Gaitens’ hockey dream trending in the right direction with Komoka Kings

Tillsonburg Minor Hockey Inc. grad Nathan Gaitens moves the puck under pressure on the Komoka Kings blueline. (Jeff Tribe Photo)

Jeff Tribe, Post Correspondent

Nathan Gaitens’ hockey dream continues to trend in the right direction.

“The record might not say so, but it’s helped my development a lot,” said the 16-year-old Tillsonburg native of his first season of practice and games with the Komoka Kings of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL, formerly Junior B). “The amount of ice time I’ve been getting is a key point in all of this.”

Gaitens began his hockey career with Tillsonburg Minor Hockey Inc., heading to the AAA Brantford 99’ers as a minor atom. He played there for four years prior to joining the Hamilton Huskies and a combined Huskies/Bulldogs squad for his U15 and U16 seasons.

A 5’10”, 154-pounder with a right-handed shot, Gaitens would be described as an ‘offensive defenceman’ who can skate, has a quality shot and hockey sense which allows him to think quickly on his feet and move the puck well. Drafted in the fourth round of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) draft by the Kitchener Rangers, he attended his first rookie camp with the team.

“They’re the best of the best of the best,” Gaitens said of the Rangers roster. “It was a lot faster pace, bigger, stronger guys.”

Gaitens didn’t enter camp with specific expectations, simply to go and perform at his best.

“I didn’t know what to expect.”

At the camp’s conclusion, Rangers staff told Gaitens to find a spot at the Junior B level where his game could develop.

“That was kind of their message,” said Gaitens, adding the latter was more important than the team’s record. “As long as I’m developing as a player.”

He considered a trio of options before choosing Komoka.

“They promised a lot of ice time and a good development program,” said Gaitens.

Additionally, the team’s location meant he could continue to live in Tillsonburg and there would be more convenient travel to games in his western division. The Kings are a younger team, a lot of ’07’s and ’06’s (year of birth for the players) said Gaitens, an ’08 himself.

“A great group of guys there,” he summed up. “Players, coaches and staff. They have high expectations, but that’s for the best.”

Appreciating the coaching as he does, Gaitens also however believes the drive to improve has to start from within.

“I’d say you’ve got to push yourself and I’ve tried do that throughout the year.”

Gaitens was nervous for the first few minutes of his first pre-season game, before finding familiarity in its flow.

“I’ve been playing hockey my whole life.”

The move from U16 to junior came with adjustments, beginning with three 20-minute periods compared to 15-15-20, a significant step up.

“I really enjoyed that.”

It is admittedly ‘bigger, stronger and faster’, Gaitens breaking first season roughly down into thirds: the first ten games getting used to Junior B hockey, the second third settling in, and the last, raising his level of play into a well-rounded game, giving the coaching staff confidence to put him on the ice in late-game situations and as a member of the first power-play unit.

“A lot of the more important minutes, which is nice.”

Gaitens scored his first goal in his first game, and has the puck as a momento.

“Walked the line and shot it top shelf.”

Through 41 games played, Gaitens recorded three goals (two power-play markers) and 13 assists for 16 points to go along with four penalty minutes. The Kings had a 5-37-2-0 won-lost-overtime loss-shootout loss record as of February 16th, officially eliminated from the post-season. However, Gaitens has developed along with a young team, staying positive while adjusting to and establishing himself at a higher level of hockey.

“I feel like this has helped me see kind of a future,” said Gaitens, whose next step would be to make the Rangers’ OHL roster. “You actually want to make the next level and keep improving.”

Rangers staff monitored his progress through regional scouts and during games closer to Kitchener in Elmira and Waterloo, reaching out to indicate his game had improved since rookie camp.

In other words, so far, so good.

“Definitely,” said Gaitens, whose focus is to finish out this season strongly and have a productive summer in terms of strength and fitness conditioning with an eye towards the Rangers rookie, and hopefully main camps.

“I just have to get bigger and stronger if I want to make the next level,” he concluded.