The Rollercoaster of Junior Hockey│Ben Pickell's Story

Every year thousands of young hockey players are drafted to a team in the CHL. Some make it some do not, but for most players it's not a straight line to archive their goal.

Ben Pickell recently finished his junior hockey career playing for the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League. His journey to get to this point was a rollercoaster with many challenges along the way.

In this episode of the Sideline Podcast we explore Ben's journey from being drafted to the OHL to now playing at Robert Morris University.

Transcript

Thomas West 0:00

I think your hockey career is kind of interesting just in the way it started, because neither of your parents played hockey growing up. No. But you got into hockey. So uh what what was it for you that that got you into playing hockey?

SPEAKER_12 0:12

Yeah, um, yeah, both my parents played baseball, so I don't know if they were a bit bummed that I didn't pick it, but um that's okay. So I think it's it's okay now.

SPEAKER_17 0:22

So tried to send a puck to the front of them. Now Clark following up. Open side they score!

SPEAKER_06 0:28

The first goal of his career, OHL career for Ben Pickle. Osborne to pickle scores! Ben Pickle gets the goal! And the Panthers retake the leave.

SPEAKER_12 0:43

One one door closes, another one opens. As you don't see that door, but it's the most important one. Um just looking forward, and you know, when people tell you you're too small or whatever, it's just it's honestly just you just take out the noise, you just keep putting that best foot forward.

SPEAKER_02 1:02

Finds his man up the ice and pickle a shot, he scores and pickle and Canada east as a three-to-one lead.

SPEAKER_03 1:15

Trying to work his way to the front back and forehead, he scores a beauty.

Thomas West 1:24

All right, joined now by Ben Pickle, who's had a heck of a career in his junior hockey time. Ben, uh, you know, I I just there's so many ways I think we could kind of start this, but I just kind of want to start with a quote that I I remember from when you and I were in Pickering and when you said, when one door closes, another door opens. And I feel like that's kind of the way that you've lived your whole career because you've had doors opening and closing left, right, and center. Like when you think back on your junior hockey career and just kind of the way everything panned out, like that's gotta be uh like a big success story for you.

SPEAKER_12 1:58

Yeah, yeah, thank you. Yeah, no, super happy to be on here. And uh, you know, it's uh it's a roller coaster. Um, you know, it's not really a straight line, but um for me, honestly, it was just super, super thankful for all the people I met and you know, all the experiences, whether it was in the OJHL, OHL, you know, going out east to play at the World Junior A, like it was just you know, super fortunate. And in that uh in the moment it was super tough, you know, getting caught from a couple teams, but um, you know, I was I was super happy the way it worked out, and you know, I couldn't look back on it uh any better.

Thomas West 2:33

Well, thanks so much for tuning into the Sideline Podcast, Thomas West here. This is the story of Ben Pickle, a junior hockey player whose career, whose goals shifted so many times that the ultimate goal when it was all said and done was to prove people wrong. But he was a guy who battled, battled through all the adversity that was thrown his way and ended up putting together a career that was certainly something to be proud of. And we should have known that Ben's hockey story was gonna be a winding road right from the beginning, because the very first hurdle they had to get over as a 15-year-old kid was when COVID shut down his hockey season, and like many hockey players during this time had to go through the nervous roller coaster as his fate as an OHL player was decided when he didn't even get to play hockey in that season. So COVID was such an interesting time, especially for hockey players, because I mean that was like the worst season to lose ever, right? Because it was right before your draft year. And you know, I remember I was doing some stuff working um uh on you know getting some kids drafted into the Ontario Hockey League at the time, and it was brutal because all these scouts were asking, like, we have no video to see of these kids. Like, did do you feel like that you know helped you or hurt you, or you know, was that kind of a challenge just watching this season go by, knowing that your fate was being determined by these scouts in the Ontario Hockey League, but there wasn't really much you could do about it?

SPEAKER_12 4:03

Uh yeah, no, it was super tough. Um, you know, just honestly from not being able to go on the ice was you know the biggest thing, you know, you want to be out there with your buddies. I've been playing with the same guys for you know 10 years, so um having that taken away from me and um was was super hard, but I mean you couldn't really do much about it, so you know that's when I really started getting to working out and you know, kind of like finding that next gear, and um I was lucky to be on uh you know, we were pretty good the year before, so um had a decent year, and um you know that was kind of right before like the live barn and all that came out, so um you know it it was hard, but um then there was a couple showcases uh um that uh you know I could attend and um yeah, I'm glad it worked out.

Thomas West 4:44

So you heard Ben Pickle mention Live Barn there. That was the the video system that were basically like security cameras that were planted around rinks and the GTHL and leagues where kids that were gonna go to the Ontario Hockey League were getting drafted from. And that was kind of the only video that scouts had to go off at the time because players weren't really playing in Hockey Canada sanctioned tournaments because of COVID. It shut everything down. So the only video that these scouts had to look at was these security camera videos from a year ago to try and get these kids scouted, but it all worked out for Ben Pickle because the Barry Colts took Ben in the third round of the OHL priority selection. When you knew that you were gonna have a shot at being an Ontario Hockey League player. Like how how exciting was that for you?

SPEAKER_12 5:34

Yeah, um, yeah, that was that was a crazy time because it was during COVID, so we didn't really have uh you know a season then, and um, you know, when that day came it was super special, had all my family here, and uh, you know, I remember like it was yesterday, so um that was super special for me and my family, and you know, to have that opportunity to get your name called was you know, I'll I'll never forget that. And um, you know, then you kind of reflect on you know what's next.

Thomas West 6:02

Yeah, and what's next was a question that would go on to be asked a lot in Ben Pickle's junior career. But for now, Ben Pickle would start his junior career playing for the Pickering Panthers in the Ontario Junior Hockey League. A very normal way for a third-round draft pick in the Ontario Hockey League to start their career in junior.

SPEAKER_07 6:27

Lucas Littlejohn to Tomlison sends a long pass, and here comes Ben Pickle card. Ben Pickle ties the game. I think he went five ball there.

SPEAKER_04 6:50

Russell down steals, only gets it away. Pickle! With a Pickering Panthers! And they win it overtime! Four-three over the door, 10 readers!

Thomas West 7:06

And Ben was playing great as a member of the Pickering Panthers. In fact, he had five goals in his first six games playing junior hockey. Great start, and the Barry Colts noticed because on January 8th, he was called up to the big club.

SPEAKER_17 7:23

Roanick Joe Gwen crosses the blue line. Tried to send a puck to the front of them. Now Clark following up. Open side they score! The first goal of his career OHL career for Ben Pickle. Fourth line, left winger, played a good game against North Bay last week. Set up nicely by Brent Clark.

Thomas West 7:45

Well, that was the first goal in Ben Pickle's OHL career, and let me tell you, it didn't take him long. That was just his second game. His first two games in the OHL were against North Bay. This one was in North Bay, the one before that was at home in Barry. He got called up in January, which is pretty good. That's about halfway through the season. That's pretty good for a third-round draft pick, playing their first season in the Ontario Hockey League at the time. Barry had a bunch of young players, a lot of their early round draft picks were on the team, and this was a great start for Ben Pickle to score a goal in a second OHL game. Excellent. And by the way, it was Brett Clark who passed him the puck, and he did pretty well in his OHL and now National Hockey League career. Ben would go on to score another goal later on in the year in a game in Barry and would close out that season with a nice chunk of playing time in the Ontario Hockey League to set him up nicely for next season to play on the Barry Colts. You know, maybe maybe let's start with a nice moment. Like w when you were right at the beginning of your career, you scored your first goal. Uh it was in North Bay, you were playing for Barry at the time. Like and I remember, you know, this is kind of one of the first times that we talked because we did an interview on Rogers TV after that. I know you had some family members watching your games back in Pickering. You must have some people who are pretty excited to have you in the OHL playing for the Barry Colts and getting your your first OHL goal back home.

SPEAKER_12 9:09

Oh yeah, yeah, there's a lot of people who uh are pretty excited, like old coaches, uh like everyone, all my old teammates and stuff are uh posting about it, so it's kinda uh I got a smile on my face and uh it's been it's been good, yeah.

Thomas West 9:24

Congrats on the goal, Ben, and thanks for your time.

SPEAKER_12 9:27

Yeah, thank you very much. Thank you.

Thomas West 9:29

Yeah, just a moment like that for you and your career, like is that still something you kind of look back on and and maybe smile a bit at?

SPEAKER_12 9:36

Uh yeah, yeah, for sure. Uh yeah, I remember it. Um yeah, pretty pretty clearly. Um, you know, I came off the bench and um you know, Brank hard passing the puck. So I mean he didn't he didn't turn out too bad. So um just even having that, you know, him assisting my first goal is pretty special. Um you know, just kind of went on my knees after I scored. Like I did a like a 3-60 or something. I I don't know what I was doing, just pure joy, but um yeah, that was that was super nice to get out of the way. Um, you know, I think it was a couple games in, so uh that that was nice and kind of get the ball rolling and that like that was a really good group too. Um, you know, they had a good year, and um, you know, just the the memories I uh I uh I made were carry carry with me forever.

Thomas West 10:22

So Ben would end up spending two months in the Ontario Hockey League before getting sent back down to the Pickering Panthers. In his time in the OHL, he scored two goals, picked up two assists, played 17 games. He did end up playing a game a month later in April, but this was pretty much it for Ben's OHL season this year. But getting sent down to the team that he started with ended up being a bit of a blessing in disguise because the Pickering Panthers went on a magical run this season. So the buckling in Pickering. I mean, you know, anytime you can win a championship anywhere, I know that's a really special moment. And you know, I I know you didn't play in that game seven, but you know, I know you were a really good teammate on that team, and you know, that team really rallied behind you. Um I just remember you running out on the ice, you know, in at the JRC arena when when Pickering won that Buckland Cup. Like just that moment for you, you know, that had to be cool as well.

SPEAKER_12 12:52

Yeah, um, you know, especially my first year, I was like, oh, I want to get used to to winning this. But um, yeah, I remember um you know I came back from Barrie, like it was super tough, like I think halfway through the year, you know, just same thing mentally, like couldn't couldn't really find my game again. Um, and then yeah, when we we got it to the final there in game seven. Um I remember I think yeah, Johnny scored and uh Scotty Nicholson was Sam aside me and I like jumped into his arms and he like held me out like it was like Lion King. So I I know he I know he'll have a chuckle here in this one, but um just that stuff and you know the group of guys there just speaks volume to what uh they brought to the table. And I think that group like constructively was one of the best I've probably ever seen, you know, from like Lindsay La Palm, you know, like uh like I said, Hutton and those guys, like you know, and then Roy, Roy in the back end. We had Bat Bally uh stood up his head for a couple games there too, which which was huge. It was kind of you know shows what kind of playoffs are and how everyone needs to step up. And um, and then yeah, I guess the Centennial Cup just speaks for itself, how that group was just so close, and you know, everyone just brought something to the table that you know was beneficial. And as a younger guy, like that it was it was really meaningful, like um just you know how guys approach the game and you know, you know, help me out and um just kind of sho show me the ways.

Thomas West 14:17

And of course a buckling cup means the Pickering Panthers won the OJHL, so they're headed to the Junior A National Championship, the Centennial Cup in Esteban, Saskatchewan. And what does Ben Pickle do in his very first game in a national championship? He scores against the Red Lake Minors. Do you remember that goal?

SPEAKER_12 14:37

Uh I do, actually. Uh a little bit. I think it got turn turnover in the the the neutral zone or something, and I want to say Johnny passed it to me. I was flying, and I got a partial breakaway forehand backhand and then uh hit the dice roll sally. So I think that I think the boys remember that one a little bit. So um that was nice to get that one out of the way, and um you know, just to kind of you know set the tone for the tournament, and um because you're playing those other leagues, you got no idea you know what they are. They all got visor, you're like we're just in cages over here, and um so that that was that was good to get the first one, and then I mean that whole tournament guys stepped up left, right, and center, like Kavlin scoring a big goal, Alto, um Rosie, uh Partridge, like all those guys are just um that was yeah, that was a good tournament. That was a that was a fun time. And I mean, we're an S evans or I had no idea what to do, but I mean we made the most of it, so probably got on Luca's nerves a little bit too much.

Thomas West 15:35

I thought that was an interesting comment there from Ben about visors and cages, because I completely forgot about that at the time, but in the OJHL, everyone had to wear a cage, which that was a little bit different in the Ontario Hockey League, because Ben being playing his first year and being the youngest on the team meant that he was in a cage. Because you had to be a certain age or have a certain amount of service time in the OHL before you could move to the visor, so that was a reality that Ben, you know, learned pretty quickly in the Ontario Hockey League because he was one of the only ones in the cage, and everyone would know that he was the youngest guy on the team. But in Pickering, everyone had cages on, and there were lots of other teams that had visors, and I remember that being an interesting rule because in other junior A leagues it wasn't a rule that you had to wear a full cage like in the OGAHL. So I remember we were kind of coming back to the hotel and saying, Well, we can't get double minor high sticking penalties because we have full cages on, so they're never gonna draw blood if we get a high sticking penalty. Anyway, it wasn't a big deal and didn't end up being a big thing, but just a bit of a visual for you in that tournament and uh something I kind of forgot. So the Pickering Panthers did not just play in the national championship, they made it all the way to the final, and it was an unbelievable ride to get there. Going back to you here, Ben, uh it's a hot start for you. You get a goal in your first game. Uh, how does that feel? Getting the goal in the new barn and the crowd as well.

SPEAKER_12 17:08

Yeah, it feels pretty good. Uh, you know, I saw Johnny coming up the wall, and uh I know we could create a two-on-one, so I just drove to the night. He he made a nice pass and fed me, so I then I just had to get the job done and bury it. So, but it was it was it was a good time. Uh good crowd today. Uh a lot of kids cheering for the Panthers, so we uh it was it was nice to see that.

SPEAKER_11 17:27

Pretty sick sally on him too. I know the boys were fired up uh first game back in a while, so he came out hot and had a good goal, so gets the boys fired up.

SPEAKER_16 17:36

Leapoint golfs into center. Cavalin shoots, a score, it's over! The Panthers have won it in double overtime, and we will get that second quarter final game. The Panthers are celebrating. Jamie, what did I say? A shot from the blue line through traffic, a seeing eye shot, beats Cal Shell up over the blocker.

SPEAKER_10 17:56

Yeah, I was fired up, you know, but I also just felt so relieved for all the 20-year-olds on the team, you know, work their ass off every night, come in battle, you know, since September, October. And like, we're not they're not done, we're not done. We're here to win it.

Thomas West 18:10

The other big moment that I remember from Esteban is just that game against Brooks. And, you know, I I think this kind of speaks to you were talking about Rob Pearson and just kind of the impact that that he's had in in your junior career. Like, you know, do you remember the night before when you know everyone was sitting at the dinner table and Rob Pearson said we're gonna play things a little differently in that game of the Brooks bandits? Like, you know, just maybe speak to him as a coach a little bit in that moment and how everyone kind of could buy into that. And you know, that must have been a crazy thing, because you know, I you know, on this podcast we've done the whole story about all of this, but you know, I I remember that you know everyone was in the parking lot, right? That that day before, kind of going over the game plan of what was gonna happen. But you know, that had to just be such a crazy thing where you're going up in the national championship final and like this is what it what it's all coming down to.

SPEAKER_12 18:57

Yeah, yeah. I mean, it's yeah, it was one game and uh we knew we had to give them a good run after I think we got blown out the game before by them or something. But yeah, they Robbie brought all the boys to like the parking lot and was like demoing guys, like he was like grabbing guys' heads and like moving it around. I was like, this is junior, like what's going on here? Like all the guys are like looking at each other, like, well, I mean, it's it's gotta work. So I think he he knew a guy in that league, and he's like, This is how you gotta beat them. And um I mean we had them on the ropes for the whole game, and uh, well, I mean, they kind of did, but um, you know, the goalie goalies stuck uh hung in there for us. I think we got one early, forget who scored, but that was I remember yeah, I didn't I didn't I might have like two shifts, and I think the one shift uh I thought I was going and I hopped the board. Robbie probably used a couple cursor words to get me. He's like, What are you doing? I was like, ah man, I'm just so excited to get out there. And yeah, and I got half the older guys yelling at me. I'm like, oh what am I doing here? So but yeah, he he's uh you know, he really kind of shaped my my playing career, and um, you know, I always remember what what kind of he taught me. So I'm super thankful for uh for Robbie.

SPEAKER_04 20:07

And after waiting for two long years to let this championship, the British bandits, go back to back at the Centennial Cup.

SPEAKER_00 20:16

For the younger guys here that got pieces of time, look up to some of these guys and just say, that's where I want to be. I want to be a leader. He was here when he was 16. He didn't get an opportunity to get as much height, and he bought in and he just kept climbing the ladder. And if you climb, climb, climb, that's what the younger guys you need to do. Wherever you go, if you stay here, if you go wherever, climb the ladder. Climb the ladder like these over agents and represent somewhere. You played in May, and you're champions now. You're champions. Believe in that, okay?

Thomas West 20:49

That was Coach Rob Pearson's speech after the Pickering Panthers lost 4-1 in the national championship final. An incredible run by a team and an inspirational speech after as well. In the 22-23 season, Ben Pickle made the Barry Colts out of training camp. And, as he expected, played in the Barry Colts' very first game of the season against the Oshawa Generals. And then once again, slowly had it ripped away as he didn't play and was a healthy scratch for a month, which would eventually lead to him getting sent back down to Pickering. You know, I'm just kind of wondering, every player kind of has that make or break moment. Like, I feel like that was part that either could have broke you or it it ended up making you into the player you are. Because you know, I remember talking to you in your first year in Pickering, and then you came and said hi to me uh in like your second year in the OHL, and I knew you'd been just worked hitting the gym a whole bunch because you shake my hand and I mean you almost tripped my whole shot. Like that was a uh kind of a make or break moment for you, maybe in a motivation sense, but you know, with There ever a moment where you thought, like, you know, maybe this isn't gonna work out?

SPEAKER_12 22:04

Yeah. Um, yeah, I think, you know, in my first year I was like, okay, maybe maybe this is not gonna happen right away. But uh, I think my one I look back on all the time is you know, I was I think it was my second year I was struggling, and uh maybe didn't go get a point or something. I just got caught again and um you know Rob brought me in and he's like you got two two ways to look at this, like either pack it in and or you can you know keep grinding and it's all gonna work out. And you know, we had a kind of a heart to heart and um you know told him what I thought and you know how I saw it, and he he told me the same and uh he he really like had a lot of meaning meaning towards it, and um, you know that that's one that I look back on and um you know I'm super thankful that happened because I was kind of struggling mentally and you know internally, like wouldn't really let it out, and he kind of helped me, you know, uh you know broadcast it a little bit to him and kind of see you know how I was feeling, and that kind of turned me around a little bit and um you know kind of realized that um you know we we're all in this together.

Thomas West 23:10

Now, of all the seasons for Ben Pickle to not be in the Ontario Hockey League, this was the one with the most significance. So later on in the season when Ben was playing with the Pickering Panthers, he got selected to play in the Eastern Canada Cup. Now, if you're unfamiliar with this tournament, it's basically a tournament for non-overage players, and it's almost like a precursor to the World Junior A Challenge, which is essentially the World Juniors, except for players playing in Junior A, so the tournament that you watch at Christmas time with Team Canada. In the Eastern Canada Cup, though, there were a lot of teams selected, and very few players would go on to play in the World Junior A Challenge, representing one of two Canadian teams in that tournament. So Ben Pickle was selected to one of the two OJHL represented teams, there was Team Howerchuk and Team Oates, and Pickle made it to Team Oates. So obviously, the end goal is to try and make Team Canada and of course win the tournament with Team Oates for Ben Pickle. And there's a long way to go before making Team Canada, but just to be selected for that tournament, that's a pretty big honor in the OJHL. And to make Team Canada, that would be crazy, right? Well Ben, you've you've been rewarded for your hard work lately. Uh you got named to Team Canada East when I get the World Junior A Challenge. Just just how what does that mean to get named to that team?

SPEAKER_12 24:45

Yeah, it means a lot when I got the combos almost like. A little bit of camera to someone you dream on as a kid. Um, you know, when you watch the World Juniors, you're always like a one and have the mix and maybe believe how much you missed, and honestly, it's just everything I've kind of been through recently, and it's just it's all about the next when one door closes, another one opens, and you don't see that door, but it's the most important one. Um I'm just looking forward, and you know, when people tell you you're too small or whatever, it's just it's honestly just to you just take out the noise and you just keep putting the best foot forward, so it's not it's awesome. Um yeah, and then when my third year came around, you know, that's something I I looked forward to at the start of the year and kind of had in the back of my mind, um, like going going into the year, you know, if the if things didn't work out in the way shell. So, you know, when that opportunity came to try out, um you know, I think I had a decent first half and um went to tryouts in Trenton. And I I actually struggled the first couple games, and then I think they moved me to center and uh you know I I got the call a couple weeks later and I remember I was out in my driveway and it was it was my mom and it was pretty it was pretty special um you know just to re to put that flag on that you you dream about uh since you're a kid. So um you know that that was a moment too where I think you know, I I was going into it like if I had a good tournament, you know, I think things could, you know, maybe shape shape up even you know that year or or the next year.

Thomas West 26:14

So Ben Pickle knew that this wasn't just an opportunity to put the Canada logo on his chest, it was also an opportunity to finally get recognized and get his shot at the next level because there was gonna be a lot of eyeballs from teams that were a higher level than the Pickering Panthers watching this tournament. And what do you know? Ben Pickle had a really good World Junior A challenge.

SPEAKER_02 26:40

Nice turn by Lazard. Finds his man up the ice, and pickle a shot! He scores! Ben Pickle at Canada East has a 3-1 lead.

