Barrie Colts rookie forward Hunter Haight has been making sure he's been doing all he can on and off the ice to be prepared if the Ontario Hockey League returns to play this season.
While the ninth-overall pick in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection is eager to make a mark on the ice, hockey isn't the only area he strives to be successful in. No matter what it is he's doing, Haight gives it his full attention and focus, especially when it comes to his schooling.
"I want to do well in everything I do and love to do and school is super important to me," said the 16-year-old, who was named the OHL Central Division Academic Player of the Month for November. "I put a lot of work into school as well as my hockey and everything, so it's an honour to receive something like that. It's pretty cool."
A Grade 11 student in his first term at Blyth Academy in London, Ont., Haight has yet to receive a grade lower than 90 per cent. He's posted an impressive 98 per cent mark in Grade 11 university-level physics and 95 per cent in Grade 12 community technology.
Haight was also recently recognized at school with the Emerging Leaders Award on account of his outstanding personal leadership, positive impact and contributions with the community.
The Strathroy native is described by his teachers as someone who is extremely focused and who "continuously puts forth his best efforts both on and off the ice."
"My work ethic has probably been my best attribute about school," Haight told BarrieToday. "I've been pretty gifted in it from the get-go, but hard work and just paying attention and focusing at school was just really big. I had a lot of support from my parents and was brought up in that aspect.
"Making it a priority would be one the reasons why I do well at school," he added.
The former Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs standout was attending the Blyth Academy campus in London in March when COVID-19 hit. They switched to doing classes over Zoom calls, which is how he finished Grade 10 and have continued online learning in Grade 11 this year.
"It's been a bit of an adjustment, but good overall," Haight said of the challenges of online learning.
The OHL has set a Feb. 4 date as the start to this season with training camp kicking off in mid-January, but the league has already pushed back the regular-season schedule twice, moving from late-September to Dec. 1 and now to early February.
While Haight is anxious to get his rookie season with the Colts started, he knows getting control of the coronavirus is first and foremost. Infection numbers recently have been hitting record numbers in the province and across the country.
"I think it's just about understanding that there's not much I can do about it," said the five-foot-nine, 145-pound dynamic scorer who led the Chiefs to a league championship last season with 32 goals and 58 points in 33 games. "The rules are the rules with the government and COVID and all you can do is just keep working and trying to improve in all aspects of your game on-ice, off-ice and working out.
"Really, it just comes down to hard work and knowing that if I do all those things they're going to add up over time and you're going to get better," he added. "It has been tough not playing a game in eight months, but I'm just constantly getting on the ice and focusing on certain skills and getting bigger and stronger. That's been the main focus really."
Whatever the start date, Haight says he'll be ready.
"Push myself now and prepare as much as I can now and when the season does start just know that I'm ready to go because I've been putting in the work all this time leading up to it," said the Colts rookie, who is on the ice at least three times a week.
With vaccines on the horizon for early next year and the OHL continuing discussions with the province on what is needed for a return to play, the hope is Haight and his teammates will get to play this season.
"Hopefully everything works out and we can have a season."
