4 hours Ago By Darren Zary
Count on Noah Chadwick to lead the way. When the Lethbridge Hurricanes found themselves on the ropes over the weekend, they got two goals from their team captain, Chadwick, in a 5-1 win over the Calgary Hitmen to stay alive in their Western Hockey League Eastern Conference best-of-seven semifinal series. A seventh and deciding game goes Wednesday night in Calgary.
The winner will play the Medicine Hat Tigers in the Eastern final. Chadwick, a Saskatoon product, carries a heavy load as the Hurricanes’ captain. But the Toronto Maple Leafs prospect has shown he can deliver.
Which should come as no surprise if you listen to Lethbridge general manager Peter Anholt. “Chaddy, he’s our leader,” Anholt says of the 6-foot-4, 205-pound Chadwick, an Eastern Conference first-team all-star this season. “He’s a real quality person and a quality player.
He’s our go-to guy back there, and that’s how we play him. He’s solid and plays hard. He wants to win, and he wants to be successful.
” The Leafs took Chadwick in the sixth round, 185th overall, of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. He signed a three-year entry-level deal on Dec. 23, 2023.
Chadwick, who’ll turn 20 early next month, finished the regular season with 13 goals and 40 assists for 53 points in 66 games. He has five goals and seven assists for 12 points in 11 playoff games. “It’s been great,” he says.
“I’m continuing to grow my game as we go here, taking on leadership responsibilities this year more so than last year. That’s been a good adjustment. We’re trying to lead those younger guys and have a good foundation here.
” After his team loaded up with WHL-deadline additions like fellow former Saskatoon Contacts Brayden Yager and Caden Price, as well as Shane Smith, Anthony Wilson, Vojtech Port and goalie Jackson Unger, Chadwick entered the playoffs with a boost of confidence. “We’re really confident in the room,” Chadwick said when his team visited Saskatoon back on Feb. 25.
“I think we’re excited with the opportunity ahead of us.” Chadwick found himself surrounded by Saskatchewan players, with nine in total. “It’s funny, we were kind of talking about that earlier,” says Chadwick.
“We never really had that before. It’s unique. It’s cool.
“I’ve been (back to Saskatoon) six or seven times over my career, so it’s definitely special and nice to play in front of family. I always want to do well at home.” OVERLOOKED FOR WORLD JUNIORS Chadwick, who has spent most of the season with Tristen Doyle as his D partner, was overlooked by Team Canada for the IIHF world junior hockey championship despite Anholt also leading the Canadian squad’s management group.
While he admits it was “a goal,” Chadwick was quick to look beyond the Christmas holiday hockey tradition. “A little bit disappointed but, obviously, my main focus is winning a championship with this team,” he says. “I think that’s the main goal.
” Chadwick has attended two NHL camps with the Leafs thus far, learning a lot. “It’s a lot harder of a game,” he says. “A lot of older men and stronger men, and that’s an adjustment piece.
And I think (their) consistent daily effort kind of goes beyond junior habits. I think that’s the biggest transition. That level of consistency and habits is unmatched.
” Chadwick, who got into one game with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies a year ago, says he stays in touch with the Leafs on a regular basis. “They have the mentality of ‘cross-that-bridge-when-we get-there,’” he says. “It’s a focus on development.
They’re focusing on helping me any way they can, when they come out and visit or over the phone, or whatever it is. They prioritize on that. I think the summer is more the focus on gearing up for that transition.
” Although he may be done growing, height-wise, Chadwick hopes to continue to “put on some muscle mass” in the off-season when he trains at Ignite in Saskatoon. Chadwick saw being signed quickly by the Leafs as a validation. And a relief.
“It’s that little extra bit of belief that they have in me,” he says. “That’s what it shows me, that they’re invested in me and my development. I’m looking to keep that reminder in my head, that it’s not done.
I have a lot more work to do. I think hopefully it’s the start of many contracts.” 2024 SCHOLASTIC PLAYER OF THE YEAR Chadwick was named the WHL Scholastic Player of the Year in 2024 and awarded the Daryl K.
Seaman Trophy. “He’s really smart,” Anholt says of Chadwick. “He’s intelligent.
Again, it goes back to his family. His mom and dad, his brother (Ethan). All good people.
Good family. Good roots. Good stock.
” Chadwick applauds the decision to allow WHL players to go the NCAA route should they choose to do so. It’s just another option. While Chadwick would have had opportunities to pursue school with hockey in Canada or the United States, he’s not complaining, of course.
“I’m more than happy with the way things turned out,” Chadwick says. “(But) it’s good to see that it’s opening doors for other guys and giving them more opportunity. It’s great to see that.
” He keeps tabs on his hometown University of Saskatchewan Huskies and his older brother, Ethan, a goalie who also played in the WHL. Ethan Chadwick spent his WHL career with the Saskatoon Blades and Everett Silvertips. “He loves it.
,” Chadwick says of his brother’s U Sports experience. “He’s close with all the guys and everything. He’s looking forward to next year and getting more ice-time.
” Meanwhile, Noah Chadwick looks forward to more shifts and more games as the Hurricanes hope to extend their season with a win over the Hitmen, and the Tigers as a possible next-round opponent. “It’s hard,” he admits. “They’re very good teams, and loaded up the same as us.
So it’s up for grabs and we want to be the team to do it, for sure.” [email protected] RelatedWhirwind season for Saskatoon's Caden PriceHeavy Sask.
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