Rookie centre impresses to the Max
Rookie centre Maximus Crete showed well at the Niagara IceDogs Orientation Camp Saturday. Photo: BILL POTRECZ.
Maximus Crete made the most of his opportunity at Niagara IceDogs Orientation Camp Saturday.
The 16-year-old Ottawa native scored a pair of goals in the morning scrimmage and was easily one of the most noticeable players on the ice at the camp which featured a mix of the previous U16 and U18 draft selections, in addition to various free agent players.
“It felt great,” Crete said. “Obviously, I was looking forward to this. It was pretty cool to get on the ice with these guys and getting to meet them, talking to them. Just getting to know them and playing with them was awesome.”
Crete said a tip from his older brother, Gabriel Crete, paid off.
“He got drafted (Ottawa) and he went in there and almost made the team so he gave me some tips on what to expect. He told me just to play my game and keep confident and be the player I am and it worked out well,” Maximus Crete said.
Maximus Crete, who was selected in the second round (30th overall) in the recent 2024 Ontario Hockey League draft, certainly stood out as far as IceDogs head coach Ben Boudreau was concerned.
“He’s made a great first impression on the head coach,” Boudreau said. “He looks like an absolute steal out there. But more so than his ability to make great plays, he has a great shot. I noticed the little details in his game like winning face-offs. We didn’t have anybody that was a standout as far as dominating the face-off circle and I noticed Max dominated the face-off circle at every opportunity.
“Outside of the noticeable skill and talent that he has, there was a lot of intangibles in his game that stood out.”
Boudreau was also impressed with how Maximus Crete handled himself off the ice.
“This is a great opportunity for coaches, scouts, ownership, managers to get to know these kids on a personal level,” Boudreau said. “Finding a chance to spend five minutes with these guys, saying hello, shaking their hands and getting to know where they’re from, you understand Max is a great kid, an unbelievable kid who has no problem in his ability to communicate. He just looks like a player that you want to be around. You’re naturally attracted to him by the way he speaks and carries and conducts himself.”
Maximus Crete is listed at 5-foot-9, 165 pounds but isn’t worried about his size as he moves into the OHL.
“I’ve been on the smaller side but I really take care of myself,” he said. “I like to play big. I’m a little bit of a heavier guy as well so I like to use my weight. I like to work hard in the gym and get stronger. I think I’m a really strong kid, hard to get off the puck. I’ve always battled the size but it’s not too big of an issue.”
Boudreau said it will be interesting to see how Maximus Crete develops as he gets older.
“The stronger, the bigger, the older, the wiser he gets, I think he’s going to have a bigger impact,” he said.
Boudreau cautioned evaluating players at an orientation camp isn’t ideal.
“This not the OHL, it’s not anywhere near close to the OHL. You’re playing against players your same age. Wait until you get a 20-year-old breathing down your neck when you’re trying to break out. When you try to gauge, you try to gauge where that talent level is,” he said. “Some of the other guys need to find a way to separate themselves, to be able to showcase their talent. Not everybody is going to be a goal scorer or playmaker. You have to find a way to stand out in something like this if you’re going to have a chance to make the team out of main camp in the fall.”
Boudreau singled out first-round selection Brady Wassilyn for his play Saturday.
“You can see why he’s a fourth overall draft pick. He does everything at a high pace of play, a great kid, very enthusiastic and someone you want to be around.”
Boudreau was also impressed with defencemen Massilan Etchart and Brady Real.
Etchart, a 17-year-old Ottawa native, was selected in the eighth round of the 2023 OHL draft.
“You see the potential for a young kid who wins battles. He stood out in all the right ways, both on the ice and I had a chance to meet him as well,” Boudreau said. “I really think Etchart could be an OHL defenceman with how big he is (6-feet, 175 pounds) and his ability to compete. He’s left a great first impression and turned heads as far as the head coach is concerned.”
Real, a 16-year-old Sault Ste. Marie native, was selected in the eighth round of the 2024 draft and is considered a strong, shutdown defenceman.
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