Super Max has Sault roots
Sudbury U16 Nickel Capitals star forward Max Campbell is making a notable name for himself as one of the youngest players in the Great North Under 18 Hockey League — and as its leading scorer to date. But while Campbell is a Sudbury boy, he also has a Sault Ste. Marie side to him.
Campbell’s maternal grandmother is Sault Ste. Marie native Nancy Barsanti. Nancy’s extensive family in the Sault includes her brother Richard Barsanti, a long time local minor hockey coach and former part owner and head groundskeeper at the iconic Root River Golf Club.
Nancy eventually moved from the Sault and married Louie Dozzi of Sudbury And their daughter, Jana Dozzi, is the mother of the aforementioned Max Campbell.
A 5-foot-8, 140 pound forward with a 2007 birth date, Campbell has been lighting up the Great North this season with nine goals, 12 assists, 21 points in 12 games. And early projections have Campbell as a potential top five rounds pick at the 2023 Ontario Hockey League priority selections draft.
To be sure, 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.
“Max 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,” Cheechoo added in further praise of Campbell. “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.”