TIMMINS - A pair of Timmins natives — forward Danny Katic and defencemen Phil Caron — are enjoying solid rookie campaigns in the Ontario Hockey League.
Katic (28, 2-6-8, 12) is honing his game while playing on the fourth line with the Saginaw Spirit (21-14-3-0), after getting a cup of coffee (11, 0-0-0, 6) with the OHL club in 2016-17.
Officially listed at 6-4 and 205 pounds, Katic was taken by the Spirit in the eighth round (152nd overall) of the 2016 OHL Priority Selection draft after a solid season (19, 10-18-28, 54) with the GNML’s Timmins Majors.
Katic, who is a cousin of former New York Islanders defenceman Mark Katic, started the 2016-17 campaign with the Fort Erie Meteors (44, 18-31-49, 94), of the GOJHL, before finishing it with the Spirit.
“The first half of this season has gone pretty well for me,” Katic said, after watching one of his former teams, the Majors, skate to a win while he was home for the OHL’s Christmas break.
“I have learned a lot and gotten better. I am trying to build some confidence. I was able to score my first goal and get that out of the way. Now I can just worry about playing hockey.
“As a team, we got off to a rough start, but we are a young group and we have had a lot of success lately. We just need to be more consistent with our work ethic.”
For the most part, Katic has been playing on a line with Aidan Prueter and Ben Badalamenti.
“We do pretty well as a line,” he said.
“We like to get into the game and move the puck and for a fourth line, we have a pretty good amount of points. The coaches have been pretty happy with us.”
Katic actually had a chance to watch a pair of Majors games while he was home for the Christmas break.
“It was nice to watch them play,” he said.
“They are doing great. They won both of the games I was able to watch. It really brought back some nice memories for me.
“It is huge to see the Majors gain back some respect and be where they should be because Timmins is a good hockey town and we have got to start showing that regularly with the (NOJHL) Rock and the Majors.”
In addition to getting to see one of his former teams play and catch up with some old friends, the highlight of the Christmas break for Katic was getting to spend time with his family.
“Our family and Mark’s family usually get together for a brunch kind of thing,” he said.
“When I was a kid, I would always look forward to Mark coming back from the OHL or the NHL so I could get a chance to talk to him.
“Now, it is kind of my turn to come home and talk to everyone. It is just nice to be home and relax a little bit.”
Mark Katic, of course, has continued his professional career in Europe after leaving the NHL and is suiting up for Skellefteå AIK, of the Swedish Hockey League, this season.
“We still text once in a while and play video games together,” the younger Katic said.
“We still keep in touch and talk about how our years are going.”
Having played in the OHL before being drafted into the NHL, the older Katic did offer some advice to his young cousin.
“He told me it’s a process and you always have to stay positive,” Katic said.
“Sometimes you may not get the ice time you want, or you may not score as many goals as you want to score.
“You just have to keep working hard every day. If you are a positive individual and you work hard, people are going to notice.”
Katic and Caron were teammates with the NOBHL’s Timmins Eagles (now North Stars) during the 2013-14 and 2014-15 campaigns, but while Katic opted to play for his hometown Majors in 2015-16, Caron chose to play for the Vaughan Kings (65, 5-13-18, 20), of the GTMMHL.
Caron is now a member of the power-house Soo Greyhounds (34-3-2-1), who own the best record in the OHL.
After spending the 2016-17 season with the Iroquois Falls Eskis (now the Hearst Lumberjacks), of the NOJHL, Caron attended training camp with the Greyhounds and signed as an undrafted free agent.
His offensive numbers (53, 7-34-41, 18) with the Eskis clearly caught the eye of Greyhounds officials.
One of nine blue-liners on the squad, finding ice time has not always been easy this season for the offensively gifted Caron (14, 0-1-1, 4), but he has been steady when he has been in the lineup.
Breaking into a defebce corps that features three blue-liners (Connor Timmins, Noah Carroll and Jordan Sambrook) who have already been drafted by NHL teams is no easy accomplishment.
Officially listed at 5-8 and 169 pounds, Caron is one of the smallest defenders on the Greyhounds’ roster and as a 2000-birth-year player he is also the team’s third-youngest blue-liner.
A third former member of the 2013-14 and 2014-15 Eagles squads, Iroquois Falls native Chad Denault, is also playing in the OHL with the Peterborugh Petes.
Denault (27, 0-1-1, 17), like Katic, had a cup of coffee (6, 0-0-0, 4) in the OHL last season, with the Petes.
Officially listed at 6-1 and 186 pounds, Denault opted to play for the Sudbury Minor Midget Wolves (24, 20-16-36, 40), of the GNML, after graduating from the Eagles.
He was taken in the third round (49th overall) of the 2016 OHL Priority Selection draft by the Petes.
Denault (46, 19-17-36, 40) started the 2016-17 season with the Rayside-Balfour Canadians, of the NOJHL, before finishing it with the Petes.
