Scouts noticing Chisholm’s breakout year
Third year blueliner named to Team OHL for Canada-Russia Series game
Declan Chisholm is closing the gap on his opponents and on his potential.
The third-year Peterborough Petes’ defenceman is having a breakout year and Hockey Canada scouts took notice naming Chisholm to Team OHL for next Monday’s CIBC CHL Canada-Russia Series game in Oshawa, just down the road from his hometown of Bowmanville. Teammate Hunter Jones will also suit up for Team OHL.
Prior to that they have a pair of home games with the Petes 7:05 p.m. Tuesday against the Kitchener Rangers and Saturday against the Hamilton Bulldogs.
Chisholm leads the Petes in scoring and ranks fourth among OHL defencemen with 17 points in 18 games. His two goals and 15 assists are just three points off his total of 20 points last season. His 15 assists rank 11th among all OHL players. His +8 rating is the best of his OHL career.
The Winnipeg Jets saw enough in his injury shortened 2017-18 season, he missed 21 games to a high ankle sprain, to select him in the fifth-round of the NHL Entry Draft in June but this year his game has gone to another level; one the Petes thought he was capable of when they selected him in the second round, 24th overall in the 2016 OHL draft.
“He’s been a really, really good player,” said Petes’ head coach Rob Wilson. “In the last eight to 10 games he’s been as good as any defenceman I have seen in the league.”
“I think I’m skating the puck and moving the puck with a lot more confidence,” said Chisholm. “I’m getting more ice-time and being relied on more often and that’s huge. I think when I play a lot I do more things when I have the puck on my stick more often.”
Prior to training camp, Wilson had only seen video of Chisholm from last season after being hired last spring. He identified some areas his game needed improvement on and he says Chisholm embraced the feedback.
“We all know he is a great skater, he’s got great feet, but his gap control is really good now,” said Wilson. “I remember watching some stuff where I thought we could improve his gap and he has improved on his gap. When the attack is coming in on him he’s limiting the time and space of the opposing team very well. He and (Cole) Fraser are playing against the other team’s top line every game and they’re doing a great job for us. That’s hard to do but it’s showing the responsibility he has to take it upon himself to be that defenceman. It’s also not hurt his offensive production.”
“The systems Rob has implemented this year work for my game all on the positive,” said Chisholm. “Jumping up into the rush and using the D more often gets me into the game. He was a defenceman, too, and some of the tips he’s given me and the leadership he’s given our team has been huge. Everything he’s given us has been positive and we’re all using it as a team, not just myself.”
Chisholm is excited to be heading to the Canada-Russia series.
“I was off the radar for a bit, my game was quiet,” sad Chisholm, “but my offensive abilities started coming out again and I’m keeping track in the D-zone. I’m finally getting recognized by Hockey Canada being picked for that team and I’m very honoured.”
It’s a bonus the game is so close to home.
“I’ll have a ton of family there. I already have over 40 people coming and they’re obviously really excited like I am. I’m going to have a lot of support there.”
NOTES: More than a dozen city and area minor hockey teams will take in Tuesday’s Petes game against Kitchener ... A local minor hockey team will take part in internmission mini-games ... Operation Christmas Child will distribute shoeboxes in the north lobby in support of its annual campaign.