ROSEMONT, Ill. – It’s the dream of every Canadian.
The chance to wear the iconic Maple Leaf on your chest. Stepping out onto the ice with the dreams – and expectations – of a hockey-crazed nation on your back.
This past December, the city of Ottawa hosted the World Junior Championships – a tournament featuring the best U20 players from around the world. There couldn’t be a more fitting place for the biggest international event in hockey than the nation’s capital.
It’s a rare thing for a player in the American Hockey League to be summoned to represent their nation at this tournament – most players in the accepted age range are either still with their Major Junior teams either in Canada or Europe. Coming out of Maine’s program in the NCAA, Chicago Wolves forward Bradly Nadeau faced a unique opportunity when Hockey Canada came calling.
The 19-year old forward and I chatted about the experience and more in this edition of Fireside Chats
Andrew Rinaldi: You’re in Chicago a couple of weeks with the Wolves and you get the call from Hockey Canada. You’ve been selected to play for Team Canada on the biggest international stage outside the Olympics. What were your initial thoughts on learning that you’ve been selected to the team?
Bradly Nadeau: Obviously it was a huge honor. Like that’s something I feel like every Canadian kind of watched growing up. You watch that around the holiday times and you always dream of being there. I got the chance to do that. So obviously when I first heard about that, it was a lot of mixed feelings, but an awesome opportunity for sure.
AR: Well, not only do you get to put on your country’s colors, but you get to do so in the nation’s capital. Just kind of talk about that experience about having to play there in Ottawa, on the ice, off the ice, what’s it feel like to have to the support your hometown fans in your own barn there?
BN: I mean, it was, it was awesome. Canadian fans are one of the best in the world for sure. And playing there in Ottawa, I mean, we had everything we wanted. Obviously the fans were a big part for us with momentum and games. You know, they came out every night for an always sold-out arena. So it was really a fun thing to get to experience that.
AR: Over the last couple of years, you’ve played in Hockey East in Maine, AHL in Chicago, and then out there in the Junior tournament. In terms of the play style, the pace of the game, do you find you kind of have to tweak your game to the environment, be it more physical or faster game, or do you just kind of lean on what’s been working for you in your career?
BN: I think it’s a bit of a mix of both. Obviously, depending on the game style, you kind of have to tweak your game a little bit. But I think for the most part, you do what’s been working for you over the years. You know, for myself, it’s just trying to bring offense. So even if it’s more physical or faster, you just kind of adapt to that and do what you do best and just try and bring offense for the team at the end of the day.
AR: Well, you definitely brought your offense in at the most crucial time in that Czechia game, scoring to tie that game with just four minutes left, sending fans from Vancouver to St. John’s just absolutely crazy. Was that an all-timer for you?
BN: When that goal happened, just in the rink there, it was an unreal like atmosphere. Unfortunately, Czechia got the best of us right after. But I mean when the goal happened, that’s probably one of the moments I’ll probably remember for the rest of my life, just how like the whole crowd kind of went on their feet. It was awesome to experience.
AR: Now you’re back here in Chicago, scoring in your return to the Wolves and the team is kind of a wheeling and dealing against some of the best in the league. You could see the signs early on, but you weren’t getting the results. What’s clicking for the team now that wasn’t beforehand?
BN: I think at the beginning of the year when we were still trying to find our games, everyone was still trying to get used to the game plan. And now I think as the season went on and players build chemistry together and buy into the game plan, I think we’ve all found roles and everyone’s bringing something to the table every game.
That’s kind of why we’ve been finding quite a bit of success in. The special teams have been huge for us. The success we’ve been having is something that we kind of try and take pride in and win the special team battle every night because that’s a big part of the game.
AR: Well, as we’re about to approach the halfway mark of the season, maintaining momentum, consistency, the intensity of these games ramp up. They can make or break teams with the pressure of the moment. What’s the mentality of this locker room and this coaching staff heading into the second half of the season to kind of keep you guys on track?
BN: It’s just to kind of stay in the moment as the second half gets around. The playoffs are going to be coming shortly. Getting the playoff spot and staying there, and just to kind of stick to our game. Play simple, follow the game plan, not try to change how we play. We know our game plan’s been working for us, so don’t change how we’ve been playing and just stay calm and stay in the moment. Go into every game and trying to win them one by one.
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Nadeau has kept to his word and is keeping things in stride – one game at a time. He’s scored four times since returning from the World Juniors and leads the Wolves in goal-scoring with ten. Those tallies have helped the Wolves push into a firm playoff spot in the Central Division with their eyes on a deep run.
And at 19 years old, Nadeau is just getting started.
