Like many hockey players, Rocco Bigioni is a creature of habit.
On game days, the U18 AAA Ajax-Pickering Raiders captain gets
focused by staying away from his phone and taking a walk before heading to the
rink hours before puck drop.
After taping his stick and
listening to his pre-game playlist, which mainly consists of AC/DC and Linkin
Park, Bigioni heads out of the dressing room to take in the environment of the
arena.
“I like to visualize,” Bigioni said
in a recent interview. “I look at the size of the rink and I visualize me
scoring, I visualize me playing well. I’ve started to implement a lot of
visualization in my game this year.”
Once it’s time to get dressed he turns off his music, but that
sensory experience remains an important part of Bigioni’s preparation.
“I like to hear the noise of the locker-room,” he explained. “I
like to hear the clear tape going on, the sticks being taped, and I just try to
keep it loose and talk to the boys.”
Pre-game routines give athletes a sense of confidence and comfort
as they get ready to face the challenges that come with every game. After not
being selected in the Ontario Hockey League’s U16 priority selection at the
conclusion of the 2021-22 season, Bigioni is using his confidence to turn that
setback into motivation for the future.
Being passed up on in his first year of eligibility was tough for
the young forward to deal with. The path for players who go undrafted isn’t
always clear and when the U18 draft came around the next season, Bigioni’s
family decided to take him out for dinner to avoid the noise of the event.
“I didn’t have many expectations
going into it,” Bigioni said. “I think they were just trying to get me away
from it all, and I didn’t even end up watching the draft.”
To his surprise, the Ajax, Ont. native was selected fifth overall
by the Oshawa Generals. He found out at dinner as his phone was flooded with
messages from teammates congratulating him.
One of those teammates was Raiders linemate and assistant captain
Blake Wright.
“It’s always nice to see someone
get recognized, not just as someone who gets passed up on in their U16 year,
but especially someone who works as hard as Rocco,” Wright said.
Unlike Bigioni, Wright was selected in the U16 draft, going 226th
overall to the Sudbury Wolves, and couldn’t be happier to see his captain be
acknowledged for his efforts.
“Nobody really deserves it more,”
Wright said. “To see him get recognized, especially when he didn’t know he was
going to get picked, it was pretty special.”
Bigioni was invited to the Generals’ training camp in May 2023,
where he had a chance to meet and play with some of hockey’s best young
prospects.
He used this opportunity as a learning experience, finding a new
appreciation for the work ethic of those who play in the OHL, and carried those
lessons into his off-season training.
“It was great to see what it takes to play at that level,” Bigioni
said. “I really put my social life aside and committed myself to hockey in the
summer, and I’ve been trying to bring myself to that point so I can go back
there better next time.”
To add to an already eventful year, the 17-year-old was named
captain of the Raiders ahead of the 2023-24 season and has used his experiences
to grow as a player and as a person.
Bigioni led the Raiders in scoring this season with 26 goals and
48 points in 34 games, showing huge improvements from 2022-23 where he finished
with just nine goals and 22 points.
“I think confidence is the one part of my game where I struggle
the most, and this year has been more than helpful for that,” Bigioni said.
“Coming in after being drafted, being named captain, being the older guy on the
team, it’s all been amazing for my confidence.”
While Bigioni’s path may not be the one he originally envisioned, he’s in a
much better place is excited about what lies ahead.
About the Author: Eric Cruikshank is a student in the Sport Journalism post-grad program at Centennial College.