OHL North Bay Battalion

Gold Medalist Paul Ready for OHL Return

Published on January 8, 2015 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
North Bay Battalion News Release


MISSISSAUGA, Ont. - Nick Paul still is getting his mind wrapped around having been part of the best team in junior hockey.

A centre with the North Bay Battalion, Paul was a member of the Canadian squad that won gold at the World Junior Championship with a 5-4 victory Monday night over Russia in the tournament final at Toronto's Air Canada Centre.

"It's sunk in a bit that we won a gold medal and we're the best team in the world," Mississauga resident Paul, 19, said Thursday. "It's a pretty big accomplishment, but now I need to take whatever I learned there and bring it back to the Battalion."

Paul, who got three days off to rest, returns to Ontario Hockey League action when North Bay opens a two-game Michigan road trip with a visit to the Plymouth Whalers at 7:05 p.m. Friday. He was to rejoin the Troops on Friday after they overnighted at Mississauga.

"Everything has happened so quickly," said Paul, chosen by the Brampton Battalion as a 17-year-old in the 2012 OHL Priority Selection. "I went from getting cut by teams to being a guy teams wanted. It's been a big turnaround, and to end it off with a gold medal is great."

The championship is the first for Canada since 2009, when Battalion captain Cody Hodgson starred at Ottawa. This time, the Canadians skated in group competition at Montreal before moving to Toronto for the medal round.

"There was a lot of pressure, especially playing in front of the home fans," said Paul. "It was crazy. We told each other as players not to worry about the pressure. We wanted to play for each other and play as hard as we could for each other. We knew if we did that the outcome would be good."

The Canadians opened with an 8-0 rout of Slovakia in which Paul scored his first of three tournament goals. Canada blanked Germany 4-0, downed Finland 4-1 and defeated the United States 5-3 to conclude group play.

"We knew once we got hot there was no team that could stop us," said Paul. "We had the ability to make good hits and big plays. We could check, and we could definitely put the puck in the net."

Paul scored in an 8-0 romp over Denmark in a quarterfinal before Canada booked a spot in the final with a 5-1 semifinal victory over Slovakia.

Anthony Duclair scored 23 seconds into the first period of the title game, and Paul made it 2-0 at 2:32. Russia pulled within a goal by the first intermission, but second-period goals by Connor McDavid, Max Domi and Sam Reinhart gave Canada a 5-1 lead. Russia then scored three times in a span of 3:16 to make it close after 40 minutes, but the Canadians held on to take the title.

"We had a little bit of a breakdown in the second and let the Russians come back," allowed Paul. "We wanted to finish the game like we started it, and we knew we couldn't take too many bad penalties. We knew we needed to empty the tanks."

Paul had various linemates, most notably left winger Nic Petan of the Western Hockey League's Portland Winterhawks. Petan registered 11 points, including four goals, to tie for the team lead in scoring with McDavid and Reinhart.

"When you're playing with players of that calibre, your whole mindset changes. It brings the level of your game up so much higher and it helps you get better at everything. You take little things from the other guys. The guys are all pros, and they're all there to win and they're there because they know how to have success.

"It was an amazing experience. It was an easy team to play on because everyone was in the right spot."

Paul said North Bay's run to the OHL Championship Series last season helped him prepare for his role with Canada. He had 18 points, including 12 goals, in 22 playoff games.

"It really brought my confidence up and, when I play with confidence, that's when I play my best hockey. I knew going in I had to be confident but not too cocky and play the role I needed to play. I did whatever the coaches wanted, whether it was blocking shots or killing penalties."

Paul returns to a Battalion team that, in his absence, has added defenceman Austin Kosack, forwards Nick Moutrey and Ryan Kujawinski and goaltender Jake Kment. Moutrey and Kujawinski, acquired in trades from Saginaw and the Kingston Frontenacs respectively, combined for two goals and five points in their first game with the Troops, a 6-3 road win Tuesday night over the Ottawa 67's.

"I'm pretty excited to get back with the Battalion," said Paul. "It's been a while since I played with the guys, and I'm excited to see the new guys as well. It might take me a few shifts to get my legs going. That tournament takes so much out of you. It drains you."

Paul, who has 19 goals and 15 assists for 34 points in 27 OHL games this season, said he saw some of Kujawinski and Moutrey at Ottawa on television.

"They're both hardworking players who will do great in our lineup. This is a great spot for them. They'll fit in just fine and help us out a lot. We're happy to have them."

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from January 8, 2015


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