Henderson gets a second chance at the OHL
Forward one of four Waterloo Wolves taken in U18 draft
Rowan Henderson felt he had a shot.
The Wellesley native was coming off a solid Alliance championship season with the Under-16 Waterloo Wolves when he tuned in to last year’s Ontario Hockey League draft.
The two-way centre, then just 15 years old, watched friends and foes get selected but didn’t see his name pop up in the 15-round online draft.
“It’s a little bit hard,” he said. “It’s tough to see everybody go and you’re not one of them. It kind of made me a little bit mad. It put a fire in my heart.”
Instead of getting down, Henderson got to work.
He hit the gym. He improved his strength and speed. And he went right back to the rink to suit up for the Under-18 Wolves the following season. And it paid off.
Last week, Henderson was taken 12th overall by the Sudbury Wolves in the OHL’s Under-18 draft.
He was one of four Wolves among the 55 players selected in the socalled second-chance draft joining forward Jack Clarke (third round, Erie Otters), defenceman Noah Caswell (second round, Windsor Spitfires) and goalie Reed Strauss (second round, Oshawa Generals).
Waterloo’s John Adlys, of the Fort
I saw my name go and jumped up out of bed and started pacing around a little bit. It was a pretty exciting moment.
Erie International Academy, was also taken in the third round by the Kingston Frontenacs.
Henderson was following along on his laptop when the Wolves selected him.
“I saw my name go and jumped up out of bed and started pacing around a little bit,” he said. “It was a pretty exciting moment.”
The U18 draft was designed for players like Henderson — late bloomers who were overlooked and bypassed the first time around.
There have been some real finds in the draft, perhaps none bigger than London Knights forward Jacob Julien, a Winnipeg Jets draft pick who erupted for seven goals against the Kitchener Rangers in his team’s second-round playoff series sweep.
Henderson started with the Twin Centre Stars before joining the Wolves program when he was about eight years old.
As a December birthday, he always felt smaller than his peers, especially during his OHL draft season.
“I felt a little like I was getting pushed around a little bit,” he recalled. “I felt like I wasn’t as developed or strong as other guys.”
That changed this past season with the U18 Wolves, who were crowned Alliance champs.
Henderson was an alternate captain and a difference maker.
“He is fearless,” said Wolves U18 coach Brian Burnley. “This year he came into his own. He played a bigger role. He was one of our go-to guys. He plays in all situations and is reliable in all situations.”
Never giving up runs in the Henderson family.
Older brother Colton was also bypassed in the OHL draft but got scooped up by London in last year’s U18 draft and split this past season between St. Mary’s and Chatham in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League.
“To see him get that second chance was an inspiration,” said Henderson. “I wanted to follow in his footsteps and try and do that as well.”
The door is open in Sudbury where the Wolves should be in a rebuilding mode next fall.
The Wolves pushed their chips in this season in a bid to win an OHL title, but were swept by the North Bay Battalion in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
“I see Rowan playing for the Wolves next season 100 per cent,” said Burnley. “His game fits the OHL. He can play any style.”
Henderson is just thankful for the chance.
“You get a second opportunity and try and make the most of it,” he said.
The Rangers selected three players in last Wednesday’s draft — goalie Erik Maki from the Whitby Wildcats, centre Jack LaBrash from the Upper Canada Cyclones and forward Josh Giordano, of the North York Rangers.
ROWAN HENDERSON SUDBURY WOLVES PROSPECT