Whirlwind Holod No. 1 with a bullet

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This article was published 04/03/2024 (909 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

STONEWALL — Gavin Holod has a need for speed.

The one-time competitive dirt bike racer has since retired from that sport but he probably has the best wheels in the Winnipeg High School Hockey League. Holod is also the No. 1-ranked varsity boys player in the annual Free Press top 10 coaches’ poll.

“He’s really, really fast,” says Brent Leschyson, co-coach of the WHSHL’s Stonewall Rams. “He gets the puck and everybody on (the opposing) team is kind of on their heels right off the bat. If he gets the puck in his own zone, he’ll beat you to the far blue line more often than not.

“And then he also sees the ice really well and he’s a good shooter. If you put all three of those things together, he’s gonna score a lot of points.”

There’s no denying Holod’s scoring touch.

You need to look no further than the league’s first division scoring leaders for evidence of that.

In 24 regular-season games, the 16-year-old left-winger had 21 goals and 46 points, which was seven points clear of his closest pursuer — his Stonewall linemate Adam Newcombe. Holod also captured MVP honours at the Miles Mac and Winkler tournaments.

Holod considers himself a distributor of the puck but, curiously, he has never played much centre in a career that took him from the Interlake AAA Lightning U15 squad to the Lightning AAA U18s in 2022-23.

“I would say my best ability is to find people on the ice and know where everyone is at all times,” says the Grade 11 student. “I’ve tried out at centre once and it was fine but I kind of prefer left wing.”

Playing on a line with Newcombe, a right-winger, and one of either Justin Braid and Evan Deprez in the middle, Holod was held off the scoresheet only once all season.

Holod has also been sensational on the Stonewall power play and penalty kill. He scored four goals and seven points while short-handed.

The Rams, who celebrated their return to the WHSHL’s first division after almost a decade away with an eighth-place regular-season finish, were ousted Feb. 8 from the playoffs by a tough Steinbach Sabres squad.

“A lot of my teammates played high school last year — they told me it was great,” says Holod, explaining his departure from the AAA level. “And a lot of my friends are playing this year as well and it really opened up my schedule for other activities.”

But Holod’s isn’t finished with hockey this season.

He has been spending time on the outdoor rink on his family’s acreage and plans to participate in the WHSHL all-star game on March 17 while also serving as an affiliate player with the Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League’s Stonewall Jets and the MJHL’s Niverville Nighthawks.

The Nighthawks selected Holod in the first round (fifth overall) of the 2023 MJHL Draft and he spent a month in Niverville last fall, practising and suiting up for two games.

“It was a bit nerve-racking with the rookie lap and stuff but all the guys were really good though,” he says. “It was an amazing experience.”

The Nighthawks believe Holod has a bright outlook. At 6-1, 175 pounds and still growing, he could transition to the MJHL next fall.

“He’s got a really dynamic offensive skill set,” says Nighthawks interim general manager Mike McAulay. “He’s got really good speed, he’s competitive and he’s got a really high hockey IQ.

“We noticed all those things kind of together when we were scouting at him and there’s room for his frame to fill out. He’s wiry and strong and we’re excited about his future.”

Holod, who has aspirations of earning an NCAA hockey scholarship, impressed Niverville brass with his moxie, willingness to battle in the corners and ability to keep up with the pace of play. He is expected to challenge for a regular roster spot in fall.

“We don’t like to dictate where a player chooses to play after the draft or after we’ve listed them or after they become part of the Nighthawks organization,” says McAuley. “So it is a little bit of a non-traditional path (to the MJHL), but he’s the type of player that has the skill.”

While there’s still a possibility he could be called up for games with the Nighthawks, Holod has kept busy playing with the MMJHL’s Jets.

He has tallied three goals and seven points in 13 games while playing on the club’s No. 1 line with Karson King and Peyton Bateman.

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca