North Central Predators goalie Wade Monague took another step toward his dream in last week's Ontario Hockey League (OHL) under 18 draft when he was selected 21st overall by the North Bay Battalion.
The 17-year-old Patrick Fogarty Secondary School standout, did not start his hockey journey as a goalie. When Monague started his hockey career in Orillia as a four-year-old, he did so as a forward and defenceman.
“At tryouts in novice I kind of realized I wasn’t the best skater on the ice. After the third tryout, I thought I would try goalie and it kind of stuck from there,” Monague said.
The decision to transition to the crease paid off early; it was a more natural fit for Monague.
“I was a little bigger than most of the kids on the ice, and once I transitioned to goalie I became passionate about the position,” he said.
Monague started playing in the Orillia Minor Hockey Association and them made the jump to the North Central Predators AAA Minor Atom squad as a ten-year-old. He stayed with the Predators for eight years. Along the way, he developed into a rising star at the midget U-17 level.
“They’ve done everything for me over the years, I feel like they put me in situations to succeed and grow,” Monague says of the Predators organization, headquartered in Rama.
Monague had his most impressive season during the 2018-19 campaign, where his play earned him four shutouts and a sparkling goals-against-average of 2.40 in 21 games played.
The strong season helped backstop the Predators to a 21-8-5 record which secured the first seed in the Eastern AAA Hockey League’s Western Conference and a trip to the OHL Cup.
Going into his OHL draft year this past season, Monague was hoping to repeat the success of his prior season and catch the eye of scouts. However, the Predators took a step back after most of their key players moved on to play in the OHL or at the junior level.
Monague saw a lot of rubber during the 2019-20 season and saw his goals-against-average rise to 3.48 in 23 games played. The Predators finished their season with a 9-20-7 record.
“It was really difficult to go through the draft process while not having the success I would have liked,” Monague said.
Looking back on the challenging season, Monague feels that the experience was necessary for his growth.
“It helped me become a better leader in the dressing room, playing in those high intensity games built me into a better goalie,” he said.
The North Bay Battalion weren’t deterred by Monague’s results playing in front of a less skilled Predators team, as they continued to show interest in the 6’2" Rama First Nations goaltender who they had been watching closely for over a year.
“When they called, I felt relieved and happy to be drafted into a great organization,” Monague said.
“This is the big step that I wanted to take.”
With the goal in mind to make the North Bay roster for the 2020/21 season, Monague has grown accustomed to being on the ice six days a week and working with Peak Performance Fitness in the off-season to increase his strength.
“I have to put in the work every day and bring unmatchable work ethic. Everyone at this level is skilled, so I have to show my team that I’m ready,” Monague explained.
While living in a pandemic, Monague continues to train for the next step at home and is finding more time to focus on his off-ice training and nutrition.
