LaSalle Vipers defenceman Nick Gauvin made his Ontario Hockey League debut with the Windsor Spitfires Thursday night, a 5-2 loss to the London Knights at the WFCU Centre.
Gauvin, 16, was a fourth round pick of the Spits in the 2014 OHL Priority Selection and had played 34 games and posted 10 points for LaSalle prior to being recalled by Windsor.
The Courtice, Ont. native displayed strong decision making ability and played a low-risk game.
"It was a good start to the OHL experience for me," Gauvin says. "I was able to just keep it simple and play an easy game and not make many mistakes."
The Knights lineup included several players who have already heard their name called at the annual NHL Entry Draft, which provided Gauvin with a peek at how quickly the game moves at the next level.
"There's a big difference in the speed, having a first round (NHL) pick like Max Domi out there, there were some crisp, tic-tac-toe plays," Gauvin says. "I saw a glimpse of some of the great talent that's on display in the OHL."
When they return to full strength, with captain Patrick Sanvido close to returning from injury and leading scorer Trevor Murphy out three more games due to a suspension, the Spitfires have eight defencemen on their roster.
That means Gauvin is likely to end up back in LaSalle sooner or later.
However, he plans to take what he's learned in Windsor with him.
"I think playing an easier game, limiting my risk and knowing when to jump up or not, and playing with an edge," Gauvin says.
The Spitfires next game is Saturday night in Plymouth against the Whalers, while LaSalle is off until Wednesday when they'll face the Chatham Maroons on Minor Hockey Night, with all young hockey players who wear their jerseys getting in free.
