Max of the Nickel Caps
He is one of the youngest players in the eight team Great North Under 18 Hockey League. But Max Campbell, a 5-foot-8, 140 pound forward with a 2007 birth date, is not only starring for the Sudbury U16 Nickel Capitals but he is leading the entire Great North in scoring with nine goals, 12 assists, 21 points in 12 games.
Early projections have Campbell as a potential top five rounds pick at the 2023 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft. And his coach with the U16 Nickel Capitals, Jordan Cheechoo, raves about Campbell’s work ethic, skill and character as an extremely coachable player.
“Max has been a work horse for us all season. He controls the puck so well and is determined to create offense whenever he is on the ice,” Cheechoo relayed to Hockey News North. “His combination of speed and puck control make him very difficult to defend against. He can score and he is tough to knock off the puck.”
Cheechoo also noted that Campbell is a “student of the game.
“He loves being at the rink and is always one of the first guys on the ice at practice and I have to force him to get off when finished,” said Cheechoo. “His work ethic in practice has been amazing and he is always encouraging his teammates to raise their practice efforts as well. He leads by example and is very coachable … he is always asking ways that he can improve his game.”
Led by Campbell, fellow forwards Cole Dubowsky, Kenyan Kidd and Anthony Bertrand as well as defenseman Alexandre Valade, goalie Nick Marson et al, the U16 Nickel Capitals have flourished as a young team in the Great North.
Marson, who has a record of 5-0-1 with a 2.63 goals against average, is one of two Sault Ste. Marie products who are performing at a good level for the U16 Nickel Capitals. The other is hustling forward Coulson Bell.
As a team, the Nickel Capitals — who are off from league play until the December 16 weekend — have an impressive record of 8-3-1 in 12 Great North games.