Lamour shows Spirit in Rayside
A third-round pick of the Saginaw Spirit at the 2016 Ontario Hockey League draft, 16-year old goalie Cameron Lamour is spending a critical development season with the Rayside-Balfour Canadians of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
And it’s been a case of so-far, so-good for the 6-foot-1, 165-pound Lamour, who played for the minor midget Sudbury Wolves in 2015-2016 before Saginaw snagged him with the 53rd overall selection of this year’s OHL draft.
Lamour made his OHL debut early in the 2016-2017 season for Saginaw and played in parts of three games while posting a very-respectable 2.31 goals against average and .896 save percentage.
But as the no. 3 goalie on the Saginaw depth chart behind veteran 1997 birth-year starter Evan Cormier (a fourth-round, National Hockey League draft pick of the New Jersey Devils in 2016) and 1999 birth-year rookie Brendan Bonello (who the Spirit took in the third round of the 2015 OHL draft), Lamour is gaining precious development and playing time in the NOJHL with Rayside-Balfour.
Brought in by Rayside-Balfour following the trade of veteran NOJHL goalie Mackenzie Savard to the Greater Ontario Jr. Hockey League, Lamour has a 3-4-1 record with the Canadians to go with a 3.43 goals against average and .899 save percentage.
Lamour has earned cautious praise from Canadians coach-general manager Dave Clancy, a venerable gentleman of NOJHL championship success who has also coached at the Ontario University Athletics level with the Laurentian Voyageurs and scouted for the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves.
“Since we traded our no. 1 goalie (the aforementioned Savard) Cameron has come in here and done a pretty-good job for us so far,” Clancy told HockeyNewsNorth.com. “He has shown a willingness to improve his game and he has fit in very well with the team.
“He is also working hard and that has been good to see because he came to us with a reputation as someone who did not have the best work habits,” Clancy said evenly.
Asked if he sees Lamour as a future OHL goalie with upside, Clancy did not hesitate before replying.
“You know, it’s so hard to tell with goalies, especially young ones,” Clancy began. “But there’s no doubt that the kid has a lot of talent and ability. As long as he works hard in practice and continues to improve his game in all areas, I can see him being a good OHL goalie.”
PHOTO: Rayside-Balfour Canadians goalie Cameron Lamour, in early-season action with the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL.
yup … … “so far so good” is right. Kid can play. Good article RR!
Great family and young man, glad we could bring in another young local prospect to our club.
Another example of how Rayside provide a place to play / develep for local area kids.