Wiikwemkoong rookie making impact with Junior A squad in Espanola

By Sam Laskaris

ESPANOLA – Ashton Pitawanakwat was fully expecting to pay his dues in his rookie season of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League.

But instead of playing a limited role, the 16-year-old member of Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory is making quite an impact with the Espanola Paper Kings.

Pitawanakwat, a left winger, made the jump to the Junior A circuit this season after starring with the Sudbury Nickel Capitals’ Under 16 AAA squad last year.

“This year, I was coming into the different ages where guys are 20 and 19 and I’m just 16,” he said. “So, I was just trying to kind of find my role on the team.”

And it did take him some time to adjust to playing in a circuit, which includes players that are several years older than himself. Thus, there were some challenges earlier in the season.

“I feel like for about a month’s stretch there, I went on a bit of a slump,” Pitawanakwat said of a stretch that began in late October and lasted through most of November. “I was lacking confidence because I felt like I wasn’t playing the minutes that I deserved.”

When the Paper Kings encountered some injury problems, Pitawanakwat was relied upon more heavily.

And now he finds himself being a key contributor.

“I didn’t think I was going to be a Top 6 guy coming from last year’s team where I was playing minor hockey,” he said. “I was a Top 3 guy on the team for everything, powerplay, penalty killing, 5-on-5.”

Pitawanakwat has collected 21 points (11 goals and 10 assists) in his first 37 matches with the Espanola squad.

“I started to prove myself and solidify myself,” Pitawanakwat added of his additional ice time necessitated by some injuries to his teammates. “Ever since then, things have been going pretty good.”

Pitawanakwat, who is 5-foot-10 and 170 pounds, doesn’t believe it’s that big of a deal to be holding his now in a circuit featuring older players.

“I don’t think it’s much of a challenge,” he said. “It was just a bit of an adjustment for sure, just picking up with the size and the speed and the physicality of the game. It’s something I had to adapt to.”

And he’s playing it cool about moving his way up the team’s depth chart to a spot on Espanola’s second line.

“I wouldn’t say I’m surprised,” he said. “I deserved it. I earned it.”

Paper Kings’ general manager Marc Gagnon is pleased to see Pitawanakwat performing well.

“He’s progressed in every aspect and probably in the last month he’s been one of the key players on our team,” Gagnon said.

Junior A squads can only carry a maximum of two 16-year-olds on their roster.

Gagnon is pleased his side utilized one of those spots on Pitawanakwat.

“We had a lot of interest from a lot of kids for one of those spots,” he said.

Not too many rookies end up seeing action on specialty teams. But besides taking a regular shift, Pitawanakwat has also enjoyed time on the Paper Kings’ powerplay and penalty killing units.

“The reason he’s on those units is because of his progression,” Gagnon said.