Jarrod Maidens called the radio station the other day.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t around and didn’t get a chance to speak with the former Owen Sound Attack first rounder.
When I returned the call, Jarrod was out, but I did speak with family members who gave me a quick update on his status.
Maidens will forever be remembered in these parts as the hero who scored the overtime game winning goal when Owen Sound won the 2011 OHL Championship in Game 7 at Mississauga against St Mike’s.
In his second season, Maidens was off to a solid start scoring 12 times in the first third of the season.
However, he was injured November 30th in a game at the Harry Lumley-Bayshore against the Barrie Colts, and the severity of that blow resulted in Maidens missing the remainder of the season.
Almost 6 months later, Jarrod Maidens is not quite 100 percent, but he continues to make progress and is focused on returning to Owen Sound at full strength.
With his accomplishments and his potential, Maidens is an intriguing prospect for National Hockey League scouts and teams.
The NHL Central Scouting Bureau has him ranked 35th among North American skaters heading into the 2012 NHL Entry Draft,
Over the weekend, he was in Toronto where he was interviewed by a couple of NHL teams.
He’ll be returning for more interviews during the upcoming NHL Combine which begins May 28th, however, he will not be able to participate in any of the exercises or physical testing that is conducted at the event.
So, while there’s progress, there’s still a roadblock to deal with and the hope remains that Jarrod Maidens can return to hockey in Owen Sound and potentially far beyond sooner rather than later.
I’m Fred Wallace