U of W hockey team excited about new recruits
Chatham-Kent has been a fertile recruiting ground for the Windsor Lancers men’s hockey team in the past decade.
Head coach Kevin Hamlin is happy to be adding two more local players for next season. Forwards Nolan Gardiner of Tilbury and Brady Pataki of Wallaceburg have committed to the Lancers. Both have played in the Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Their Lancers teammates will include forward Trent Fox of Thamesville and ex-Chatham Maroons forward Brennan Feasey. “We’re really excited about it,” Hamlin said. “Every young man that we have coming out of the Chatham area seems to be cut from the same cloth. They’re character people. We consider them locals and they turn out to be great Lancers.” Hamlin doesn’t normally announce the Lancers’ recruits this early, but he wants to spread the word about his newest players: “It’s probably a good idea that we send the signal out that the University of Windsor is committed to recruiting the best talent and best character as possible.” Gardiner is now playing for the Chatham Maroons, while Pataki is with the Moncton Wildcats in the QMJHL.
The 20-year-olds are former teammates on the Chatham-Kent AAA Cyclones.
“We’re looking forward to playing with each other,” Gardiner said. “... It’s a coincidence (to be joining the same school), but it’s a nice one. It’ll make the transition for us easier, for sure.” Pataki played in the OHL with Sudbury and London before going to Moncton last season. He considered skipping his overage season to join the Lancers, but chose to play one final campaign in the QMJHL. “He’s such a good student, he could pretty much do anything anywhere,” Hamlin said. “He opted to come to the University of Windsor and study business and have a chance to win every year.” The six-foot-two, 227-pound Pataki has a career-high 21 points in 55 games this season.
“We thought he was Moncton’s best player in playoffs last year, so his best season’s probably still ahead of him,” Hamlin said. Maroons head coach Kyle Makaric — a former Lancers player and assistant coach — helped the school to land Gardiner. Hamlin was impressed right away in his meeting with Gardiner, who has played with Ottawa (OHL) and Baie-Comeau (QMJHL). “I knew after 10 seconds that he was a guy we had to have,” Hamlin said. “He’s a very personable young man who everyone speaks highly of and it doesn’t take you long to figure out why. I think Nolan Gardiner has the potential to be a captain with this program. His personality is that infectious.” Gardiner had 46 points in 48 games this season with the Maroons while wearing an “A.” “He’s just a great glue guy and I’m going to have a real fun time coaching him,” Hamlin said. Gardiner looks forward to playing for Hamlin, who coached his uncles Joel Gardiner and Shawn Mather.
“Coach Hamlin has actually coached a lot of my family members, too,” he said, “and they liked him. I heard good things and I just thought it would be a good fit for me.”