By Sam Laskaris /
Nathan Pageau was certainly a dominant Junior player.
And now the 19-year-old is hoping to step up and make an impact at the collegiate level as well.
Pageau, a left winger with the Hamilton Red Wings, led the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) in scoring this season. He averaged almost two points per game, accumulating 103 points (47 goals, 56 assists) in 53 matches.
Not surprisingly, Pageau had numerous American Division I schools that were interested in his services for next season. But he waited until the Red Wings’ season was over to announce he’d be playing his NCAA career with Ohio’s Bowling Green Falcons.
Though the Falcons have a rich history in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association,
they struggled this past season and finished in the basement of the 12-team league.
Pageau said the fact the Falcons can only move up was appealing to him. Plus, he is believed to be one of only two forwards joining the Bowling Green program next season.
“I thought it would give me more of an opportunity to step in and play right away,” he said.
Though he won the OJHL scoring title this season, Pageau said he isn’t looking to put up any specific numbers in his collegiate rookie season.
“I haven’t really looked at any sort of numbers,” he said. “My goal is to help the team as much as I can.”
And to that end, the 5-11, 170-pounder is hoping to bulk up a bit during the off-season.
“It would be nice to get to 180 (pounds),” he said.
Red Wings’ general manager Robert Turnbull believes Pageau will continue to make an impact next season.
“He’s an excellent player,” he said. “He’s a great kid. He has a great family. He works hard. And he’s a very unselfish player.”
Pageau, who lives in Stoney Creek, had a rather interesting junior career.
As a 16-year-old, he toiled at the lowly Junior C level with the Grimsby Peach Kings.
But the following season he moved to the United States and played for the Iowa-based Sioux City Musketeers in the United States Hockey League.
After one season with the Musketeers, Pageau returned home and played two seasons with the Red Wings.
But his first season in Hamilton did not really give an indication just how much of a scoring machine he would become this year. Pageau earned 32 points, including 18 goals, in 46 games with the Red Wings a year ago.
“Even a couple of years ago he had the skating ability and desire to do well,” Turnbull said. “And he’s improved tremendously.”
As for this season, besides winning the league scoring title, Pageau also picked up several other awards.
He was chosen as the most sportsmanlike player in the league’s Central Division. And the Red Wings presented him with three individual awards; team MVP, most sportsmanlike and leading scorer.
Pageau, who will be studying business at Bowling Green, accepted a full scholarship offer from the school. The deal is valued at US $28,000 per year. |