(Kanata) Taking advantage of a rare Saturday off, Owen Beck had planned dinner with his father.
This one did not take offense when his son called him to advise him that he had to let him down. The father still inquired about the reasons behind this late cancellation. Fiston therefore gently replied that he was going to play his first game in the NHL.
“He’s gone crazy! “Said Beck, Saturday, after the morning training of his club. To his mother, he simply asked if she was able to make it to Ottawa in the evening. She too exploded when she learned the reason for the invitation. All of her co-workers around her joined in the frenzy. Some of them even wished good luck directly to the young man on the phone.
“In Port Hope, everyone knows everyone,” recalled the center player, referring to his hometown, a small Ontario municipality of less than 20,000 inhabitants.
Above all, “everyone is overexcited”, he assured.
The event is not trivial. Wishing to protect his rear at a time when almost all of his center players are dragging injuries, and when a recall from the Laval Rocket seemed logistically impossible, the management of the Canadian repatriated Beck urgently on Friday. It had been a little over 20 years since the organization had used a player playing in the junior ranks in the middle of a season.
The surprise was therefore significant for the principal concerned. On Friday morning, he trained with his Peterborough Petes teammates as usual and took part in a video session. Then we required his presence in the coach’s office, where he was told that he would experience his baptism of fire with the CH the next day.
The last 24 hours, we understand, have therefore been “pretty crazy” for him. On the road between Peterborough and Ottawa, where the Canadiens will face the Senators on Saturday night, he received a text message from Nick Suzuki advising him not to plan anything for dinner. Upon his arrival in the federal capital, in the evening, he joined his captain as well as Josh Anderson, Christian Dvorak, Mike Hoffman and Jake Allen, who invited him to eat to get to know him and make him feel at ease. .
A crazy month
This reminder is the latest twist for anyone experiencing a simply surreal January 2023.
On the very first day of the new year, the national junior team invited him to join them in the Maritimes to replace an injured player. He played three games in the maple leaf jersey, recording one assist.
A week later, the Mississauga Steelheads, the team with which he had played a season and a half in the Ontario Junior League (OHL), traded him to the Petes. Three weeks later, here he is in the NHL.
I haven’t had time to sit down and digest it all yet. It’s quite special. I will never forget that.
Owen Beck
How does he deal with the chaos that has surrounded him for the past few weeks? “One day at a time,” he replied. It’s already getting used to the life of a hockey player, often being on the road, far from his family. You have to make the best of what happens to you. It’s a dream come true. You have to approach it calmly and enjoy it. »
Second-round pick (33e in total) from CH to the most recent draft, Beck is known for his offensive and defensive qualities, as well as his prowess in the face-off circle – he is one of the best in the OHL in this regard.
Arber Xhekaj, who played with the Hamilton Bulldogs in the junior ranks, faced him in the playoffs last season. “I didn’t really know him before that, but he was their best player the whole series,” he said. It was cool to see the Canadiens draft him, and very exciting to see him here today. I think his excitement will carry him to the ice tonight. »
Nick Suzuki has also enjoined him to try to stick to what he does best, without sinning by excess. “He deserved his chance to be here, even if it’s an emergency call-up,” he said. I told him to have fun and do his best in front of his family and friends. […] He has the chance to gain confidence and bring that back in the juniors afterwards to go a long way in the playoffs. »
Head coach Martin St-Louis wasn’t exactly overwhelmed with compliments for his new player. “It’s a special day for him, I’m sure he’ll remember it,” he said soberly.
He places no specific “expectations” on it and has not specified how he intends to employ it. Although Beck is a natural center player, it looks like the four players currently assigned to that position are fit to play. In fact, St-Louis will use a formation of 12 attackers and 6 defenders. This will cost his place to Chris Wideman, the only skater left out.
Goalkeeper Samuel Montembeault will defend the Canadian’s net. The game, played at the Canadian Tire Center in Kanata, will begin at 7 p.m.