Hounds Trent Mallette anxious to follow in dad's footsteps
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When he takes a look back, they were three of the best years of Troy Mallette's life.
"It was great living in the Sault. It was a great hockey town," said Mallette, a former Soo Greyhound, who was taken by the Hounds with the first overall choice in the 1986 Ontario Hockey League draft.
Exactly how much did he enjoy hockey in the Sault?
Well Mallette, a scrappy left-winger who left junior hockey at the age of 19 to begin an NHL career with the New York Rangers, actually laments the fact he missed his final OHL season.
"Looking back, that would have been a fun year," the 42-year-old Mallette said Wednesday from his home on Windy Lake, five minutes from his hometown of Levack, Ont., near Sudbury. "You have to be in the right place at the right time to make the NHL at 19, but playing one more year of junior there would have been great."
Having those close ties to the Sault are extra special these days as Mallette thinks about the possibility of his son, Trent, one day wearing the Hounds red and white.
Fifteen-year-old Trent Mallette, a right-winger, was chosen by the Greyhounds in the fourth round of this year's OHL Priority Selections draft.
He was here last weekend for the club's annual Spring Development Camp and impressed Hounds brass.
The five-foot-nine, 160-pounder played in approximately 60 games a season ago for the Copper Cliff Redmen Minor Midgets, notching 24 goals and 24 assists.
Troy Mallette, who went on to play parts of nine seasons for six NHL teams, said he was relieved when he learned his old team had drafted his son.
He spoke of how the two best fits for Trent would have been either the Sault or Barrie, both about a three-and-one-half hour drive for he and wife Lynn to make.
"But without a doubt, the Sault was definitely my pick," added Mallette, who retired from the NHL in 1997 due to a back injury and now works as a firefighter in Sudbury. "What I always liked most about the Sault are the people. I still have friends there and it's the perfect community to grow up in."
Troy Mallette remembers his early days with the Hounds, rooming with defenceman Steve Bisson, and playing on a team with the likes of forwards Tyler Larter, Mike Oliverio, Steve Hollett and Dan Currie and goalie Shawn Simpson.
He spoke of how he broke in with local product Bob Jones, now an associate coach with the OHL's Windsor Spitfires.
"Out of all of the guys, we were the closest," Mallette said of he and Jones, a defenceman who would eventually become the Hounds captain.
Trent Mallette, who showed strong skating ability, a physical approach and a first-rate work ethic during the Hounds camp, says he likes the fact he was drafted by the team his dad starred for.
"I'd love to see another Mallette wearing the Hounds uniform," he said. "I liked being there for the camp. It was fast hockey and I liked that. I thought I did well and fit in."
As an OHL rookie, Troy Mallette notched 20 goals and 25 assists in 65 games.
He scored 18 times and helped set up 30 in 62 games the following season.
That led to the Rangers selecting the six-foot-three, 219-pounder in the second-round (22nd overall) of the 1988 NHL Entry Draft.
In his final season here, Mallette took off offensively, producing 39 goals and 37 assists in 64 games.
Over his three Greyhounds seasons, he also racked up 513 penalty minutes.
"I had the utmost fun playing for the Greyhounds," he said. "There's family tradition there and he (Trent) has the passion to play. I think he has the potential to be a player and that's not a dad talking, that's from a hockey guy."
The elder Mallette says all he's ever asked from his son is to put out the maximum effort.
"What makes me so proud is how hard he works," Troy Mallette added.
"I really believe in hard work," said Trent, who describes himself as a physical player with good speed. "I give my all every time."
Young Mallette says he plans to work his hardest over the spring and summer months in order to have a good showing at the Hounds main training camp, which begins in late August.
He realizes the need to get stronger, put on some size "and hopefully grow a little," Trent said. "I'm coming back here to make the team."
"Without a doubt," said Troy, "it's a great feeling to know there's another Mallette in the Hounds organization."
"It was great living in the Sault. It was a great hockey town," said Mallette, a former Soo Greyhound, who was taken by the Hounds with the first overall choice in the 1986 Ontario Hockey League draft.
Exactly how much did he enjoy hockey in the Sault?
Well Mallette, a scrappy left-winger who left junior hockey at the age of 19 to begin an NHL career with the New York Rangers, actually laments the fact he missed his final OHL season.
"Looking back, that would have been a fun year," the 42-year-old Mallette said Wednesday from his home on Windy Lake, five minutes from his hometown of Levack, Ont., near Sudbury. "You have to be in the right place at the right time to make the NHL at 19, but playing one more year of junior there would have been great."
Having those close ties to the Sault are extra special these days as Mallette thinks about the possibility of his son, Trent, one day wearing the Hounds red and white.
Fifteen-year-old Trent Mallette, a right-winger, was chosen by the Greyhounds in the fourth round of this year's OHL Priority Selections draft.
He was here last weekend for the club's annual Spring Development Camp and impressed Hounds brass.
The five-foot-nine, 160-pounder played in approximately 60 games a season ago for the Copper Cliff Redmen Minor Midgets, notching 24 goals and 24 assists.
Troy Mallette, who went on to play parts of nine seasons for six NHL teams, said he was relieved when he learned his old team had drafted his son.
He spoke of how the two best fits for Trent would have been either the Sault or Barrie, both about a three-and-one-half hour drive for he and wife Lynn to make.
"But without a doubt, the Sault was definitely my pick," added Mallette, who retired from the NHL in 1997 due to a back injury and now works as a firefighter in Sudbury. "What I always liked most about the Sault are the people. I still have friends there and it's the perfect community to grow up in."
Troy Mallette remembers his early days with the Hounds, rooming with defenceman Steve Bisson, and playing on a team with the likes of forwards Tyler Larter, Mike Oliverio, Steve Hollett and Dan Currie and goalie Shawn Simpson.
He spoke of how he broke in with local product Bob Jones, now an associate coach with the OHL's Windsor Spitfires.
"Out of all of the guys, we were the closest," Mallette said of he and Jones, a defenceman who would eventually become the Hounds captain.
Trent Mallette, who showed strong skating ability, a physical approach and a first-rate work ethic during the Hounds camp, says he likes the fact he was drafted by the team his dad starred for.
"I'd love to see another Mallette wearing the Hounds uniform," he said. "I liked being there for the camp. It was fast hockey and I liked that. I thought I did well and fit in."
As an OHL rookie, Troy Mallette notched 20 goals and 25 assists in 65 games.
He scored 18 times and helped set up 30 in 62 games the following season.
That led to the Rangers selecting the six-foot-three, 219-pounder in the second-round (22nd overall) of the 1988 NHL Entry Draft.
In his final season here, Mallette took off offensively, producing 39 goals and 37 assists in 64 games.
Over his three Greyhounds seasons, he also racked up 513 penalty minutes.
"I had the utmost fun playing for the Greyhounds," he said. "There's family tradition there and he (Trent) has the passion to play. I think he has the potential to be a player and that's not a dad talking, that's from a hockey guy."
The elder Mallette says all he's ever asked from his son is to put out the maximum effort.
"What makes me so proud is how hard he works," Troy Mallette added.
"I really believe in hard work," said Trent, who describes himself as a physical player with good speed. "I give my all every time."
Young Mallette says he plans to work his hardest over the spring and summer months in order to have a good showing at the Hounds main training camp, which begins in late August.
He realizes the need to get stronger, put on some size "and hopefully grow a little," Trent said. "I'm coming back here to make the team."
"Without a doubt," said Troy, "it's a great feeling to know there's another Mallette in the Hounds organization."