Zach
Gardner has great ambitions, with the U16 AAA Markham Waxers forward’s sights
set on this spring’s Ontario Hockey League draft.
“That's
my main goal right now,” Gardner said. “You can play the OHL. You can play for
college. I just want to go as far as I can.”
Gardner was the Waxers’ leading scorer with 10 goals and 19 assists, making gains in his
play-making ability. He had five assists in 2021-22, 16 in 2022-23 ahead of his
19 this season, said coach Mike Gouglas.
“When
there's a 2-on-1, I'm trying to pass first, because I trust my shot, but a lot
of times, I like to get my teammates more of an open look,” said Gardner. “With
the goalie moving side to side, I think it's a lot harder for them.”
Moving
up from AA to AAA a couple years ago, Gardner adjusted to the faster pace and
learned that he had to compete with the same intensity on every shift.
“I'm
really not taking it for granted,” he said. “I know I have to prove something,
so I'm not going into a game thinking, I already did my work 10 games ago.”
Even
at 15, Gardner has the maturity to set long-term, incremental objectives and
the ability to think big picture as he does everything in his power to make his
competitive dreams a reality.
“He
knows he wants to play, whether it's university hockey at some point,” said his
father, Steven. “He knows his OHL team aspirations are in front of him as well.
He's got everything sort of planned out.”
Once
his schoolwork is done, he is free to relax and hang out with his friends or
play with his dog.
“I
like to get my homework done, just to get it out of the way so I don't have to
worry about it afterwards because I'll usually have hockey at nine o'clock,”
said Gardner.
Only
occasionally, does he require a gentle reminder regarding schoolwork. However,
neither Steve, nor his wife Dora, both educators, ever need to encourage their
son regarding athletic training or competition.
“On
the sports side, there was zero need for motivation; zero need for push,” said
the senior Gardner. “He has dreams and goals. He knows what he wants to do with
hockey, which is pretty cool.”
Gardner’s
parents and his two, equally competitive older brothers, Ben, 21 and Josh, 23,
are his core support team though the three boys have a healthy sibling rivalry
centred on sports, from basketball to golf. Nevertheless, Gardner’s older
brothers are his biggest cheerleaders, work-out partners, role models and
mentors.
About the author: Howard Bailey is a student in the Sport Journalism post-grad program at Centennial College.