HODGMAN NAMED OHL & CHL PLAYER OF THE WEEK Justin Hodgman wasn’t invited to the selection camp for Team Canada’s entry in the World Junior Hockey Championships. He was not selected in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. His OHL team, the Erie Otters, is unlikely to see playoff action this year. Jealous?
While Hodgman’s circumstances might not be enviable, his attitude is. Not one to focus on the negatives, the 6’1” 202-pound forward is the kind of player who has had to work for every opportunity that has come his way, and such tenacity rarely goes unrewarded.
“Training at Varsity with the guys these past few years has been an unreal experience,” said Hodgman. “As a 13th round pick in the ’04 OHL draft, I was never really expected to crack an OHL line-up, but after training at Varsity, I went into my second training camp with more confidence than ever. I had improved my hockey skills with the 3 on 3 games, and improved on every single fitness exercise that the Erie Otters put me through.”
The confidence and continuous improvement have not gone away. After putting up 20 points as a rookie, Hodgman’s production jumped to 51 points in 67 games in the ’06-’07 season. Only 28 games into his third year, Hodgman has already put up 41 points and has a +6 rating on a team that is 7-20-2-1, and has scored only 89 goals while allowing 153.
Last week’s OHL Player Of The Week, Hodgman began with a career-high two goals (including the game winner) and three assists in a 7-5 win over the Sarnia Sting Saturday, December 8th, 2007, at the Tullio Arena and followed the performance with a goal (the game winner) and three assists as the Otters doubled the London Knights 4-2 on Saturday at the Tullio Arena.
The 19 year-old Brampton, Ontario native, who was selected as the first star in both Otters victories, is in the midst of an eight-game point scoring streak (7-11-18) and a five-game goal-scoring streak (six goals). He leads the Otters in scoring in goals, assists, and points.
“I have been asked many times about how I made my way to the OHL as a 13th round pick, and I give full credit to the guys at Varsity and their ability to train up and coming hockey players.”
http://ontariohockeyleague.com/news/?id=4480
| 
