The experience of going undrafted by Ontario Hockey League teams last spring gave Trent Gates the jolt he needed to excel.
After not hearing his name get called in the 2023, the Halton Hurricanes centre carried a chip on his shoulder into the U18 Ontario Minor Hockey Association season and led the league with 82 points in 33 games.
“I put in lots of work this summer and by trying my hardest throughout the year to produce, it paid off,” Gates said during a recent Zoom call.
Making the jump from the U16 AAA Burlington Eagles to U18, Gates knew he needed to improve many facets of his game to have success.
He believes he did more than just score.
“I just tried to play more 200 feet, hit more, shoot the puck when I see openings and just play with my teammates… by having good chemistry with them so that we can just put up and win games,” he said.
There were several games this year where the 16-year-old stuffed the game summary. But, when asked about a single-game performance he was most proud of, a critical game against the Southern Tier Admirals on Feb. 4, in which he scored four goals and an assist in a 7-4 victory, came to mind.
“It was a big game,” said Gates. “It determined whether we would come second or third.”
The Hurricanes finished second in the OMHA West Division with a 26-6 record.
Growing up in the Ontario city of Hamilton, Gates began playing hockey at the age of two. He learned how to skate in the backyard, where his father, Garnet, built an artificial ice rink every winter.
“We started small because he was on skates that strap to a shoe,” Garnet said. “There was an eight by 10 rink in the beginning and then maybe a 10 by 20, before it progressed to the whole backyard.”
Gates’ passion for hockey only developed from there. At the age of five, he started Timbits Hockey before working his way up.
When watching professional hockey, Gates grew up admiring the likes of star centres Sidney Crosby and Auston Matthews and tries to model parts of their game whenever on the ice.
“I try to shoot and use that toe drag release like Matthews does and try to have hands like him. I also try to skate with edges like Crosby does,” he said.
Gates plays lacrosse in the summer months, allowing to him to stay in physical shape while applying his training and learnings from the turf field over to the ice.
“Just being exposed to getting hit by players who are bigger than me, if not the same size, helped me,” he said. “You're just running down and back for an entire game. It's really tiring, but that really helped me with my conditioning during the off-season.”
In recent years, Gates spent his off-seasons playing in the Carnevale League – an elite hockey league for the junior level.
Gates’ first exposure to the juniors began at the OJHL Combine in the 2022-23 season, where he played four games for Team Gold.
While finishing his time with Halton this season, Gates is also receiving ice time with the OJHL’s Toronto Jr. Canadiens. The jump between the OMHA and OHL level is substantial, but the young centre is excited for the challenges the league brings.
“I feel like I could give it a shot. See if I can fit in their roster and try to make the best out of it. See if I can help in any way to make the team better,” he said.
Watching the journey from backyard ice rink to leading scorer in the AAA-level, Garnet is “extremely proud” of the dedication his son possesses.
“He has made numerous sacrifices,” he said. “From birthday parties and going out with friends, coming home early and going to bed so that he could get up for the game.”
About the author: Christian Larsen is a student in the Sport Journalism post-grad program at Centennial College.