Thomas West 26:53

Ben's team Canada East would go on to earn the silver medal, and Ben Pickle in six games was fourth on the team in goal scoring. Three goals, one assist, four points, and put on a performance that was worthy of playing at the next level. Now, although Ben was having a great season, the Pickering Panthers did not look like they were gonna be a competitive team down the stretch. So, at the OGHL trade deadline, Ben Pickle was a top target for some of the best teams in the OGAHL. And after the trade deadline had come and gone, Ben Pickle found himself traded to the Trenton Goldenhawks. And, with the help of their new acquisition in Trenton, they made it all the way to the OGHL finals. Unfortunately, Pickle got hurt in that final series, and the Goldenhawks weren't able to win the Buckland Cup, but Pickle had had a great playoffs with his new team. And let's get back to Ben Pickle's goal of making the Ontario Hockey League because this wasn't just a great opportunity to win a championship for Pickle, it was a great opportunity to impress some scouts from just down the road from the Kingston front necks. A team in the Ontario Hockey League who was rebuilding and looking for a diamond in the ruffle that they could add to their roster. And after the season, Kingston asked the Barry Colts if they could acquire Ben Pickle's rights, and Ben Pickle was headed back to the Ontario Hockey League, and this time for good.

SPEAKER_12 28:42

Yeah, um, well, uh yeah, long goes for the both coaches, one's in Kingston, one's in Trenton. So obviously I think that that helps a little bit, but um, I know I talked to Coop, he was maybe looking to acquire me the year before too, but you know, just with numbers didn't work out. So um, you know, I kind of just had that mindset going to Trenton, like um, you know, I'm here to win a championship. But unfortunately I got hurt in the final, which which it wasn't uh fun, but um, and then getting that call from Coop the next summer was uh something I'll never forget. Kind of that dream to get back in the league and you know show what you know I think maybe people have been missing a little bit and prove people wrong was my biggest thing.

SPEAKER_05 29:19

So the buck out front, pickle along, take it back, take it back, and then you can't get it. Well it it looked like Pickle was gonna shoot it and then puts the move on Humphreys and Yeah, and you did.

Thomas West 29:57

You like you proved people wrong. Like you you came out, had a great season in Kingston, and everyone was thinking, well, I wasn't this guy in the Ontario Hockey League all along. And you know, I I remember you having a good year, which was great, but I also remember you know the fans in Kingston really gravitated towards you, right? Like, you know, you came in, you had the name Pickle, so they loved that, and then they saw you play. And I think that's where it it really uh that really that that relationship between you and the fans in Kingston, like that that must have been such a such a cool thing for you.

SPEAKER_12 30:30

Yeah, yeah, that was that was super neat. Um, you know, honestly from day one, I kind of fell in love with Kingston. Like, um, you know, I've been there before, but hadn't really got the experience. Like it's right on the water, like it's it's beautiful. Like we would uh start the year, we'd go to practice and then head to the beach, like like with like all the students, like and we just play spike ball or whatever. So that uh that was a lot of like good team bonding early, like getting to know the guys, like um, but yeah, even in playoffs, like it was just a lot of trick. They said they didn't sold out in like 10 years or something. So for that, and there's there's a buzz in the city, like uh yeah. I just that was that was honestly one of the best times, you know, playing. And um one of the our captain, his buddies, I guess, were uh they came down for playoffs we're in pickle costumes, so to have that kind of support was was super neat, and uh those were all great guys, and that was uh that was a fun year.

Thomas West 31:22

Unfortunate ending, but um, you know, I still talked to probably half the guys there, so and Ben had a great year this season with the Kingston front next. He he really did prove people wrong. Like it was incredible that we saw Ben Pickle play this well in the Ontario Hockey League, and this was just his first full season in the OHL. Like it really felt like Ben proved people wrong, and he should have probably been in the Ontario Hockey League all along, although the story probably would have been much different if he hadn't faced that adversity. But what I thought was the most incredible thing about this season for Pickle was his relationship with the fans. And you know, you don't always see fan favorite players. Like, there isn't every season where the fans gravitate towards one player. Like, you gotta be a really special player for fans to kind of you know start chanting your name, or as you heard Ben Pickle talk about there, show up with pickle costumes on, uh representing his last name. So I think the fans in Kingston recognized what type of player Ben was, and there was just something about him that captivated the interest of everyone in Kingston at the time.

SPEAKER_13 32:40

You were an assist away from a Gordy How hat trick tonight. Did you know that?

SPEAKER_12 32:44

Uh I mean, yeah, but in a win, so I love it. Let's go.

SPEAKER_13 32:48

Towards the back started out and glided back in. Here's Gango, rolling fuck trouble to Fortune's gone. Gangal with a fuck up front, put it towards the end and pickle got a piece. And the front turn to a thing one.

Thomas West 33:03

And if I told you back in the day that you'd be here in the Ontario Hockey League as an everyday player for the Kingston front necks, back when you're playing for the Pickering Panthers back in the day, yeah, what would you have said?

SPEAKER_12 33:13

Yeah, I'd probably say you're lying, but you know, um, I've been through a lot, so uh just kind of shows what person I am. And I think, you know, I've learned a lot about myself through the diversity and the ups and downs, and you know, I'm thankful for the opportunity Kingston's gave me, and I'm just hoping we can win here. That'd mean uh something special for me.

Thomas West 33:28

Ben, back in the day you told me that kind of your mindset was when one door closes, another door opens. That's kind of been the journey to the Ontario Hockey League, hasn't it, for you over the last couple years? How important has it been just to have that mindset in your journey to get here?

SPEAKER_12 33:41

Yeah, I think as a younger player in the league, you know, you you want to make that jump right away, but obviously that didn't happen. And I think uh, you know, as you grow as a person mentally, physically, like you just you gotta take it as it comes, and you know it's not gonna happen all at once, and it's gonna happen over four years, and um it's you know it's it's been an adversity, but I mean I'm super thankful for the to be here with this group of guys, and uh it's gonna be a good year.

