When you look at the roster of the Owen Sound Attack and glance sideways at the respective hometowns of the players, you’re struck by how urban the lineup is; by and large, the players come from the bigger centres.
And I’m sure it’s not just the Owen Sound Attack, but this applies to every OHL team.
On the Attack, Elmvale, Bracebridge, Belle River & Bradford; relatively small centres are represented, albeit you could argue these days that Belle River is Windsor and Bradford is Newmarket.
Still, the question is, are there more OHL calibre players out there from smaller communities ?
David Bell thinks so.
Bell, the Assistant Coach of the Barrie Colts, firmly believes countless players in small towns, even villages, are getting overlooked, if not totally ignored, by OHL scouts & clubs, more and more with each passing year.
To that end, Bell has laid the foundation for a Grassroots Showcase Weekend in Wasaga Beach, whereby good players from small communities will get a big opportunity to perform in front of scouts from every Junior level, along with scouts and recruiters from post secondary institutions.
The event is tentatively set for May at the Wasaga Stars Arena.
If you’re interested in the project, if you know a player from a small centre who deserves the exposure, or if you simply want more information about the concept, David can be e-mailed at dbell@barriecolts.com
The Attack have to be pleased with their small town contingent, especially since their captain is a multiple 20 + goal scorer, but we wonder if Owen Sound, or any OHL club, would be happy with 2 or 3 more Garrett Wilsons on the roster.
I’m Fred Wallace