Grande Pointe resident Matt Osadick recently returned from a stint in the World Junior A Challenge in Alberta.
The forward, who plays for the Swan Valley Stampeders in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) was not new to the Team Canada West evaluation camp, having been invited to last year’s camp as well. Last year, however, he did not make the team, which meant Osadick needed to spend time this past year working on the skills that would help him make the cut in 2018.
“He is great at killing penalties… he’s a power play guy,” says his MJHL coach, Barry Wolff. “He creates offense… he makes his line mates better.”
The World Junior A Challenge returned to Bonnyville, Alberta for the second time in three years. The tournament ran from December 9 until December 16 and welcomed the top Junior A talent from four countries—Canada, the United States, the Czech Republic, and Russia.
Osadick was one of three MJHL players on Team Canada West, which won bronze in the tournament with a 3–1 win over the Czech Republic, after a 3–2 overtime loss to the United States. The U.S. would eventually go on to win the gold medal. The win for Team West marked its tenth medal in 13 years, including last year where they were awarded gold.
“He has matured as a player, even this season,” says Wolff. “He’s a guy that wants to get better every day, so he puts in the work and that’s why he made the team this year.” Osadick is currently ranked seventh in the MJHL for points, with 42 points (18 goals, 24 assists) in 27 games so far this season. The 18-year-old has also committed to attend the University of Maine in 2019, where he will play NCAA hockey.
