Leadership fits him to a C
Ben Jones named IceDogs captain
As a rookie, Ben Jones nearly went all the way to the Memorial Cup tournament with the Niagara IceDogs three years ago.
As a team leader and the 11th captain in franchise history, he is heading into the 2018-19 Ontario Hockey League season eager to go the distance — and then some.
“We have some unfinished business from my first year, when we were Eastern Conference champions,” the 19-year-old centre from Waterloo said after being named captain.
The 2017 Vegas Golden Knights draft pick, seventh round, 189th overall; expects his fourth season in Niagara to be an “exciting year.”
“I think we have the group to do it this year,” he said in an interview from Las Vegas, where he is attending his second development camp as a Golden Knights prospect.
“We have an absolutely outstanding core group of guys that we can make it a nice, long season.
Jones, who captained one minor hockey team and several soccer teams growing up in Waterloo, plans to lead by example.
“Coming to these NHL camps that I’ve been to you learn how to treat yourself, how to be a pro,” he said. “I think that’s one thing I can definitely show the other guys.
“I mean it’s not easy to win in the league – I hate losing – so the guys can kind of feed off of that.”
He played for three captains with the IceDogs since being picked in the first round with the seventh overall pick of the 2015 OHL Draft: Anthony, DiFruscia, Ryan Mantha, Johnny Corneil.
“I learned a lot from all the captains I played with,” he said. “If I had to pick one, it would probably be Mantha.
“He treated himself like such a pro in regards to on the ice and off the ice.
“If I had to pick one, it would be him but I learned from three great guys.”
Jones said it will be up to the leaders on the IceDogs to keep the players focused on the “end goal” of the first league title in franchise history.
“It’s keeping the guys on track, keeping guys focused on although it’s one game at a time, keep them focused on the end goal.”
IceDogs head coach Billy Burke said promoting Jones to captain from alternate was an “easy decision” for the coaching staff to make.
“Over the past three seasons, Ben has not only developed into a strong leader and ambassador but an elite player as well,” Burke said in a news release.
“Ben has earned this honour and is ready to lead our group this season.”
Jones has shown double-digit improvement on offence in his sophomore and third seasons with the IceDogs.
After scoring five goals and collecting four assists in 61 games in the regular season as a rookie, Jones had 13 goals and 37 assists in 63 games the following year.
Even more impressive was the boost in production from Year 2 to Year 3. Last season Jones netted 30 goals and added 49 assists for 79 points in 68 games.
He scored five goals and collected seven assists in 10 playoff games.
During the regular season Jones finished fourth in team scoring, only one point behind Edmonton Oilers draft pick Kirill Maksimov, 34 goals, 46 assists, 80 points; and two back of Los Angeles Kings draft pick Akil Thomas, 22 goals, 59 assists, 81 points.
Sam Miletic, a graduating overager who joined the Pittsburgh Penguins organization as a free agent, paced the team in points with 92.
The mid-season picked netted 20 goals and collected 18 assists for 38 points after starting his final year scoring 16 goals and adding 38 assists for 54 points for the London Knights.
Jones succeeds Corbeil, an overager, as team captain.
Thomas was selected as an alternate captain for second year in a row. Burke expects to name another alternate over the next few weeks.
Following are the players who have worn the C since the IceDogs moved to St. Catharines: Michael Swift, 2007-08; Alex Pietrangelo, 2008-09; Andrew Agozzino, 2009-12; Ryan Strome, 201213; Jesse Graham, 2013-14; Carter Verhaeghe, 2014-15; Anthony DiFruscia, 2015-16; Ryan Mantha, 2016-17; Johnny Corneil, 2017-18.
Niagara opens league play with a road game Sunday, Sept. 23, against the Mississauga Steelheads.
The home opener at Meridian Centre is a 7 p.m. puck drop Friday, Sept. 28, versus the Kingston Frontenacs.
Bernd.Franke@ niagaradailies.com
905-225-1624 | @TribSportsDesk