London picks pesky Federkow
Connor Federkow agitated his way into the third round of last Saturday’s Ontario Hockey League draft.
With the 53rd overall pick, the London Knights chose the 5-foot-9 156-pound left defenceman who spent 102 penalty minutes in the penalty box in 31 games with the Niagara North Stars this past season. Federkow, who had two goals and 10 points with the North Stars, was the top local pick in the OHL draft.
Talking with Mike Stubbs, a reporter with 980 CFPL, Knights associate general manager Rob Simpson pointed to the St. Catharines native’s ability to skate and move pucks, but added a couple of extras.
“He is intense,” Simpson said. “He might be five feet nine and a half inches, but he’s physical. He lets you know when he is on the ice.”
St. Francis phys-ed teacher Pat Sulivan describes the Grade 10 student as feisty and Federkow is in complete agreement with that assessment.
“I am very aggressive and I am always competitive about everything,” said Federkow, who started playing travel hockey in Merritton when he was five and has been with the Niagara North Stars AAA program since the novice level. “I have always been that way.”
He relishes his role as a pest.
“I love it and it gets under their skin,” he said. “I know if someone did that to me that would get me off my game so I try to do it to other players.
“It gets my team motivated on the bench and it gets the other team off their game.”
But he’s much more than an irritant.
“I’m smart setting up plays and I’m aggressive in the corners,” he said. “And I can carry the puck on offence.”
Federkow had talks with 15 OHL clubs before the draft and in-person meetings with London and Ottawa.
“I knew I wasn’t going to go first or second round, but I was focused on the third round,” he said. “But I would have taken anywhere. It is a privilege to get drafted.”
He hooked his laptop up to the television and watched the draft with his parents, Billy and Jessica, and younger sisters, Ruby, Mya and Ellie.
Even though he was expecting it, he was stunned when he saw his name up on the screen.
“I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “I have always dreamed as a kid to get drafted into the OHL and I never knew that it would come true. When the moment came, I jut had a smile on my face.”
Tuesday after practising field lacrosse with his team at St Francis, the smile was still on his face.
“I’ve been taking it all in,” he said. “It’s so exciting.”
After going to London on Sunday to tour the arena and meet the coaching staff, Connor was the guest of honour Monday night at a celebration of about 50 family and friends at Club Roma.
Now the work begins to get ready for his rookie OHL campaign.
“I am going to do a lot of on-ice and off-ice training,” he said. “I have trainers for off ice and in the gym and, on the ice, I have already started to go out with defensive coaches to work on my shots, my edges, just everything to get ready for the next level.”
Getting bigger will also be a priority.
“I want to gain some weight and hopefully get a bit taller.”
He’s hoping to dip into the same gene pool as his 6-foot-3 grandfather as opposed to his father.
“I already taller than him so I’m hoping I get to my grandfather’s height,” he said.
His goal for the 2019-20 hockey season is to earn some playing time. London could be losing up to five defencemen off its roster.
“I going to try and get as much as I can and when those chances come, I am going to give it my all and show them what I can do.”
His ultimate goal is the same as any Canadian who has ever picked up a hockey stick.
“I want to get to the National Hockey League,” he said. “I am going to give it my best to get there.”
