Post by dogcatcher on Oct 2, 2007 6:37:22 GMT -4
From the scrawny dog to the prized purebred
PETER MCGUIRE
GAME ON
Published Tuesday October 2nd, 2007
Appeared on page B10
Saint John Sea Dog fans are witnessing the emergence of a superstar.
From the ugly duckling to the beautiful white swan, Chris Di Domenico flies under the radar no longer.
Dido, as he's known inside the dressing room walls, has made a serious bid to be named the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's player of the month for September, quickly becoming Saint John's first bona fide all-star in the franchise's three-year history.
The monthly award will be announced today.
Di Domenico has seven goals and five assists in just six games and shares the league lead in points with Dany Masse of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.
The Toronto Maple Leafs obviously liked what they saw last season and selected the 18-year-old in the sixth round (164th overall) of the NHL's annual entry draft in June.
To understand how surprising this all is, you have to remember that it was just a shade over a year ago when he arrived at Saint John's training camp as an unknown.
Well, an unknown to Saint Johners.
Sea Dogs' coach and general manager Jacques Beaulieu, the former assistant with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League, was familiar with Di Domenico through reports from Ontario scout Al Mason.
But when it came time for the OHL draft, he was the scrawny dog at the shelter.
No one was interested.
Now he's a purebred everyone's talking about.
"It's been very good," he said, referring to his quick start.
"I wasn't really a nobody coming in last year but not a lot of people knew who I was. I just wanted to work hard and get better every game. It worked out and I got my name on the radar and was drafted."
Beaulieu said he's enjoyed watching Di Domenico develop.
"We thought he'd be a third-line centre for us and he became our first-line centre," he said. "He's progressed really well and by Christmas time, we think he'll be a premier guy in our league, if he isn't already.
"I think he's going to be a pro player," said Beaulieu. "Everyone seems to be questioning his skating, but I think it's deceiving. One thing he's got to do is get stronger because at the pro level, he'll be going into the corners with guys 220 pounds and more and he'll have to hold them off."
Beaulieu is more than pleased with how Di Domenico and linemates Ryan Sparling (three goals, six assists) and Payton Liske (one goal, eight assists) have clicked so far this season.
"Other teams have a real hard time containing them," he said. "On Saturday, we thought the Moncton defence had a hard time containing them. They've been really creative and patient with the puck."
Di Domenico, who hopes to add at least 10 pounds to his 5-foot-11, 170-pound frame by the end of the season, said he's not concerned with any added attention that might come his way from the top checking line of opposing teams.
"I think we're handling it very well," he said. "It's the same with most of the guys, like Sparling and Liske. We're off to a great start because we are pressuring the defence and we're doing the little things right. Our line has a little bit of everything like size, speed and lots of heart."
FRENCH CONNECTION: Alexandre Picard-Hooper, Alexandre Leduc and Francois Gauthier have shown some flashes of brilliance together and have provided the Sea Dogs with a solid second line and second power-play unit. All three have plenty of playmaking ability but it seems that it's Gauthier's never-take-a-shift-off approach that really provides a spark.
"They buzz around pretty good," said Beaulieu. "They're even a little more creative than Dido's line sometimes but they're also a little risky at times. They turned it over a few times on Saturday night so that's something we'll have to work on."
SO FAR, SO GOOD: Speaking of Hooper, he delivered the goods on Saturday against Moncton, scoring the winner on the power play. While not the fleetest of foot, the 20-year-old from Montreal seems to be able to slow things down and dictate the play when he has the puck. What will determine whether or not his acquisition is deemed a success or not will be his production. Two goals, two assists for four points in four games. So far, so good.
PETER MCGUIRE
GAME ON
Published Tuesday October 2nd, 2007
Appeared on page B10
Saint John Sea Dog fans are witnessing the emergence of a superstar.
From the ugly duckling to the beautiful white swan, Chris Di Domenico flies under the radar no longer.
Dido, as he's known inside the dressing room walls, has made a serious bid to be named the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's player of the month for September, quickly becoming Saint John's first bona fide all-star in the franchise's three-year history.
The monthly award will be announced today.
Di Domenico has seven goals and five assists in just six games and shares the league lead in points with Dany Masse of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.
The Toronto Maple Leafs obviously liked what they saw last season and selected the 18-year-old in the sixth round (164th overall) of the NHL's annual entry draft in June.
To understand how surprising this all is, you have to remember that it was just a shade over a year ago when he arrived at Saint John's training camp as an unknown.
Well, an unknown to Saint Johners.
Sea Dogs' coach and general manager Jacques Beaulieu, the former assistant with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League, was familiar with Di Domenico through reports from Ontario scout Al Mason.
But when it came time for the OHL draft, he was the scrawny dog at the shelter.
No one was interested.
Now he's a purebred everyone's talking about.
"It's been very good," he said, referring to his quick start.
"I wasn't really a nobody coming in last year but not a lot of people knew who I was. I just wanted to work hard and get better every game. It worked out and I got my name on the radar and was drafted."
Beaulieu said he's enjoyed watching Di Domenico develop.
"We thought he'd be a third-line centre for us and he became our first-line centre," he said. "He's progressed really well and by Christmas time, we think he'll be a premier guy in our league, if he isn't already.
"I think he's going to be a pro player," said Beaulieu. "Everyone seems to be questioning his skating, but I think it's deceiving. One thing he's got to do is get stronger because at the pro level, he'll be going into the corners with guys 220 pounds and more and he'll have to hold them off."
Beaulieu is more than pleased with how Di Domenico and linemates Ryan Sparling (three goals, six assists) and Payton Liske (one goal, eight assists) have clicked so far this season.
"Other teams have a real hard time containing them," he said. "On Saturday, we thought the Moncton defence had a hard time containing them. They've been really creative and patient with the puck."
Di Domenico, who hopes to add at least 10 pounds to his 5-foot-11, 170-pound frame by the end of the season, said he's not concerned with any added attention that might come his way from the top checking line of opposing teams.
"I think we're handling it very well," he said. "It's the same with most of the guys, like Sparling and Liske. We're off to a great start because we are pressuring the defence and we're doing the little things right. Our line has a little bit of everything like size, speed and lots of heart."
FRENCH CONNECTION: Alexandre Picard-Hooper, Alexandre Leduc and Francois Gauthier have shown some flashes of brilliance together and have provided the Sea Dogs with a solid second line and second power-play unit. All three have plenty of playmaking ability but it seems that it's Gauthier's never-take-a-shift-off approach that really provides a spark.
"They buzz around pretty good," said Beaulieu. "They're even a little more creative than Dido's line sometimes but they're also a little risky at times. They turned it over a few times on Saturday night so that's something we'll have to work on."
SO FAR, SO GOOD: Speaking of Hooper, he delivered the goods on Saturday against Moncton, scoring the winner on the power play. While not the fleetest of foot, the 20-year-old from Montreal seems to be able to slow things down and dictate the play when he has the puck. What will determine whether or not his acquisition is deemed a success or not will be his production. Two goals, two assists for four points in four games. So far, so good.