NEWS

(pictured - Although he does not wear the 'C' for the Lindsay Muskies, Logan DeNoble is the epitome of a leader for the club - photo credit:  Andy Corneau/OJHL Images)

When Izak Westgate from the league head office contacted me to profile our captain for a feature story on the OJHL website I was honoured, but the timing was just a little off. Muskies Captain Mike Spataro had recently learned the timing of his business courses at UOIT, and unfortunately his school schedule was not going to mesh with his Lindsay Muskies Junior 'A' schedule.  So Head Coach Dan West had worked out a deal with the Uxbridge Bruins that allowed Mike to finish his last year of junior hockey while attending university. That does not mean the team is without leadership though and it would be hard to deny that Logan DeNoble fits that role admirably.

Logan is a second year player with the Muskies, and a draft pick of his hometown Peterborough Petes. He provides a balanced offence, as shown in his numbers. In his first year with the team he recorded eight goals and eight assists. This year he has broken out, leading the team in points from the opening goal against Buffalo in September, and currently sitting at 27 goals and 25 assists. 

"Logan had a regular shift with us last year,” says West. “He was a regular on the penalty kill and quite often found himself in a defensive role matched up against other teams top offensive players. He had an up and down season, but still very impressive as a 16-year old.  We've seen flashes of him being able to produce late last season...this year he has been an ice time leader among forwards with regular shift duties, as well as power play,‎ and now we find other teams trying to match their top defensive players against him to try to shut him down."

In speaking with Logan he obviously feels the same way. 

“Last year Dan and the coaching staff gave me a great opportunity to play at the Jr. 'A' level to develop and improve on my game. They believed in me and put me in some key situations to help build my confidence and I think that has made me successful this year.”

While Logan is quick to credit teammates for a big part of his success this year, there is more to it than just that according to his coach. 

"He has such a great shot, he doesn't need a lot of time or space to make a goalie look bad. It's almost like an old-time wrist shot, but quicker. I'm sure it surprises goalies and it's a big reason he had led our team in scoring all season."

He's not only popular amongst his coaches, and teammates, but his hard work has made him a fan favourite with the Lindsay fans as well. 

“I really enjoy playing in Lindsay because it's such a tight knit community and we get great support at home games and even at away games we always see fans that make the trip to come watch us play.”

Logan grew up in Peterborough, and continues to live there. He is able to commute to Lindsay in about 30 minutes so it's not a problem for him to blend the hockey with school. He played for the minor hockey 'AAA' Petes from novice to minor midget, where he was drafted by the OHL Petes. After a year in minor midget he came to Lindsay as a 16-year old. While he hopes to play hockey at the highest level possible, his backup plan is to attend university in search of a business degree.

West feels that the road ahead will be a good one for DeNoble.

"Logan ‎is a fantastic kid and a pleasure to coach. He is dedicated to the game both on and off the ice. He will undoubtedly be fielding offers from the next level very soon, and with his hunger to improve, he has a future in this game. He is a player who quickly became a leader for our team, he has had an amazing statistical year, but he always thinks team first.”

Craig Schroter has long been part of the Lindsay Muskies dedicated volunteer group, while also doing play-by-play for the team and working for the local newspaper.