Hajt and Being a Guelph Storm
March 15, 2016 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Guelph Storm News Release
Before spending time as an Assistant Coach and Assistant General Manager, Chris Hajt earned his stripes in the Royal City, setting the tone for an organization's foundation as the captain of the Guelph Storm's first championship team in 1998.
Steph Coratti, GuelphStorm.com ---
There have been few in the 25 year history of the Guelph Storm that have had the impact like that of Chris Hajt.
Suiting up for 222 games for the organization, Hajt went on to play 10 years of professional hockey before eventually finding his way back to the Royal City.
Returning with a tie on instead of a jersey, the former Storm defenseman served as an Assistant Coach for five years, followed by a season as Assistant General Manager - totaling for a 10-year tenure with the franchise. Speaking to Hajt's measure on the organization, in the 10 years, Hajt has appeared in three of the club's four-year Memorial Cup tournament showings - twice as a player in 1996 and 1998, and finally as the team's Assistant General Manager in 2014.
But before grabbing a spot behind the bench and posting up in the Storm front office, the 1978-born, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan native earned the love and respect of the city first while playing to be Guelph's eventual fourth all-time best defenseman in club history.
Starting out as an OHL freshman in 1994, Hajt tallied eight points (one goal, seven assists), only to follow up the effort with his career-best 35-point season the next campaign in 1995-96.
As a coined young-guy, it was easy to credit the surroundings for the noticeable development.
"Our leaders were great on the team and helped us young guys a lot," Hajt said of his transition, mentioning Ryan Risidore, Regan Stocco, Mike Rusk, and Rumun Ndur as mentors to the young defensemen on the roster. "I remember [Risidore] being all over me in practice for missing one pass - we pushed each other and competed so hard in practice."
"When it came time for the game, it made it easier," he continued, also noting the bench bosses and management. "The coaches, Paul Brydges and Craig Hartsburg, were great, and Mike Kelly was and still is a great leader."
Fresh off of being selected in the second round (32nd overall) by the Edmonton Oilers in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft, moving into the latter half of Hajt's major junior career, the Storm blueliner was named captain in the 1996-97 campaign, going on to serve as the club's leader for two seasons.
"It was added responsibility that I liked," Hajt said of the captaincy. "It was an honour to wear the 'C', but all of the leaders on the team - we really wanted to win a championship."
Mission accomplished, as in Hajt's final season, the Storm captured its first OHL Championship. First earning the third regular season title in four years with a 42-18-6 record, the team then went on to sweep both the Sudbury Wolves and the Plymouth Whalers in the first and second round of the playoffs. Only losing once to the Ottawa 67's in the finals, the Storm were named OHL Champions, advancing to the 1998 Memorial Cup - the franchise's second appearance in the tournament after going 0-3 in the 1996 Memorial Cup after finishing as the OHL runner-up to the host Peterborough Petes.
"We wanted to win so bad," Hajt said of the 1998 title. "We learned from the previous years losses what it took. All 24 guys pulled together and competed every shift."
"The group of guys from that team, we are all really close still today, and we talk about the win often," Hajt said of what he will remember most from his playing days in Guelph. "The feeling of winning that championship... but we still wish we could have won in overtime - that was tough to lose that game."
Of course, referencing the loss that felt as deep as the organization's first championship-win - an overtime loss in the Memorial Cup Final at the hands of the Portland Winterhawks.
Bobby Russell scored at 6:21 of overtime to give his team the crown, defeating Hajt and the Storm in heartbreaking fashion.
Even then, there still isn't a regret to be found.
"I don't regret anything at all with my time there," he said of his four-year major junior career. "Just wish we could have won the final game."
Looking at the grander scale, the former Storm captain of two seasons and two-time team Most Valuable Player (1997, 1998) embodies more than what it took on the ice to even have the opportunity to play for heartbreak.
More so, Chris Hajt is everything the Guelph Storm stands for, even today now serving as an assistant coach in the American Hockey League with the Ontario Reign.
"It's a privilege," Hajt explained of what being a member of the Guelph Storm means to him. "We were a family and everyone was a good person - never afraid of hard work and always being prepared to compete and play your best."
"The most important thing was as good as we were on the ice, we were even better off the ice - in school and in the community," he continued. "We love that city, and many of us still call it home."
---
Chris Hajt
Guelph Storm, 1994-1998
OHL Totals: 222 games played, 22 goals, 70 assists, 92 points
Playoffs: 60 games played, one goal, 21 assists, 22 points
OHL Champion (1998, 2014)
Guelph Storm Most Valuable Player (1996-97, 1997-98)
Named fourth all-time defenseman in Guelph Storm history
Appeared in three of the Guelph Storm's four Memorial Cup tournament showings
Selected in the second round (32nd overall) by the Edmonton Oilers in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft
10 professional playing seasons
Teams: Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL), Edmonton Oilers (NHL), Portland Pirates (AHL), Washington Capitals (NHL), Augusta Lynx (ECHL), Lowell Lock Monsters (AHL), Duisburg Foxes (DEL), Lukko Rauma (SM-liiga), Bolzano HC (Italy-A)
Represented the United States of America in the 1998 World Junior Championship
Ontario Hockey League Stories from March 15, 2016
- Storm Thumped by Sting - Guelph Storm
- Colts Give up Four Unanswered in Loss to Petes - Barrie Colts
- Rangers to Face Spitfires in Opening Round of Playoffs - Kitchener Rangers
- Weekend Preview - March 15, 16, 19 & 20 - Barrie Colts
- Mangiapane Named CHL Player of the Week - Barrie Colts
- Spirit Weekly - Saginaw Spirit
- Colts' Andrew Mangiapane Named CHL Player of the Week - OHL
- Sanvido Named Motorburger Player of the Week - Windsor Spitfires
- Young Prospects in Waiting - Sudbury Wolves
- SuperWolves Raise $10,000 for NOFCC - Sudbury Wolves
- Steelheads Playoff Launch Party March 20th - Brampton Steelheads
- DeKoning Named Becker Shoes Player of the Week - Owen Sound Attack
- Game Preview: Storm Host Sting in Mid-Week Match-Up - Guelph Storm
- OSEG Seeking Candidates to Perform Anthems - Ottawa 67's
- Hajt and Being a Guelph Storm - Guelph Storm
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
