MVP of the 2012 OJHL playoffs played two seasons in Stouffville
Former Stouffville Spirit star forward Drake Caggiula is back in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers. “Strange in a sense (being back) … I don’t know how many days it’s been. Five hundred, six hundred days since I played my last (NHL game).” (Image: Edmonton Oilers)
There have been several outstanding players in the 29-year history of the Stouffville Spirit Jr. A Hockey Club.
Eight have played in the NHL. Others were NHL Draft picks. Several have skated in the KHL, AHL, ECHL, NCAA, OHL, WHL and QMJHL.
Drake Caggiula is at or near the top of that list.
Spirit General Manager Kenny Burrows scouted Caggiula in minor hockey extensively. The work paid off for both the GM and the player.
At age 17, Caggiula led the Spirit to the 2012 Ontario Junior Hockey League championship. He was crowned MVP of the playoffs by the league after scoring an eye-popping 17 goals and 37 points in 23 games.
At the University of North Dakota he won the NCAA championship playing on a line with Brock Boeser (Vancouver Canucks) and Nick Schmaltz (Utah Hockey Club).
An NHL free agent, Caggiula signed with the Edmonton Oilers in 2016.
Eight years later, he’s back in Edmonton, called up last week from their AHL team in California, thanks to an injury to Connor McDavid.
A whole bunch of stuff took place in between.
Drake, now 30, got marri
ed and became a dad. There were injuries and the pandemic.
And time with the Chicago Blackhawks, Arizona Coyotes (now Utah) and Pittsburgh Penguins.
Plus 113 games in the AHL the past two years.
“For me it’s been a journey of redemption and perseverance,” Caggiula told Jim Mattheson of the Edmonton Journal.
“Strange in a sense (being back) … I don’t know how many days it’s been. Five hundred, six hundred days since I played my last (NHL game). I had those first-game jitters again.”
“I love the game, I’m competitive in everything I do. A big part of it wants to stick it to people who said I couldn’t do it. Even coming out of college as a highly-touted free-agent, I still had a lot of doubters,” said the 5-foot-11, 183-pound Caggiula.
“For me, it’s about proving people wrong, even myself wrong. There’s been times where I lost my confidence and I thought, ‘Hey, I can’t do this.’ But I owe it to myself to give everything I have until the last day of playing.”
Caggiula had a timely reset ahead of this season.
“I talked to Knobber (Oiler coach Kris Knoblauch) and my wife about it and thought I was playing with house money,” he told The Edmonton Journal. “For me, I have a good life wherever I’m playing ($500,000 to play in the minors, $775,000 in the NHL). That allows me to play free, to play my style of hockey and if the team likes it, great.”
“If they don’t, that’s OK, because I’m comfortable in Bakersfield. It’s allowed me now to play mentally free and the mind’s the most powerful muscle in the world. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to do that.”
The coach likes Drake.
“This is a veteran who’s played a number of games in the NHL but not many games the last couple of years … but he’s an NHL-calibre player,” Knoblauch told The Edmonton Journal. “You can insert him into a lineup in a defensive role and he could penalty-kill. He’s just a smart hockey player.”
Caggiula has played 305 NHL games, including Sunday’s Oilers win in Calgary.
“I’ve worked hard, overcome some adversity with injuries. I broke my hand last year, getting hit by a shot on a power play, shattered my hand, and I tore my MCL,” said Caggiula.
“I’ve had kids and learned there’s more to life than being a hockey player,” he told reporters. “Be thankful for the opportunities we have, for the life we have. It’s given me a lot more positive outlook on life.”
The Oilers are home to the Vegas Golden Knights Wednesday.
Update: Caggiula was assigned to Bakersfield Wednesday
NOTES
Spirit is now 11-8-0-3 and in fifth place in the tightly-packed 12-team OJHL East.
Lachlan Wells leads the team in scoring with 23 points. Julian Demiglio has 22.
David Paglia’s seven goals tie him for the lead amongst all defencemen in the OJHL. His 21 points are tied for fourth best from blueliners in the 24-team league.
THE SCORES
Nov. 2, Spirit 3, Toronto Jr. Canadiens 2. OT
Zack Corte sent the game, played at Scotiabank Pond in Downsview, to OT with a goal with 2:02 to go. Captain David Paglia won it, knocking home a rebound 2:10 into OT. Kyle Downey makes 29 saves. Evan Breckles scored his team-leading 13th goal.
Nov. 1, Trenton 6, Spirit 4.
Third-period goals by Mason Dermastja and Evan Breckles tied the score at 4-4. But nationally-ranked Trenton got a late one and an empty-netter to seal things. Danny Thomakos and Riley Pope had the other Stouffville goals.
THE SCHEDULE
Nov. 7, St. Michael’s at Stouffville. 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 9, North York at Stouffville. 7:30 p.m.
All games broadcast on 102.9FM whistlefm.ca radio and FloHockey TV https://www.flohockey.tv/leagues/10826657-ontario-junior-hockey-league-ojhl (subscription required).
Spirit This Week is sponsored by Farmer Jack’s in Stouffville and Sharon.
