By / Sam Laskaris
There’s a pretty good chance coach Mike Galati will be picking up the tab next time he has a meal or some drinks with a former Junior rival.
That’s because Galati, the bench boss for the Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Hamilton Red Wings, is certainly thankful Dan Kerluke, an assistant coach with the University of Maine Black Bears, phoned him this past summer. The two coaches had played against each other in Ontario’s Junior hockey ranks.
Kerluke called Galati to see if he was interested in having a future Maine prospect, forward Joey Diamond, suit up for the Red Wings this season.
Though he had completed his high school studies this past June, Maine officials were keen to see Diamond improve his academics and prove he could handle a collegiate workload.
So they wanted the native of Long Beach, N.Y. to come to Canada and take some classes at Hamilton’s Mohawk College. And to keep his hockey skills sharp, the Black Bears’ coaching staff was keen to have Diamond play for the Red Wings, an organization that has sent a handful of other players to Maine in recent years.
“I just wanted to do what Maine wanted me to do,” said Diamond, who last year was a member of the Nebraska-based Omaha Lancers.
Diamond and his Omaha teammates won their United States Hockey League championship as well as the national Junior title.
Though Galati had not seen Diamond play, he trusted Kerluke’s recommendation. Plus, he figured he couldn’t go wrong with Diamond since he had some decent numbers last season in the USHL, a circuit considered a step above the OJHL.
“He’s been a big help for us,” Galati said of his diminutive forward, who is just 5-7 and 165 pounds. “We appreciate what he’s done for us.”
Diamond has been one of the best players in the OJHL this season and was averaging just over two points per game. He had racked up 55 points (28G, 27A) in his first 27 contests.
“I don’t really look at my points,” Diamond said, adding team success has been and continues to be more important for him. “I could care less about my points.”
With an attitude like that, it’s little wonder why Galati has become a huge Diamond booster.
“He’s a special player and one of the most skilled guys I’ve ever seen,” he said.
As he’s proven throughout his career, Diamond, who played on U.S. under-17 and under-18 teams, should not be judged solely by his small stature.
“He plays with emotion,” Galati added. “And he’s not afraid to go into the corners to get the puck.”
Diamond’s 114 penalty minutes thus far this season prove he’s also got a nasty side to him.
“They try to take runs at him,” Galati said of opponents. “But he won’t back down. It’s tough because they have to catch up to him first if they want to try and hit him.”
Diamond said his size makes him an obvious player to go after.
“I think wherever I’ve played, I’ve always had a target on my back,” he said. “But I’ve never changed the way I play.” |