Thomas West 34:04

Ben, uh it's awesome to see you here, and uh good luck in this next 40. Yeah, thank you. Ben Fickle from the Kingston Project. So we'll be right back. Okay, so Ben had a nice scholarship built up in the Ontario Hockey League where he could go to an Ontario university uh and start his college career because he'd played for a couple seasons in the league, so that's that's a great benefit to playing in the OHL. There's a few options though for players that are entering into their age 20 season. So Ben was 19 at the time, so his options were either go to university, which is the easiest option, I think, at the time as a 19-year-old. Another one of the likely options was go back and play junior A hockey again, for I guess it would be the Trenton Goldenhawks for Ben, because you could have eight overagers in that league, which we'll get into in just a moment. Or you can play in the Ontario Hockey League as an overager. So if you're unfamiliar with uh what overagers are, it's 20-year-old players. So in junior A, a team can have eight overagers. Teams that win championships are always full of them because they're the most experienced players, and you can have a roster just full of uh 20-year-old players in junior A. In the OHL, since they consider it a development league and they want to have as many NHL draft-worthy players in the league as possible, they limit every team to three overage players, which means that there is a whole lot of 19-year-olds that are not gonna be overagers just because there simply is not a spot for them in the Ontario Hockey League. And, you know, if you asked Ben Pickle when he was struggling to get into the OHL if he was gonna end up being an overager one day in the Ontario Hockey League, that would seem just crazy. Although, once again, Ben proved people wrong and he was no way in the OHL.

SPEAKER_01 36:05

Ben Pickle has been sent from the Kingston Frontiers to the Cernia Sting for a 10th round pick in 2029.

Thomas West 36:13

When you think about uh, you know, becoming an overager in in junior hockey, like you know, I remember talking to your parents about this when you were in ring, and I'm gonna be honest, like we were like, oh, like, you know, once you're 19, that's probably it. And I don't know if maybe you thought that as well. And then you end up being an overager in you know, playing for Sarnia. Did did you ever think that, you know, after the way this whole thing started, that you would be an OA put playing in the in the OHL?

SPEAKER_12 36:42

Yeah, there there was no there was no way a lot, a lot of doubts crept into the mind for sure. But um, like I said, like in Kingston, I was kind of just wasn't thinking about the next year. I was kind of you know wanted to win and you know help out help out this group and um lucky enough, like had a had a good playoffs and um you know, and then started that year last year or this year here, um, just with a numbers game, I you know it just didn't work out, which happened. And um when Sika called me, I was I was thrilled. I wasn't sure if I was gonna get sent down or or whatever. It was kind of you know, I was pretty pretty stressed out kind of to see you know how the cards would fold. But um, you know, to be an overager is pretty special, and you know, with the whole landscape kind of changing with NCAA, I wasn't sure you know who was staying, kind of which guys were going.

Thomas West 37:27

So Okay, hold that thought right there. Those used to be the options for players in their overage season, and then everything changed with the new rules between the CHL and the NCAA. So, bear with me here. Before this season, OHL players, we're just gonna use OHL as the example because we're talking about Ben who played in the Ontario Hockey League, but technically players in the WHL and the QMJHL as well. But OHL players, if they stepped foot for just a single game in the Ontario Hockey League, they were no longer eligible to play in the NCAA Division I hockey. That is widely accepted as a much higher level of hockey than playing in the OUA, Ontario University hockey. So naturally, if players had the option to go play in the NCAA, they would. In fact, at this time, there were a lot of players that absolutely could have been in the Ontario Hockey League, but they decided not to play in the OHL because they didn't want to ruin their LG ability to go play in the NCAA. And playing in the NCAA was a good option. Like players who decided to go this route, it worked out for a lot of them. So you had players playing in junior A that just played their whole career in junior A, were drafted by OHL teams, but just never stepped foot in the OHL, just even though they could, because they didn't want to ruin their eligibility. Well, with this new rule change, it meant that players in the Ontario Hockey League now could play in the NCAA, and that changed everything. So with these new rule changes, Ben Pickle was an overager on the Ontario Hockey League, and he had a lot to think about in his final season as well. But he focused on the hockey for the first part of the season and introduced himself to the fans in Sarnia with an unbelievable end-to-end goal with his first as a Sarnia's stick.

SPEAKER_03 39:45

Two big stops final last. Pickle tried to work his way to the front of it, backhand, forehead, he's for the beauty.

Thomas West 40:10

In fact, he finished the year with 24 of them in this season, 41 points in 64 games. He was third on his team in scoring and had another great year in the Ontario Hockey League. But one of the really special moments I thought was when Ben Pickle played his first game back in Kingston. So it came on November 16th, and the Frontenacks had a nice tribute video to him on their jumbotron, and the fans got to say goodbye to Ben Pickle one last time. And you could tell that was a special moment for him. I don't know how you could get emotional seeing that. I you know, I could see the look on your face. That that had to be a special moment as well.

SPEAKER_12 41:14

Yeah, yeah, that was that was super neat. The guy told me before he had something cooked up. So um, you know, I was kind of waiting for that just to kind of get that out of the way and then you know, then play the game. So um, but for me, the impact I had kind of there. Um I didn't realize it kind of until I came back and you know, the the people supporting and you know, people who came out or even I was warming up and people were coming out to me before the game, I was like, yeah, like it's good to see you, but I got I gotta get warmed up here. So I mean I can always make time for those people. So I mean they they support us night in, night out. So that was my biggest thing that you know kind of showed them, showed me how much you know they kind of rallied behind us and they kind of appreciated the year previously we had. So that was that was that was super nice.

