By Peter Roumeliotis - centraljuniorhockeyleague.ca

For every junior hockey player, there comes a year when all the pieces of the puzzle come together. It's a time where you figure out your next move looking ahead at your career.  Not only are you focussing on your current regular season with your current team but other storylines begin to unfold.  People will start asking questions like "Where will he commit for school"? "Where will he be in the NHL draft rankings?" "Will he represent his country on the international stage?"

The 2016-2017 season has been a ride and a half for Brockville Braves defenseman Cameron Crotty.  At the age of only 16, Crotty made his CCHL tier 1 debut last year and is now finishing up his second year in the CCHL with the Braves in a season full of excitement.

Crotty understands that this will be a year where people will be talking about him. There will be many big events and discussions happening around the NHL draft eligible defensemen but he understands that and does his best to stay focussed and dialed into the game.

"I try to live in the now" Crotty says. "I just want to focus on the things I can control, playing hockey and having some fun. Taking it one step at a time. " 

Living in the now" is Crotty referring to the fact that he has a thrilling future full of amazing opportunities coming his way.  Crotty was ranked 68th in the NHL central scouting for North American skaters which makes him the highest ranked CCHL player on the list this year.

One aspect of his game that has made him very noticeable and appealing in this year's NHL Draft is his exceptional skating ability and technique.

"It's a phenomenal feeling to have scouts and people comment on your skating ability" Crotty admits. "You see that some guys that are playing in the big leagues, have gotten where they are because they are great skaters". 

For Crotty, skating is a very important craft that has been worked on at a very young age. 

"When I was three years old, my brother and I would go for skating lessons with figure skaters. Their technique is incredible and they are really capable of providing you with the building blocks to be a better skater".

With being a highly-touted prospect, Crotty represented Team Canada East at the World Junior A Challenge before the new year which saw Canada East make it all the way to the finals against the United States who ended up beating them for the gold. An impressive display by Crotty and Team Canada East for making it all the way to the finals of a very tough tournament.

The news does not stop there. Cameron Crotty announced his commitment to Boston University for the 2017-2018 season.  An opportunity of a life time for this Brockville Brave.

"I was shocked that they (Boston University) even wanted to talk to me at the showcase. It is a fantastic school and academics have always been important to me. I truly felt like I was mature and physically capable of playing there next year as a Terrier and I am beyond excited" He admitted.

With a year full of big news and storylines. This is only the beginning for Cam Crotty. We look forward to seeing him grow and flourish during this incredible journey.