Two OHL draft picks to Batchewana
A duo of dandy defencemen from Sault Ste. Marie with ties to the Ontario Hockey League have signed with Batchewana Attack of the new Canadian International Hockey League.
Attack president-director of hockey operations David Maciuk told HockeyNewsNorth.com that Nick Trecroce and Adam Baggs have committed to Batchewana for the 2014-2015 season.
Trecroce, a small-but-smart-and-skilled defender with a 1996 birth date, finished the 2013-2014 regular season with the Blind River Beavers of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
A 2012 OHL draft pick of the Sudbury Wolves, Trecroce will skate at the Kitchener Rangers main camp later this month.
Baggs, a 6-foot-1, 205 pound blueliner who was born in 1998, was a 10th-round pick by the Niagara Ice Dogs from the Soo Thunder minor midgets at the 2014 OHL draft.
Both Trecroce and Baggs are fresh from having turned in strong performances at a recent tryout camp of the Soo Eagles of the North American Hockey League.
Maciuk, from his end, is ecstatic at having secured junior A level commitments from Trecroce and Baggs as Batchewana prepares for the CIHL’s inaugural season.
“Nick is a very-good skater with good puck-moving skills and is a very smart player who can quarterback the power play,” Maciuk said of Trecroce. “He’s also a tough little pr–k.”
Baggs, as a 16-year old, is a “hidden gem,” according to Maciuk. “He’s already built like a pro. With good coaching, Adam is going to develop into a top player, regardless of whether he goes the OHL or NCAA route.”
Batchewana, to be sure, has a high-end coach on board in Denny Lambert, the former OHL and National Hockey League forward.
Lambert coached eight seasons in the OHL with the Soo Greyhounds, including three as the head guy.
The signing of Trecroce and Baggs brings to six the number of players that Batchewana has commitments from as the Attack prepares to hold its first-ever tryout camp this weekend at Lake Superior State University’s Taffy Abel Arena.
Maciuk said he expects between 20-30 players at this weekend’s tryout.
not only are they good players who wood make my Team any day they are 2 nice young men!
any player considering the Attack would do well to play there. Where are you going to find a coach with the OHL and NHL pedigree Denny Lambert has? I heard he is a players coach, fair but intense, and he definatley had to work his ass off to get where he is at. And then there is the key difference between a coach who is intense and a coach who is a bully. Then there is this to consider for potential players, Maciuk has many contacts in this game and I know he will continue to promote and connect players to higher leagues and schools
Ohlfan – Exactly my thinking about Denny and knowing what it takes to move up since Denny himself never got drafted into the “O” or the “Show” but he made it to both levels because of his work ethic.
Players on this Batchawana team should be pumped to play for Denny Lambert.
What a thrill for these kids to be able to learn from Coach Denney Lambert! I wonder if any of the kids from the 2013/14 Soo Indians will be playing for the “Attack”
2 good signings by the Batchewana Attack . thanks for the update Randy . !
One big one small equals two good defence men imo.