GUELPH – What a way to ring in the New Year for Mac Nichol.
Eight days ago the 16-year-old Listowel resident was summoned from the local Junior B hockey club to the Guelph Storm and made his OHL debut against the London Knights.
It was a dream come true for the 5’10” blue liner as he hit the ice at the Sleeman Centre in Guelph.
“(That) night I had a bit of nerves in warm ups and during O Canada, but after the first shift I was fine,” Nichol recalled of the 4-2 loss.
Nichol was accompanied by Listowel Cyclone teammates Ryan Horvat of Simcoe – who picked up an assist – and goalie James Prigione of Guelph, who backed up Cody St. Jacques.
The trio stuck with the Storm for a tripleheader last weekend, a 6-3 loss at home to Windsor on Friday, a 7-5 defeat in Erie on Saturday and a 2-1 win in Brampton on Sunday.
Guelph (15-21-2-1) dressed seven defenceman for the contest against the powerhouse Windsor Spitfires, a strategy that allowed the coaching staff to ease Nichol into the action and not overwhelm the rookie.
“The coaches have been really good at matching me up against fourth lines and other 93’s on other teams, and just slowly working my way in,” Nichol said. “I don’t want to be rushed in, playing against guys that are better than me and I’m not going to have a chance against.”
He was paired mostly with veteran defencemen Ryan Gottschalk and Corey Syvret, both born in 1989.
“They show me where to go and what to do,” Nichol explained.
Guelph trailed 3-2 to Windsor after two periods of a win-able game considering six Spitfires were busy playing at the World Junior Championships in Saskatchewan.
But NHL draftee Eric Wellwood put on a show with four points and Windsor skated away with the three-goal victory.
Jason Brooks, Storm head coach/general manager, was none too pleased with the outcome but found some positives in the play of his two call-ups.
“Ryan’s played solid,” Brooks told a handful of reporters in a conference room underneath the Sleeman Centre. “Obviously some things we’re going to need to work with him on, but overall the games so far he’s been fine. Good energy and hard work ethic.”
Horvat saw limited ice time in the first two periods, but played significantly in the final frame on the first line with Mathew Sisca and top-10 league scorer Taylor Beck.
“When Mac plays he shows good poise back there, he makes a good first pass and keeps it pretty simple,” Brooks continued. “We can put him out in certain situations to ease him in and get his feet wet a little bit.”
Prigione started Sunday’s game at the Powerade Centre in Brampton, turning aside 17 of 18 shots for Guelph’s first win of 2010.
It was his second career victory at this level.
“They’re a little more accurate and faster shots,” Prigione explained the difference between shooters in Junior B and the OHL.
For Nichol, the promotion also brings with it a big change in lifestyle.
He moved from his parent’s home in Listowel into a billet family’s house in Guelph where he slept on a pullout coach since four players are living there.
He also got to experience a weekend road trip with the team as the group stayed overnight in Niagara Falls on Saturday between games.
“It’s a change with staying at a hotel, riding the bus, it’s the lifestyle of the OHL,” he said. “Coming in as a 16-year-old for four games it’s a great experience and I’m going to use that as a learning curve.”
Having Prigione and Horvat along for the ride provides some familiarity for the three players.
“It’s two faces that you’ve known for half a year already, it’s kind of like family playing with them in Listowel so it’s great that way,” Nichol said.
Nichol and Horvat have since been returned to the Listowel Cyclones while Prigione is still with Guelph for the time being.