Holding out hope for an OHL season
Theriault commits to play for York University in 2021-22 season
“During the summer I thought I was in the best shape that I’ve ever been in. Unfortunately, we couldn’t go and play a hockey season in September.”
LUCAS THERIAULT
NIAGARA ICEDOGS CENTRE
Lucas Theriault intends to continue his hockey career when he begins majoring in kinesiology at York University in the fall.
But Theriault, who is turning 21on March 14, hopes to be back competing on the ice long before then. He would like nothing better than to return to the Niagara Icedogs for a second season.
However, like everyone involved with the St. Catharines-based team — and the Ontario Hockey League in general — the five-foot-eight, 165-pound, left-shooting centre has been enduring the longest off-season ever by playing a waiting game, with no end in sight.
Two planned start dates — Dec. 1, then Feb. 4 — have come and gone since the 2019-20 OHL season was cancelled in mid-march due to COVID-19 with two weeks remaining.
Ontario is just starting to emerge from two provincewide lockdowns, but some public health jurisdictions, such as Niagara, remain in more restrictive zones.
“I’m trying to stay as positive as possible. I’m not sure if we’re going to be able to get on the ice or not, but hopefully we do,” he said in a telephone interview from his home in Sault Ste. Marie. “I’m praying every day that we can, especially since this is my last year of junior.
“I definitely want to play a little bit of hockey before it’s over.”
OHL teams can only carry three overagers, and the supply at training camps historically outstrips demand. Knowing that making the Icedogs roster would not be a sure thing, Theriault dedicated the offseason to getting faster, becoming stronger and sharpening his skills across the board.
“During the summer, I thought I was in the best shape that I’ve ever been in,” he said. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t go and play a hockey season in September.
“But I’m still working at it.” Geography has been Theriault’s ally in the battle to hone his hockey skills. “Fortunately, we have an outdoor rink that is kind of basically like a regular rink. You can rent the ice, but it’s outdoors, so we get to skate on that a couple of times a week, which is nice,” he said.
Improving his speed on the ice and making quicker decisions on and off the puck were the focus of Theriault’s training regimens in those brisk outdoor sessions.
“The OHL is really fast-paced. It’s a skilled hockey league,” he said. “You have to be on your toes all the time.
“Trying to be as quick as possible will help me out as much as possible,” he added.
Day-to-day life without regular practices and meaningful games hasn’t been all bad for Theriault.
Besides taking online courses from Brock University, outdoor activities have also boosted his mood and kept him engaged during a time of uncertainty in his hockey career.
“I really didn’t get to do those activities when I was playing hockey, so that’s kind of keeping me a little more positive and keeping me busy,” Theriault said.
Niagara’s last game was Tuesday, March 10, 2020, when the Icedogs visited the Ottawa 67’s. Theriault hasn’t played since then.
“No games. Just a bunch of practices and training,” he said.
Every couple of weeks, the Icedogs send players an update about what’s happening — and isn’t happening — in the league’s return-toplay plans
“They just review what’s going on, if anything is going to happen or not. But we still don’t know if anything is going to happen,” Theriault said.
He was disappointed the Icedogs missed the playoffs for the first time in franchise history after the league cancelled 56 games left in the regular season, and based seeding on the conference standings after 61 games.
Niagara was tied with the Kingston Frontenacs, but lost the tiebreaker based on wins in regulation, 19 to 18.
“It was definitely heartbreaking,” he admitted.
“We were struggling in the second half of the season, but we had confidence we were going to come in and finish those last five games with a bang and try to get a playoff spot.”
Earning a kinesiology degree is the first step in Theriault’s career path outside of hockey. “I want to be a teacher. Hopefully, go to teachers college after that,” he said.
York’s highly regarded kinesiology program tipped the scales in the Toronto school’s favour when the time came to make a decision.
“I had a couple in mind, and there are some teams that reached out to me — they were pretty interested — but I thought York was my best option,” Theriault said. “They were the most interested, and I think it’s the best fit for me.”
Hockey was an important factor in the soon-to-be student-athlete’s decision to commit to York.
“It’s hockey and school for me,” Theriault said. “I’ve always liked hockey my whole entire life and I will continue to play as long as I can, at the highest level possible.
“But I realize that a good education is very important, too.”
Icedogs head coach Billy Burke said playing at the U Sports level is a “great opportunity” for Theriault to continue his career, “while also getting a world-class education.”
“Knowing the kind of person Lucas is, there is no doubt in my mind he will succeed in the classroom as well as on the ice,” he said.
Burke also played at the post-secondary level after competing in the OHL. The one-time Barrie Colts centre played four seasons at Queen’s University in Kingston and also saw action on the gridiron for the Golden Gaels football team.
Theriault had five goals and six assists in 48 games during his first season in the Niagara lineup.
In 2018-19, he made the second all-star team after scoring 40 goals and collecting 36 assists in 51 games in his second season in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League with the Soo Thunderbirds, his hometown team.
Theriault also played in junior B, seeing action in nine games for the then Kitchener Dutchmen in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League after graduating from Sault Ste. Marie’s triple-a midget program. The Dutchmen have since moved to Ayr, Ont., south of Cambridge, where they have been rebranded the Ayr Centennials.