Young hockey players in the Valley have an exciting opportunity in store for them later this week.
Former NHL player John Chabot will visit Renfrew and Pembroke over a two-day period to work with the hockey programs at St. Joseph’s and Bishop Smith Catholic High Schools.
Both days of Chabot’s visit will include a number of motivational speeches at local schools, followed by on-ice drills, which local teacher and coach Gerry Benoit says will get underway in the Renfrew area on Wednesday, January 17th.
He will then travel up Highway 17 for their next set of talks and drills in and around Pembroke.
Benoit is a good friend of Chabot, who spent 20 years playing in the NHL and Europe between 1983 and 2001.
He explains that the former pro is no stranger to sharing his knowledge with young athletes, having also spent time as a coach at the Major Junior level after his playing career. Chabot also founded the First Assist charity, which helps underserved youth in indigenous communities through sport.
Benoit adds that Chabot is eager to teach the next generation, knowing that dreams of playing in the pros start at the local level.
Depending on how well the first trip to the Ottawa Valley goes, Benoit says there is a chance that Chabot dropping by to work with young hockey players could become a regular occurrence.
(written by Kasey Egan)
