Smythe content to stay home
What you see is what you get with Derek Smythe.
The 15-year-old is a big, stay-at-home defenceman who accepts his role with the Niagara North Stars and doesn’t try to be something he isn’t.
“I take pride in that stuff,” said Smythe, a Grade 10 student at Sir Winston Churchill. “Without stay-at-home defencemen, you’re not going to win very many games because you’re not going to keep the puck out of your net.”
Smythe, who stands 6-foot-3 and tips the scale at 190 pounds, seems to have the perfect build for the Ontario Hockey League.
“It’s a big part because you have to have that strength to be able to play at the next level and compete like you did in minor hockey,” he said.
Stars coach Matt Miller relied on Smythe to take care of things on the back end.
“He can literally do it all. He can play power play, penalty kill and we are not afraid to leave him out there for four minutes straight because he can log the big minutes for us,” Miller said. “He is the top penalty killer in the league.
“He could run a shot-blocking clinic on his own. He definitely led our team and possibly led the league in shot blocks which is pretty impressive. He is not afraid and he eats pucks for breakfast, lunch and dinner.”
Smythe, who collected four goals and 21 points in 29 regular season games and 12 points in 13 post-season matches, feels he brings other intangibles to the rink as well.
“I’m a leader. I’ll do anything for my team to win, a real team guy,” he said. “I’m a big defender, a puck-moving (defenceman) and analyze the ice very well.”
Smythe is looking forward to Saturday’s Ontario Hockey League draft.
“It’s sort of a mix. I’m both excited and nervous because it’s always been my dream to play in the OHL,” he said. “You just have to sit and watch and see what happens.”
Smythe said he enjoyed the interview process with OHL teams.
“Those went pretty well I thought. Some of them have been more personal, more about your background,” he said. “It was more that stuff than my style of play, because they’re already seen me play. It was more personal and background questions.”
Smythe played AAA all through minor hockey and a couple of years ago began thinking seriously about playing at the next level.
“The OHL has been a dream of mine and it started to become a reality about two years ago. It goes really fast and it’s always been in my mind,” he said. “I started realizing how much effect I have on my team in a positive way and feel like I can use that at the next level and people want that at the next level.”
Smythe works out at Favell Fintness, Inc.
“I’m always improving every single day. I’m working on my skating and my stride, continuing to get faster and stronger.”
For more on the draft see links below:
Wyatt Gibson profile at https://www.bpsportsniagara.com/better-late-than-never/
Keaton Zavitz profile at https://www.bpsportsniagara.com/captain-zavitz-hopes-for-ohl-shot/
Ethan Whitcomb profile at https://www.bpsportsniagara.com/clutch-player-eyes-ohl-draft/
Connor Thomson-Dick profile at https://www.bpsportsniagara.com/commitment-to-hockey-pays-off/
Trent Swick profile at https://www.bpsportsniagara.com/hard-work-pays-off-for-swick/
Jacob LeBlanc profile at https://www.bpsportsniagara.com/leblanc-brothers-sticking-together/
Andrew LeBlanc profile at https://www.bpsportsniagara.com/the-centre-of-attention/
Tai York profile at https://www.bpsportsniagara.com/york-hoping-to-fulfill-ohl-dream/
Sam Alfano profile at https://www.bpsportsniagara.com/alfano-anxious-for-ohl-draft/
Nathan Duplessis profile at https://www.bpsportsniagara.com/late-bloomer-chases-ohl-dream/
Niagara IceDogs draft preview at https://www.bpsportsniagara.com/icedogs-looking-for-impact-players-at-draft/
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