A local hockey player is still on his journey to crack an NHL roster.
Aidan Dudas, 18, has been playing hockey in Parry Sound since he was three and was drafted to the Los Angeles Kings last summer.
“Usually players don’t play in the NHL until they’re 21 which is usually the earliest age unless you’re Connor McDavid or Sydney Crosby when you can play when you’re 18 or 19. I went to L.A. after I was drafted and was there for a few weeks training and skating there. Then I was sent back to Junior so I’ve been playing in Owen Sound for this year. I’ll likely go to L.A. this coming summer then I’ll probably be back in junior in Owen Sound next year. From then, I’m not sure what will happen…it depends how much I improve,” he said.
Now Dudas is putting in the work to make it onto the Kings.
“As I get older, I would like to play for the NHL one day but that means playing in the EHL for a few years, but my end goal is to play in the NHL one day,” he said.
He says he began playing minor bantam hockey in Parry Sound when he was 12-years-old, then moved to Minor and Major Bantam and Minor Midget for the North Central Predators, a Triple-A team in Orillia. He was then drafted from the Predators to the Owen Sound Attack where he stole the show this past weekend according to fans in the stands.
While playing the North Bay Battalion, The Battalion scored three goals in the first period and his team was down 3-0 going into the second period. The team ended up tying the score and the game went into overtime. Once the teams reached a shoot-out, Dudas was the third shooter for his team where his goal helped to win the game.
Dudas graduated from high school last year and has been playing for the O.H.L.’s Owen Sound Attack for 3 seasons. Dudas says that he is always grateful when fans recognize him and appreciates when Parry Sound residents tell him how proud they are of him.