Verbeek appreciated by peers

In his first full season in the Ontario Hockey League, he was a member of one of the most talented teams assembled by the Soo Greyhounds.

His final OHL season has seen him be a member of a record-setting Greyhound team that is looking for a long playoff run, and Hayden Verbeek has been a major part of the Greyhounds success in the 2017-18 season.

“I had a really good off-season (last summer),” Verbeek said. “I worked a lot with Drew (Bannister), Wardo (Assistant Coach Ryan Ward and (associate coach) Joe (Cirella). I think my game has really elevated to another level. I’ve been able to put the puck in the net a bit more and things are just clicking this year.”

Heading into Sunday’s regular season finale against the London Knights, the overage forward has career highs in all offensive categories.

In 66 games, Verbeek has 29 goals, 31 assists, and 60 points, all career highs and the speedy centre has four shorthanded goals and seven game-winners.

Verbeek has spent time on a line with Tim Gettinger and Keeghan Howdeshell and the trio has found chemistry this season.

“We really click well together,” Verbeek said. “I owe a lot to those guys for working just as hard as I do.”

As the Greyhounds prepare for the OHL playoffs beginning next week, Verbeek has taken on a leadership role with this team and has the experience of being a part of the last Greyhounds team to go deep into the playoffs in 2014-15 in what was his rookie season.

“Anything can happen,” Verbeek said of what he learned. “We had a really strong team and we came up against another really strong team. When it’s a best-of-7 series, you just have to battle every second of it.”

On Saturday night at the Greyhounds annual awards banquet, Verbeek was name the Player’s Player, an award selected by his teammates.

“It definitely means a lot,” Verbeek said. “To come to be with those at the rink every day, we laugh and joke around all the time. It means the world coming from those guys.”

Among Saturday’s other award winners honoured by the Greyhounds:

• Morgan Frost – team most valuable player and top scorer
• Rasmus Sandin – rookie of the year
• Jack Kopacka – most gentlemanly player
• Joe Carroll – most improved player
• Mac Hollowell – best defenceman
• Cole MacKay – scholastic player
• Keeghan Howdeshell – unsung hero
• Kopacka and Tim Gettinger shared the humanitarian award