Former Orillia Terriers captain Kyle Heitzner is back with his hometown team.
Heitzner asked for a trade in the second week of November and was dealt to the Kitchener Dutchmen of the Junior B Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League.
“I wanted the opportunity to play at the higher level again. I do pretty well here in the PJHL (Provincial Junior Hockey League) as far as points and personal production and I figured why not go play Junior B, and hopefully have a chance at playing university-level hockey,” said the 20-year-old Heitzner.
But after three weeks with the Dutchmen, the former North Central Predator began to have second thoughts.
And after seeing Terriers general manager Andrew McDonald make some moves to improve the team's defence and with the realization that he still has a shot at impressing university teams if he can lead the Terriers to a Clarence Schmalz Cup, he opted to come home.
“I kind of realized that I can still get that opportunity if I do well in Orillia and win, and I still see a great team here,” said the skilled forward. “Andrew reassured me that we are still making moves to get the team even better. I didn’t feel we were really there yet when I left, but we are there now and have a shot at winning it all.”
McDonald says he and the team are thrilled about Heitzner’s decision to return home.
“Having Kyle back here is huge. We didn’t want him to leave here in the first place,” McDonald said. “I’m happy to give him another chance. This is his team, it’s his hometown and he has an opportunity to prove to his fans that he is the kid I think he is.”
McDonald says there was no hesitation to let Heitzner back into the fold after leaving the team.
“When you are talking about a player of Kyle’s caliber, and you are trying to win a championship, I would be the worst general manager in the world to not let him come back,” McDonald said.
Things have changed since the last time Heitzner stepped into the Terriers locker room and wore the 'C' on his jersey. The captain of the team is now Elmvale native Owen King, and it will remain that way for the rest of the season.
“Owen is doing a great job in that role and it’s taken a lot of pressure off of me,” said Heitzner. “Now I can just come to the rink and worry about helping the team on the ice and not have to worry about being the off-ice guy.”
Heitzner appears to be more relaxed as he settles back in with the Terriers, and feels like he is in a good spot mentally for the first time since before being a healthy scratch for the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) Barrie Colts during the season opener in September of 2018.
After that night it seemed like a never-ending series of events would haunt Heitzner for the rest of the year as his benching with the Colts was followed by being traded to the Mississauga Steelheads, where he became frustrated with his role.
He then returned to Orillia and started to find his groove with the Terriers until he suffered an ankle injury followed by a suspension.
“I went through some really tough times and Andrew (McDonald) and coach (Dallyn Telford) were always there for me. I spent a couple of nights sleeping over at coach’s house ... we would chat about things for hours,” Heitzner recalls.
“I was in a depressed state and I’ve climbed out of it and I’m doing really well now and I’m having probably the best season I’ve ever had in junior hockey.”
In fact, Heitzner, despite missing seven games, still leads his team in scoring. In 21 games, he has 26 goals and 28 assists.
The team, meanwhile, sits in third place in the division, thanks to its 17-9-0-2 record. Stayner and Alliston hold down the top two positions, while Schomberg, which has played four more games, is just a point back of Orillia.
Looking back on his hockey career, Heitzner admits he might have done things differently if he had the opportunity to start over.
“Barrie was a great experience, but looking back if I could do it all over again I would have probably stuck with playing junior hockey and try to get a Division 1 scholarship,” Heitzner said. “That’s one thing I preach to younger guys who maybe didn’t get a crack at the OHL or are deciding what to do.”
“I’m not saying I shouldn’t have been in the OHL but I wasn’t getting any great opportunity,” he said. “I really never got a chance to play and it’s something that still bothers me. There is a lot of politics and stuff behind the scenes that you don’t see which made it pretty hard for a guy like me who’s always been the hardest worker.
“But I’m happy to get it here in front of all the hometown people and hopefully I will still get a chance to play university hockey.”
Heitzner says he feels refreshed as the Terriers focus on a playoff run. He credits his father, Shawn, his mother, Randi, and his girlfriend, Holly, for helping him get back on track.
“My family was always there for me in the hard times,” said Heitzner. “The ups and downs of junior hockey can be hard on them so I appreciate everything they have been through with me over the past couple of years. They’ve been at my side the whole time and I feel like the luckiest kid in the world to have their support.”
Being away from the team and getting himself in a healthy state of mind has made Heitzner realize how much wearing the Terriers jersey means to him,
“I didn’t realize how great I had it here when I left and now to have another shot makes me appreciate everything more. The goal now is to win because I only have so many chances with this group of guys,” Heitzner said.
Away from the rink, Heitzner is attending the police foundations program at Georgian College in Orillia and has ambitions of becoming a high school teacher someday.
He hints he could also see himself being the head coach of the Terriers down the road. But, for now, he will focus on leading the team on the ice.
