Patience rewarded as Tecumseh’s Chenard earns starting spot in goal for Attack

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Nick Chenard’s patience has finally been rewarded.

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A Tecumseh native, it’s been a long and winding journey for the 19-year-old Chenard to finally earn the No. 1 spot in goal for the Owen Sound Attack.

With Owen Sound riding a six-game winning streak heading into the game, the 6-foot-4, 189-pound Chenard got the starting nod again on Thursday when the Attack faced the Windsor Spitfires at the WFCU Centre.

“I love coming back home to play,” said Chenard, whose family home is about 10 minutes from the rink. “It’s wEird to think, when I was younger, watching Taylor Hall and Ryan Ellis win a Memorial Cup and now I’m on that ice. It’s so surreal.”

It has been a long and winding road to secure the starter’s role in Owen Sound for Chenard, who was a sixth-round pick by the Attack in the 2018 OHL Draft.

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The first of two goals taken by the team that year, Chenard would not crack the lineup that first season.

“I got to camp the first year and there was me and another 16-year-old goalie (Marco Latassa, who was a ninth-round pick),” Chenard said. “They had another ’01 born lined up (to be the backup) in Andrew Maclean, (who was a seventh-round pick the year before).

“At rookie camp, they told both me and (Latassa) to look at (starter Mack) Guzda and see what he’s doing. He’s very professional with what he’s doing at the rink and at his billet’s home.”

The Sun County Panthers’ product returned home and moved over to play major midget with the Windsor Junior Spitfires where he posted an impressive 1.96 goals-against average in 17 games while also spending a little time with the junior B Leamington Flyers.

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By the following season, Guzda and MacLean were still in front of him, but Chenard showed enough in camp for the Attack to trade MacLean just before the start of the season.

He had hoped for a bigger role with the team, but Guzda appeared in 51 of the team’s 62 games before COVID-19 shut the league down. Chenard made just 10 starts, but put up an impressive 2.88 goals-against average and .909 save percentage.

“It’s tough, especially as a 17-year-old,” Chenard said. “I was winning games, but not getting the starts I thought I would get (against lesser opponents) and not realizing how tight it was in the conference from first to eighth (place and the final playoff spot). It makes more sense to me now. You have to put your best guns out there.”

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With the 2020-21 season cancelled, Chenard did not know what to expect this season when he got to Owen Sound. Guzda was still on the roster and rookie Corbin Votary, who was a fourth-round pick in 2020, was also there looking to earn a spot.

“There were three goalies in the room and a lot of uncertainty,” Chenard said.

On top of that, Chenard broke his finger the first day of camp.

“That got me down a bit,” Chenard said. “I wasn’t sure what was going to happen, whether it would be me backing up Guzda or what, but it worked out in my favour.”

In November, Guzda, who has since signed a free-agent NHL deal with the Florida Panthers, was dealt to the Barrie Colts and Chenard assumed the starting role.

Chenard believes it’s how he approached the canceled season of 2020-21 that helped him prepare to turn this season into a positive one.

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“So often, guys think they’re the heir to the throne and don’t get a shot because they don’t put in the work,” Guzda said. “I didn’t know if I would be traded or if Guzda was coming back during COVID.

“I worked hard and was hoping to be the starter, but you just have to be patient and know your time is coming, if you do the work.”

Coming into Thursday’s game, Chenard has been solid with an 18-12-2-1 record with a 3.12 goals-against average and .899 save percentage along with two shutouts.

“With the success I’ve had this season, I can kind of look back and not so much relax, but I know I’ve had some great games and I’m not worried about my performance,” Chenard said. “For the most part, I think I’ve been pretty good all year and I’m not looking over my shoulder, but at what’s in front of me.”

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