NEWS

BY RON VALENTINE

HUDSON LAMBERT (Photo by Shawn Muir / OJHL Images), back for his third and final OJHL season, is captaining the 'new' BRAMPTON ADMIRALS (formerly the Orangeville Flyers) franchise.

Originally set to attend Canisius College this fall, Hudson delayed his commitment until the start of the 2019-2020 season after speaking with coaches at the Buffalo school.

The NCAA Division 1 college is very deep on the blueline this season, says Hudson, and he is happy with his new start date. Now he can devote all his energies on building on the success his club had last seaso

During 2017-18, Lambert was an OJHL all-star, runner-up as league defencemen of the year and Kewl OJHL Southwest Player of the Month.

The last time the Richmond Hill resident wore the 'C' was back in novice hockey but he is more than ready for the challenge, he says, and he looks forward to setting a positive tone early and picking up the guys when necessary. It will be a good challenge, he notes, as the Admirals play their first seven (including the Governors’ Showcase in Buffalo) on the road.

Hudson will be helped by two veteran players who will be wearing 'A's in Rocco Andreacchi and Vincent Bonaiuto. Both had excellent preseasons.

The team should have little problem finding the net, he says. They will miss Nathan Gooch, who moved to the Pickering Panthers to be closer to school.

The club will concentrate on the defensive aspect of the game in order to reach the captain's goal of being in the top four of the North/West Conference. One of his main goals will be to help guard against mental lapses, which hurt the team last season.

Eighty-four points racked up in two seasons for the Flyers obviously show that Hudson loves the offensive side of the game. But he was usually on the blueline against the opponent's top unit last seaon and sees himself as an all-round player.

Last season's club was quite young and the experience gained will definitely stand them in good stead this time around, he says.

Two players to watch are OJHL rookies Patrick Del Vecchio, who had 66 points last season for the GOJHL's Brampton Jr. B Bombers, and 16-year-old Sebastian Bulovs. In net, another ex-Bomber ,Travis Smith will team with Hill Academy grad Matthew Lukic to provide a strong combination, Lambert says. 

Look for a special campaign from the defenceman this season. He will more than likely surpass the 54 points he registered last season but it will be his other valuable assists that will help contribute to the success they are searching for.

And when he dons a Golden Griffins’ sweater in 2019 he will be a better player for it all. 

Follow Ron Valentine on Twitter @ronandlynda