Val-d’Or Foreurs’ Randy Gazzola leaves lasting impression at Memorial Cup

LONDON, Ont. — An overage's last game is a beginning, not an ending. Val-d'Or's Randy Gazzola deserves a big thanks for reminding one of that all week at the Memorial Cup.

The Foreurs defenceman will not get the Memorial Cup ring he craved after that triple-overtime loss to Edmonton, but who ever gets everything they want? Gazzola had a big spotlight this week due to his backstory — southern Ontario native who took the plunge into the Q with Halifax last season as a 19-year-old rookie, got traded away from a Memorial Cup-winning team and made it back to the tournament with Val-d'Or while wearing an alternate's A. The St. Catharines native had nothing to hang his head over after a valedictory on Friday that included a goal, an assist and more pucks knocked down than the best analytics guys could ever count.

It's nice to think that Gazzola went out on his terms, playing an all-around game as a two-way defenceman, and that it tied back to how he's approached playing elite hockey.

Too many people, not just in hockey, fixate on all that glitters, getting more exposure instead of something tangible. It's somewhat fitting Gazzola's junior ride ended not far from where his path forked. When he was 17, he had a chance to hook on with the OHL's Sarnia Sting as a free-agent walk-on.

Deep down, though, Gazzola knew the margin can be razor-thin. Go to major junior too early and a player can be pigeonholed as someone who'll never be more than a sixth defenceman. So he said thanks but no thanks to Sarnia's offer and rejoined the Junior B Thorold Blackhawks that fall.

"I thought to myself that I've seen younger players go play in the OHL and not get a lot of ice time," Gazzola, who is committed to join the perennially strong University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds next season, said this week. "At that time, I wasn't thinking 'hockey can do this for me.'

"I was thinking I want to have fun, I want to play ultimately," said Gazzola, who was a second-team all-star in the Quebec League this season. "That's what I did. I called my coach in Thorold — Chris Johnstone, I played with his son, I've known him since I was 10 years old — and he said, 'honestly you'll be a big part of this team.’ The familiarity with Chris was a big thing for me."

One can only imagine the record-scratch moment in a lot of hockey households if a player turned down the OHL to play Junior B. Gazzola credits his dad and mom, Lou and Kelly, for trusting him to know what's best, even if isn't always the big shiny thing.

"They always let me make my own decisions on where to play. They were 100 per cent for me moving halfway across the country to play for Halifax [in 2012-13]. That all comes back to them letting me decide at a young age – 'do you want to play Thorold double-B hockey or Welland triple-A?'… 'I think I’ll be happier playing double-B.' "

Spending his 17-year-old year in Thorold led to joining the Junior A Trenton Golden Hawks and playing for former NHLer Jerome Dupont. Gazzola had budding interest from 20-25 NCAA Division I schools. After securing his release from the OHL, he signed with the stacked Mooseheads of Nathan MacKinnon fame as a 19-year-old rookie.

'Great man'

Junior hockey is a business, though, where teams have to refill the pantry on the fly. At Christmas, Gazzola was traded to Val-d'Or for fellow rearguard Matt Murphy, a 17-year-old from the Maritimes and a former No. 5 overall pick in the QMJHL entry draft.

In doing so, Gazzola went from the Q's biggest market in Atlantic Canada to one of its smallest in Quebec. Of course, he blended right in.

"He brought a lot of leadership," Foreurs coach Mario Durocher said. "He was disappointed to leave a good team. Being an English guy, he brought everyone together.

"That’s the first thing. He's a great man."

Gazzola had only spent time in Quebec during a half-season's worth of Mooseheads road trips. Hockey has some universality to it, but getting out of his comfort zone was also valuable.

"It was culture shock when I first got there but it’s part of my life now," the said. "There’s great people in Val-d’Or. I have some lifelong friends. It’s quite the transition but I can treasure it for the rest of my life."

Being in a Memorial Cup in his home province was also a thrill. Gazzola has ties to the Guelph Storm, who will face Edmonton for the Memorial Cup on Sunday. He and and Guelph goalie Justin Nichols were in grades 11 and 9, respectively, when they won a provincial high school championship with the Dennis Morris Redmen in 2010. Gazzola's stepbrother, Drake Lynds, dates Guelph star Jason Dickinson's sister, Rebecca, which made for quite a sight on Tuesday.

"He had the Val-d’Or jersey on and he had the Storm jersey on," Gazzola said.

Gazzola has no hard feelings about seeing the Mooseheads win the 2013 Memorial Cup ("I was cheering for them, I really wanted them to win") but it also sparked a fire to get his own ring. The Foreurs will still get one for winning the President's Cup, just not the Memorial Cup.

It wasn't for a lack of trying on Friday. In five years, one might flick on a Detroit Red Wings-Toronto Maple Leafs game and see Anthony Mantha shoot on Antoine Bibeau and remember when they part of the Val-d'Or team that perked up a Memorial Cup that lacked panache.

The Foreurs secreted their identity to just as much of an extent from their active, attacking defencemen. Guillaume Gélinas played with a bad left knee on Friday and scored the tying goal with 36 seconds left in the third period. Gazzola was everywhere and factored into the first two, including a slapshot over Tristan Jarry late in the second to fanned the flame for the Foreurs, who had Gélinas doing the grit-and-bear-it thing and Phil Pietroniro out of the game with an injured collarbone.

Gazzola even toe-dragged Oil Kings star Griffin Reinhart in the second OT, creating a scoring chance. Next year the former will be playing for UNB against the St. Thomas Tommies and Reinhart, as a New York Islanders prospect, could be playing against Martin St-Louis. They were equals for that little data point.

A lot of overages will be mum about playing in university hockey, hoping that a pro job materializes. It might yet for Gazzola. He didn't waste any time lining up a CIS spot, committing to UNB and coach Gardiner MacDougall, who's had a number late bloomers sign pro contracts after finishing a degree.

Reinhart's dad, Paul, once said the development debate in hockey isn't major junior vs. NCAA inasmuch as it's Canada's higher education system vs. America's. Gazzola would appear to be a proof of that, but he's careful not to let himself be used that way.

"I'm Canadian, so the Canadian school system is fine for me," he says. "I’ve got a friend at Brown now who’s getting an excellent education. You can get a good education anywhere."

True to form, Gazzola didn't jump for the big shiny thing when deciding which team to join down east, where the Atlantic University Sport league gets prime-time billing. The next two CIS University Cup championships will both be in his old home rink, the Halifax Metro Centre. St. Francis Xavier get the host berth for next season and Saint Mary's will for 2016. To get another chance to win a national championship in your former home arena?

That would seem storybook, but Gazzola saw a bigger picture.

"Saint Mary’s and St. FX, they both pushed that — 'we’re going to be hosting,' " Gazzola said. "That was a big chip. But when I was talking with Gardiner it just felt right."

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.