Draft tracker: 5 questions with Jarrod Maidens, Owen Sound Attack

Jarrod Maidens knows people know he can put the biscuit in the basket — but now he's looking to lead.

The 17-year-old Owen Sound Attack centre-left wing was advertised as having a NHL-calibre shot when he came into the Ontario Hockey League a season ago. Maidens, who is projected as a first- or second-round pick in next spring's NHL draft, says his focus this season with the Attack is on showing he can help galvanize a dressing room. There would seem to be to ample opportunity to do that in Owen Sound this season after much of the core of its OHL championship team moved on to bigger and brighter things.

"Being a leader [in the dressing room] and being a leader also on the ice and doing the right things," is how Maidens responds when asked what is the biggest asset he brings to a team. "Whether it's playing well in your own end or being in the offensive zone and making something happen.

"We know that some of the guys who were there for the run last year have to step up and be leaders to the younger guys, do whatever we can do to help them."

Maidens, who scored the Game 7 overtime goal that gave the Attack the OHL championship last spring, is off to a decent start with 10 goals and 13 points through 20 games for a retooling Owen Sound club. The Ridgeway, Ont., native, has been getting used to new linemates, mostly playing left wing on a line centred by Daniel Catenacci, whom Maidens graciously gave up the No. 7 up for after a big August trade brought the Buffalo Sabres draft pick over from the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Maidens is considered a smooth skater and is also willing to crash and bang as the corners, as evidenced by the fact he's played internationally both with Canada's summer under-18 team and the Ontario under-17 team, winning gold medals with each across the past 12 months along with that championship ring.

It goes without saying that whether Maidens becomes a first-rounder will depend on whether he peaks by the end of the season rather than plateauing. Maidens has had a lot to adapt to in the past few months, between having a short summer due to a 26-game playoff run and playing in August's Ivan Hlinka tournament, along with Owen Sound's heavy turnover and coaching change from Mark Reeds to Greg Ireland. He is confident a breakout is not far off for both he and the Attack (9-10-1-1).

"I think it's been going well," he says of the transition. "I'm still learning lots of things. New coaching came in, a lot of new players. It is starting to look good now. Guys are figuring out their roles. Systems are starting to come together. It's going to get better."

1. Whom in the NHL do you look at as sort of a role model, someone, you look at parts of his game and say, "I need to start doing that" or "I see a little of my game in his?"

"I've always loved watching Jarome Iginla. Just his whole package. He's a great leader and when he's out there, he's always making something happen. That's one guy's game who I laways try to play like, every game.."

2. Other than Game 7 last year against the Majors (when Maidens scored the J. Ross Robertson Cup-winning goal in overtime), what is your proudest hockey moment? Strike the obvious one here.

"Ooh. That's a pretty big one to beat. I don't know, I was pretty proud when I scored my first hockey goal, probably when I was about six years old. First organizational team, just scoring the first one was a pretty proud moment." (BTN: Breakaway? Went through the whole team?) "It was a breakaway, I got it up the boards and skated around and got a lucky one through the goalie's legs."."

3. Outside of family, who has had the most impact on you in hockey?

"There's tonnes of people throughout the years. Coaches. [Former NHL goalie] Frank Pietrangelo was a coach for a while that I went through minor hockey with. He played in the NHL with Pittsburgh Penguins, backup goalie, won a Stanley Cup [in 1991]. He was a big influence. He always said what it takes to get there is you have to work hard to make your dreams come true."

4. Aside from the obvious — build strength, get faster — what is the biggest area of your game you will need to improve by the time you're on the cusp of turning pro?

"I always say play away from the puck. When you don't have the puck, know where to go and how to support your players and get open for passes. In my own end too as well, be able to better support players and get between my man and the puck and not letting pucks go in my own net."

5. Hockey players have to maintain very strict diets. What is your guilty pleasure, something you can't eat or drink too often but you sneak some anyway?

"Chocolate is definitely my guilty pleasure. Especially right now, just after Halloween."

(Previous Owen Sound Attack draft tracker: Gemel Smith.)

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Contact him at neatesager@yahoo.ca and follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet (photo: OHL Images).