Thomas West 41:57

So I think junior hockey is such a funny thing because you know at this point in your career you'd had so much media attention and everything like that. And you know, you you're a 15-year-old kid, you dream of playing in the OHL because you know, you see all the other players because they're getting all this attention. Like you guys are celebrities, right? Like when you when you were playing in Kingston, like everyone knew the name Pickle, right? Yeah, like is there a challenge of that? Like, you know, because some players can kind of get a big head too, like when all that's happened. Like, is is there any kind of a challenge to just kind of you know stay within yourself when when all of that's going on?

SPEAKER_12 42:33

Uh yeah, for sure. I think like you know, ex especially early on, like, you know, you're I don't know, you kind of think of yourself as a big shot, but I mean, you know, you're just kind of a another guy, and you know, you're just kind of lucky to be in the opportunity, which you kind of learn as you mature. Um, but um, yeah, no, it's it's you know, just kind of it's a kid's game, so it's like I'm just out there kind of having fun and whatever comes with it, you know, I'll you know, take it and um you know, just super happy and trying to give back as much as I can. Um, you know, because I remember when I was going to general's games, that that was a big thing too. So um, you know, also trying to teach these young guys that you know you gotta stay level headed and can't really get ahead of yourself, but um yeah, all all the other stuff is nice, but I mean you're just out there to play hockey at the end of the day.

Thomas West 43:19

Do you do you ever like kind of pinch yourself too? Like you, you know, you talked about going to generals games. Like when you step out there on the ice, I mean like almost every night there's like 4,000 people watching you play hockey. Like you know, how how much are you kind of aware of that when when you're going out and playing every night?

SPEAKER_12 43:36

Um yeah, I uh like I said early on, uh you know, it's you're not as comfortable, like you're like holy crap, there's a lot of a lot of people here, you know, they're watching you, and then you start to get older and it's kind of uh you know, you're just out there you know playing a game that you love to do, so which makes it a lot easier. And I mean, when you're playing bad, they know, so as as long as you you know you can stay consistent and stuff, but um you know there's a

Thomas West 44:00

times during during the you know over course of time I think one of them you know I was lucky enough to score in Oshro this year um I I didn't done that previous so I mean that was that was pretty neat um and now the stinger on it long shot from the point from a point that one stop round around trying and they score and it is pickled final you're right that he's got his second of the game the Curtis native his final game in the Durham region in the Ontario Hockey League and he and his family get to celebrate this one with a pair of goals yeah my I had a box with my my parents family friends and and a whole whole bunch of other people came to support so that was probably one of the the biggest moments that uh for me that I kind of was like holy crap like this is this is not bad so uh you also scored in your last game in Sarnia too like you know that was gonna be your last home game uh as an Oway like was that kind of special for you as well just to finish out your last home game like that yeah yeah that was yeah um you know just uh that feeling to you know put the puck in the net you know like you said as the last game was was pretty neat um I know I I'm gonna look back on even to I think I got interviewed after the game and you know um there might have been like a thousand people still still waiting um you know just to kind of after that interview kind of skated down because it was on the other side of the ice and um you know a lot of people were clapping cheering I I did get emotional a little bit but um you know held it in as much as I could so that was pretty neat and you know everyone was just kind of thankful and um that should that support they showed was you know it meant a lot to me. Okay so let's dip back into this NCAA discussion again because Ben Pickle being an overager now that he was done playing in the Ontario Hockey League the question was where do you go next? So if we think back to Pickle's early career where he played a handful of games but never was able to stick in the Ontario Hockey League you could be thinking in a scenario there, well, maybe I should have just stayed in the OJHL all along because now my eligibility to play in the NCAA is ruined. So for the majority of Pickle's Ontario Hockey League career or just junior career in general he was under the assumption that going to an NCAA school and playing Division I hockey was just not going to be an option. Then two seasons ago the news breaks that now this is an option and Pickle has a whole bunch of decisions to try and figure out where he's going next and sure enough things got simplified when the phone rang and Robert Morris University a Division I school in the NCAA wanted Ben Pickle to join the roster okay the NCAA because this is one of the the big changes that happened while you were playing hockey and I imagine that it probably changed uh what was happening for you in the future a lot as well so when you hear about the new rule changes where players in the Ontario hockey league all of a sudden can uh go play in the NCAA what what was your reaction when when you heard that was that was the case yeah yeah we we heard rumblings and uh I think it was after practice last year um someone was on their phone and they like like like holy crap but like it went through like the first kind of a thought was like like what does this mean like how's this gonna play out like you know is it gonna take take a few years you know especially for me coming back um you know I was like what is this how is this gonna affect me or or stuff so that was the kind of first but um after that like it didn't really have too much effect like I was kind of just out there playing playing the game and you know whatever kind of happened happened and um you know lucky enough um this year was was super fortunate for Robert Morris to reach out and um you know couldn't couldn't pass up on that so um yeah it was it was a crazy time but um you know I think it's gonna work out for for a lot of people so so at the beginning of your career you know when you played those first couple of games because you only played a handful of games in your first two in Barry uh that would have ruined your eligibility to play in the NCAA. So you know I I just think early on like at the time what like what was kind of the goal for you like was it to try and go to a a Canadian university and did that kind of like put more pressure on like actually getting your next couple seasons in in in the OHL yeah yeah it was kind of uh yeah like thoughts were kind of just racing because when I didn't play my third year I was actually trying to go to school um you know I was like kind of was like screw this like I'm sailing ship kind of to the States which was kind of it was frowned upon at the time so um yeah it was kind of just you know have a you know play with my lifelong dream kind of and then kind of see where the cards fold after that I wasn't really too concerned about it but um you know when this opened up and um yeah I was kind of like I said whirlwind and you know didn't really know what to expect. So like at the beginning of your career I mean I guess right at the beginning it was probably make the NHL right yeah but like what you know how did that how did plans change over the the course of your career in terms of like you know what was going to be next for you yeah I think um you know just all about where I was and in the present um you know started pickering and then it was trying to kept kind of kind of climb the ladder a little bit um and then you know the last couple years you know I think NCL play was was a goal after I kind of heard the heard the news and uh whether it worked out or not you know I was gonna just keep playing and had that in the back of my mind.

SPEAKER_12 50:10

So um but yeah each year was kind of kind of different like I was just kind of go year to year and I've always wanted to play out um you know five years a junior and um because you're only only young once right so um that was my biggest thing and um and then yeah just kind of figure it out kind of as it goes and you know keep the ball rolling as as much as I can.

Thomas West 50:29

All right well you're starting the next chapter of your junior hockey career you're going to Robert Morris University which I know is going to be really exciting. Like what's what's the big goal now for for Ben Pickle?

SPEAKER_12 50:39

I mean I think my biggest thing is uh I want to make the end step late tournament with with Robert Morris and you know that's my goal coming in there they had a really good year this year and I think they're trying to build build off that so um you know if I can do my part then um you know I I did my job.

Thomas West 50:54

Okay I want to circle back to the quote that we had at the beginning too about when one door closes another door opens. And I remember when you said that quote because I've you know I read articles I've seen you saying that throughout your your junior hockey career but when you first told me that I remember you said uh that open door is the hardest one to see a lot of the like you know how how when you think about you know back to trying to see that open door over your junior hockey career like you know what was it that kind of uh allowed you to to see that opportunity yeah actually I I got that quote from like a a move a war movie actually I was watching Netflix I was like it it's it I had to twist it a little bit because it said like the light you you cannot see it was actually it's actually good uh good TV show or show so um yeah I'll I'll give credit to that but uh yeah I think the biggest thing was like it's not gonna happen overnight and uh you know you kind of just gotta you know take it and run with it and you know like I said earlier being being younger was super tough you know um you're fresh into junior and you all you want to do is just play at the the highest level and um yeah I think my my parents were were big supporters of me and you know kind of whatever I wanted to do like they're they were there to support it and um yeah it was tough and I just kind of had to you know it take it take it weeks at a time kind of months like hoping to get called up oh I didn't get called up like just keep plugging away like they'll be watching so just little stuff like that that you know it can kind of kind of keep you motivated and you know keep you pushing till uh you know you finally get get that foot in the door and um yeah just you know just being being happy to you know where you are in the present and you know not trying to look too far ahead I guess. Okay one more for you Ben um junior hockey is such a wild ride. I've talked to so many junior hockey players that have said that you know it's just absolutely shaped their life into you know what it is today. When you look back on your junior career what has it kind of taught you and you know how has it kind of shaped you into the the person that you are today?

SPEAKER_12 53:00

Yeah I think um you know the biggest thing I've learned just you know experiences and you know meeting such great people that um you know you can lean on you know now or you know after hockey if um that's what you want to do. But yeah it's just kind of shaped me as a person honestly like you know living on my own at a or with a billet early on um you know kind of being responsible and um you know kind of after growing up pretty quick rather than you know being at school and you know coming back to the house like just going to manage everything which which is nice and I mean if you're late or anything you you'll hear it and you won't do it again. So just little stuff like that that you know you gotta learn pretty quickly that um you know that it doesn't really fly and which you can take with you you know throughout life and um you know just being being nice to people because you never know what's gonna come back to you and just just all those little things kind of off the ice that um you know you hear as a kid but you're you kind of just like let it let it brush away and you're like I'm just here to play hockey. So um that that was my biggest thing and um you know just being being super happy and grateful and um you know giving time to people that uh you know deserve it and um they'll they'll do the same for you.

Thomas West 54:08

All right Ben thanks for doing this always great to talk to you. Yeah appreciate it thank you and that is the story of Ben Pickle's junior hockey career what a ride it is. I mean you think about thousands and thousands of kids go through this every single season they get drafted they either make it or don't make it they play in the Ontario Hockey League they move on to the next thing they climb the ladder as Ben Pickle said. And for some junior hockey players the road is long and winding and difficult and I would say that's what it was for Ben but if you are strong-minded and you stick to it you can achieve pretty much anything you set your mind to and for Ben Pickle it came down to patience and hard work and he was able to achieve his goal of being an Ontario Hockey League player and now he's moving on to the next chapter playing at Robert Morris University. So I was fortunate to have been able to follow Ben's career from when he was 16 years old right up to his overage season. So when he got drafted in the Interior Hockey League he got drafted by the Barry Colts and I was working for the Barry Colts at the time and he was playing for the Pickering Panthers and I was working for the Pickering Panthers at the time so that's how we ended up knowing each other early on in Ben's career and I'm glad that we met because following his story from Pickering to Barry to Kingston to Sarnia mix in Trenton there as well was pretty inspiring. And you know I I I thought it was so cool to see you know so many teams overlook Ben and then he plays a full season with the Kingston Frontenacks goes on a great run with them and then you know ends up being an overager in the Ontario Hockey League. Like I I just can't tell you how unlikely that seemed when he was struggling to make the Ontario Hockey League early on and just to see the improvement and the work ethic and you know I we we told that story about when he didn't make the Barry Colts for a year he came back the next season and gave me a handshake and he almost gripped my hand off like he worked so hard and got so much stronger over his OHL career and it it was really cool to you know kind of be on the sidelines watching that journey. So maybe this is one of those stories that proves that patience hard work and determination pays off