PHOTO courtesy icelevel.com

The Central Canada Hockey League had the privilege to sit down with Kemptville 73’s Center Jake Gaudet to talk about his hockey journey thus far.  Being cut, injuries, training, education, and landing the big catch on the water, there is a lot to cover and it’s all right here! 

The ’96 born Ottawa, ON native recently signed his National Letter of Intent to the University of Massachusettswhere he will join their NCAA Division 1 Hockey Program this fall to become a member of "The Minutmen".

CCHL:  You were a bit of a late bloomer, how did the extra time playing Midget hockey as well as a season in Tier 2 at 17 help prepare you for when you made the jump to Tier 1 at 18?

JG:  That’s a good question… Looking back, I don’t think my journey could have been possible without the support and guidance of my family, friends, teammates, and coaches. Before I began playing Junior hockey I was cut from AAA hockey in major bantam, minor midget and major midget.  As a young hockey player, it’s always tough to deal with the adversity of being cut but in hindsight I look at it as a blessing in disguise.  I was able to play for some great coaches and with some really great guys and I think the extra time allowed me to develop physically and mentally before facing the pressure of junior hockey.  Most importantly I think it helped me understand how hard you need to work to be successful.  Getting better doesn’t happen overnight, but if you put in the work both on and off the ice and enjoy the challenge anything is possible.

CCHL:  What kinds of words would you use to describe the kind of game you play?  Do you try to model it after anyone specific?

JG:  I like to think that I play a heavy, fast, two-way style of game.  As a center, I have a lot of respect for the style of game that Anze Kopitar plays.  He uses his body really efficiently on the defensive boards and I think his ability to make the right decisions when exiting the defensive zone helps his team win games.  On top of that he’s got a pretty wicked skill set and despite the tinted visor you must respect his ability to score during the playoffs when it matters.

CCHL:  You suffered a tough injury early in the season, you are back now and looking like you never missed a beat, how did you keep a positive mindset while being on the outside looking in?

JG:  I think what helped me stay positive at the beginning was the fact that my injury was a little bit of a fluke.  I was rushing in on the fore-check and just lost my balance while I was delivering a hit and took a weird twisted fall into the boards.  Mentally I didn’t really have any regrets about the situation I put myself in, if I could play that scenario over 100 times I could do the same thing and probably not get hurt again.

One of the hardest parts of my injury was being told that I would need surgery and miss five to six months of hockey, four if I was lucky.  I had worked extremely hard to be ready for my last season of junior and I had unfulfilled personal goals.  It was frustrating to sit and watch games without being able to make a difference and prove myself out there.  In addition to that, being removed from the team atmosphere was really tough, you miss out on a lot and I really gained an appreciation for how much fun it is to be able to go to the rink five or six days a week and hangout with 20 of my best friends.

I was fortunate to have an awesome chiropractor and physiotherapist that helped me find ways to push myself and accelerate my recovery without compromising the healing process.  (Can’t thank Duane Smith and Liquigym enough) Ultimately, I think the challenge of beating my injury timeline helped me stay positive.  As crazy as that sounds, it motivated me to stay upbeat and active throughout my recovery.  After weeks of creative one-legged workouts and rehab, I was officially cleared to play and returned to the lineup after only two and a half months… six weeks ahead of schedule.

CCHL:  When you aren’t on the ice helping your 73’s teammates, what other sports/hobbies do you enjoy?

JG:  When I’m not on the ice I enjoy fishing, hiking, hunting and just simply being in nature.  On top of that I like playing pretty much any sport.  I loved volleyball, baseball and basketball in high school, and when the weathers nice out you can probably find my younger sister Isabella and I shooting hoops in the driveway.  I like to think that I can still beat her, but I know the only thing keeping me alive in one on one these days is my size advantage.  She’s only in grade 9 but it’s been crazy to see how much she has grown and improved over the last couple years.  She’s a real baller and I’m really proud of how hard she is working to make her dreams a reality, you can catch her playing on Team Ontario this summer.  Isabella and my other sister Olivia are always cheering me on at my hockey games, so when the seasons over I turn into a basketball and track and field fan and cheer them on as much as I can.  Olivia is in her first year running track and field, and cross country at Fordham University in New York City.

CCHL:  Had a feeling you would mention fishing, proudest catch to date?

JG:  That’s actually a really hard question, I’ve always had a burning passion for fishing and the allure of catching a monster of any species has resulted in me spending some long days and nights on the water.  Befriending Alex Row was the best possible thing for my fishing career, he’s the only person I know that can convince me to get up at 2:30 or 3 in the morning and get out on the water in pursuit of catching ‘the one’.  To answer your question, I think my proudest catch to date is one that I caught right in the heart of Ottawa.  It was one of those moments where the stars seemed to align and I managed to hook and land a 48-inch musky fishing from shore.  I still remember the feeling of landing such a huge fish, I was trembling with excitement.  My fingers were pretty lucky that I remembered to bring pliers that day.

CCHL:  Do you have a certain game-day habit you try to strictly follow or do you sort of just go with the flow?

JG:  I wouldn’t say that I have any strict game day habits, but I try to stay relaxed and eat really well during the day and the night before.  I like to get in the gym for a light upper body workout and then squeeze in an afternoon nap when I can.

CCHL:  During the off-season, after you take a bit of a break of course, how do you keep yourself in shape and work on building strength?

JG:  I train at Canadian Strength in Ottawa during both the season and the offseason.  The head trainer Sean Young has been extremely influential in my hockey career; I’ve learned a lot about myself from training with him.  He pushed me to use my time during the season to get stronger and I think it really made a difference in my play in the second half of the last two seasons.  Once the offseason starts I usually take a week or two off before getting right back into the gym and start a new training program focused on heavy lifting and speed work.  I would recommend Canadian Strength to everybody.

CCHL:  What is your greatest hockey memory so far?

JG:  My greatest memory so far is winning the AA championship as a part of the Ottawa Sting in minor midget.  There is no feeling quite like finishing a season on top as the last team standing and it’s one that I hope to experience again soon.

CCHL:  This being your third and final season in the CCHL as a member of the Kemptville 73’s, what are you going to miss the most about it?

JG:  I’m going to miss everything, we had a fantastic core group of guys and we’re all very proud of what we’ve helped accomplish and built in Kemptville.  We changed the culture from my first year there and created a winning atmosphere.  We had a team that was full of great players and great people, and I think our bond helped us be successful… especially in the playoffs this year when we faced injuries and suspensions and found a way to win.  I’ve grown a lot since I was drafted to Kemptville in 2013 and I’m really thankful that I had the opportunity to play there.

CCHL:  Next season you will make the jump to the NCAA Division 1 level where you will suit up for the University of Massachusetts, what most excites you about this transition and just how pumped are you to become a University hockey player?

JG:  It’s honestly a dream come true, having the opportunity to play at the Division 1 level is something that I’ve worked extremely hard towards achieving and I can’t wait to help contribute to an incredible program at UMass.  I know that it’s going to take a pretty big adjustment to play at the NCAA level but I’m confident that I will be able to make a difference and I’m going to do everything I can this off season to be ready.  It might sound strange, but I’m also excited for the challenge of going back to school full time.  I take a lot of pride in succeeding academically and I’m excited to get back in class after only being a part time student at Carleton the last couple of years.

For More Information:

Sean Marcellus

Operations Manager

Central Canada Hockey League

snmarcellus@gmail.com