 0-for-3, Caledonia 0-for-3; Penalty minutes: Thorold 8, Caledonia 8.
Attendance: 183.
Up next: The Blackhawks visit St. Catharines Friday and play a rare Saturday night home game versus Hamilton this week.
Dear reader. If you liked this story or one of the 3,700 other stories found on our website, please consider hitting the Support Us button on the right-hand side of our home page and making a PayPal contribution to our website. Your support would be much appreciated. If you are a business owner, please consider advertising on our site. Our rates are reasonable and we provide plenty of exposure for your business. Contact bpotrecz@outlook.com for more information.
