Vaughan ‘ahead of the curve’ heading into rookie season with Colts

With the start of the OHL regular season on Friday night in Sudbury and the home opener less than 24 hours later against North Bay, the wait is nearly over for Barrie Colts rookie Parker Vaughan.

For a young player who has spent his minor hockey career dreaming of this day and the last five weeks battling his way through training camp and a little more than a handful of exhibition games, one would figure Barrie’s fifth overall pick in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection is anxious to have the puck drop on the next stage of his hockey career.

Actually, not at all.

“To be honest, I’m not that anxious about it. I really haven’t thought about it,” said Vaughan, who wrapped up the preseason with an impressive goal and two assists in four games. “I’m more excited to get going with the regular season.

“Everybody has been so welcoming. They made me feel like I belong already, and I just can’t wait until we get going Friday.”

Calm, cool and collected, it’s all part of the makeup that drew the Colts to the 16-year-old native of St. Thomas.

Again, one would think Vaughan is feeling a little pressure. After all, he wasn’t just a first-round pick, he was a top-five pick. Teams selecting that high often expect they are getting a franchise-type player.

For Vaughan, he’s already set the bar high himself, and the number of his overall selection is just another number.

“It doesn’t matter to me if I got drafted fifth or 500^th overall,” said the six-foot-one, 189-pound right winger. “I’m going to bring the same effort every night and just try to outwork everybody on every shift no matter what pick I was.”

This may explain why the talented young offensive stalwart has not looked out of place since he arrived at camp in late September.

Sure, it was only training camp and preseason games, but his ability to make a quick adjustment to the major junior level was certainly noticeable.

“That’s what’s been impressive with him,” said Colts general manager and head coach Marty Williamson. “His hockey IQ is very good, and he’s picked up things rapidly. He had two points in his first two games. He looks like he’s going to be able to contribute and impact a game.

“For a young player, he looks like he’s ahead of the curve and will adjust to our league very quickly.”

Vaughan says he’s always found he was able to adjust to things fairly quickly. For anyone paying close attention the last few weeks, you could see it just about every time he stepped on the ice.

“Certain things come pretty easily to me,” he said. “I think I have a good mind when it comes to hockey, so it makes it easy to understand what the coach is telling me and learning systems and stuff like that.”

That ability allows him to approach new situations, new challenges with confidence.

“Without getting too overconfident and cocky, I think I have that self-confidence that I am able to get it done and help my team anyway I can,” said Vaughan, who led the Elgin-Middlesex Canucks U16 AAA minor midgets with 23 goals and 26 assists for 49 points in 30 games to earn the Alliance player of the year.

Make no mistake, though, that ability to adjust comes with a commitment to put in the work.

“I just keep working every day,” Vaughan said. “I just try and work 110 per cent when I’m on the ice and make the most of every opportunity Barrie has given me.

“It helps that I have such a welcoming team, too. It feels like I belong.”

Williamson has seen his young forward’s commitment to get better and willingness to soak up everything he and the coaching staff tell him.

“He’s like a sponge,” said the Colts bench boss. “My interactions with him have been outstanding.”

Vaughan knows well there’s still plenty of work ahead if he wants to be the dominant player in the OHL that he was in minor hockey.

“I think for me it’s been the pace of the game and the strength,” he said of what has been the toughest part of the jump to the OHL. “Just being one of the youngest guys on the ice almost every night, I just got to get stronger and faster.

“But that comes with playing against these guys each and every day, and every game.”

Williamson has also been impressed with Vaughan’s ability to not shy away from high-traffic areas, corners, and the front of the net where you’re certain to get hit.

He’s liked Vaughan’s willingness to battle against often bigger and stronger opponents.

“He’s got edge to his game,” said the Barrie coach. “He doesn’t wilt away from the challenges any young players have with our league. He’s not worried about playing.”

The young forward has certainly shown some grit during exhibition play. He simply does what he has to, even if it means battling through older, stronger players.

“I just got to outwork them, so however that may be, getting under their skin,” said Vaughan. “I’m not afraid to muck it up. The age doesn’t really phase me that much. I just got to outwork them every shift I am on the ice.”

Vaughan is also making sure he takes advantage of the experience that surrounds him in the dressing room. When you’re a young player trying to find your way in a new league, you can learn a lot from listening to veterans such as Colts captain Beau Jelsma and Cole Beaudoin.

“It’s awesome,” he said of being around them on and off the ice every day. “Just watching them on a day-to-day basis and just getting to see what they do behind the scenes and how much work they put in, it’s really fun and cool to be around and experience that.”

Vaughan is also joining a Barrie team that is looking to make some noise this season. With a lineup consisting of NHL prospects such as Riley Stewart, Emil Hemming, Triston Bertucci, Beau Akey, Brad Gardiner and Beaudoin, the Colts are ready to put their rebuild of last season well behind them.

“I’m super excited to get the regular season going and see what the team can do,” said Vaughan. “We have a really deep forward and defence group and we got two good goalies between the pipes, so I’m just excited to see what kind of impact we can make this year.”

As for goals this season, Vaughan believes in keeping things simple.

“Just helping my team out anyway I can,” he said. “Just working on and off the ice every day. Just trying to find ways to make an impact on the ice.”