Overcome with joy, Nic Whitehead excited to take next step after committing to 67’s
When he was eight years old, Nic Whitehead’s Grandfather told him he could play for the Ottawa 67’s one day. Now, he’s on the doorstep of making that a reality.
Whitehead says he never thought it was actually possible, only recently coming to grips with the OHL being an option. But it was always a dream, and as he signed his standard player agreement with his family watching over his shoulder, emotions bubbled, with the leading feeling being nothing more than excitement.
“It was the best feeling ever,” Whitehead said. “This place is magical, with the fans, the people of the city, everything, I just can’t wait to get started. This is awesome.”
Whitehead comes from a family of athletes; his mother a soccer player, his father a pro golfer, his grandfather a pro tennis player, and his grandmother always staying active.
Through his parents, Whitehead found his own fiery, competitive spirit, something that has helped lead him to become the 23rd overall pick in the most recent OHL Priority Selection. His mother, in particular, has always been there for him, pushing him to continue working on himself, but also being the emotional rock he can go to when things get tough.
“As a kid, we would play knee hockey, and she would get mad if she lost,” Whitehead joked, knowing that his mom probably let him win. “She’s competitive, but she’s also that sweet woman that everyone loves. She’s tough on me, but she’ll always give me a pat on the back and a hug after a tough game.”
That competitive instinct is going to prove to be important with Whitehead. Off the back of a season where he scored 37 goals and added another 40 assists in just 51 games with Mount St. Charles Academy, he knows playing time will be hard to come by on a 67’s team that is set to return most of their players.
The deal is inked, but that’s only the beginning. Everyone in the organization believes in him, and Whitehead says that this will be one of the hardest-working offseasons he has ever had.
“My dad plays a big role,” Whitehead said. “He told me ‘Nic, you need to work [to earn your spot]’ and I think over the summer, working with Sean Young and people back in Boston is really going to help me, mentally and physically.”
The excitement persists, as he can sit back for a second and reflect on everything that brought him to this moment.
“It’s definitely a huge weight off my shoulders,” Whitehead explained. “I’m a part of a really good organization that is going to help take me to where I want to be – which is the NHL.”
Having already moved away from home for school, he knows what it takes to live without the direct aid of his folks, and says he hopes to make the adjustment quickly in Ottawa.
If his parents were to have one worry, however, it would be with schooling, but being drafted by the 67’s put all nerves at ease in the Whitehead household.
“She’s the best, she’s awesome,” Whitehead said of Eileen Duffin, the 67’s Housing and Education Coordinator. “It might not be everyone’s favourite in the hockey world, but you still need it, and I’m happy to [be going to a situation] with a great support system. What they offer here is first class.”
Everything taken into account, this is a dream come true.
“There’s not another team in the OHL I would have rather gone to,” Whitehead said, with a smile so wide it lit up the room.
