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Getting traded in the Ontario Hockey League is never an easy thing, but you can’t blame Camaryn Baber for being a little bit excited about the prospect of joining a new club.
Add the fact that he’s joining a team that is looking to make a long run in the playoffs and it amps up the excitement even more.
On Friday morning, Baber learned that he had been dealt by the Saginaw Spirit to the London Knights, a team currently sitting atop the OHL’s Western Conference standings.
For Baber, the potential of a long playoff run is an exciting one for the 20-year-old Sault Ste. Marie product.
“I know what I can bring to the table and I know what they’re looking for so I feel like I can definitely do my part to fit in early and play the style they need me to play,” Baber said. “I really enjoy playoff hockey and games that matter. I’ve cared about that my whole life. I care about every game obviously, but I’m super excited for the opportunity.”
Baber, who assisted on a pair of goals in his final game with the Spirit, a 2-1 win over the Soo Greyhounds on Thursday night in Saginaw, will look to draw of some of his early experiences in Saginaw in which he suited up in 17 playoff games during a long playoff run at the end of the 2018-19 season.
“The biggest thing that stands out for me is we brought in a guy like Justin Murray and he was awesome,” Baber said. “He was a 20-year-old and I just see myself fitting in (in London) like him (with Saginaw). He came to the rink everyday knowing his job and played his role every night. I definitely learned a lot from him and guys like Owen Tippett and Ryan MacLeod about being pros everyday.”
A veteran of 145 OHL games in Saginaw, Baber’s defensive game has stood out for him at this point.
“I’m good at everything, but I’m really good in the defensive zone,” Baber said of the development of his game, adding that his game on the penalty kill and in the defensive zone has been the best part of game.
Named captain of the Spirit this season, Baber enjoyed taking on a leadership role in Saginaw prior to the trade and said he learned a lot from the veteran players he played with as a young player on the team.
“It’s hard not to learn and absorb how to become a good person and just be yourself and work hard,” Baber said.
Drinkill called dealing Baber “a very tough day on myself and the organization obviously on the human element side of it.”
“When you look at your roster, part of the GM’s job is to evaluate where you’re at; do you have a chance to legitimately win an OHL championship,” Drinkill said. “Are you a good team? Or are in in a development stage where your younger players are starting to come and need more ice time and give a chance for your older guys to go chase their dream of a championship?”
Drinkill added that the move was about giving Baber a chance to win a championship.
“It was about giving Cam, who has been an unbelievable player and person here for us for the last five years, a chance to win a championship,” Drinkill said. “I’m happy for Cam. I’m going to be excited to watch him play and I’m not excited to play him six more times the last half of the year here.”
Drinkill said the deal didn’t come together quickly and that he had spoken to “a few teams that reached out and had interest in Baber.”
“If I was going to move him, I wanted to put him in the best spot possible for him and his family,” Drinkill added.
After finding out about the deal, Baber said there were mixed emotions.
“My first reaction was ‘Wow, I’m going to London’ and then the culture shock set it,” Baber said. “I’ve been here for so long. I was definitely sad to see that I’m leaving Saginaw, but I’m definitely excited for what the next steps in my career are.”
Drinkill and Spirit coach Chris Lazary have had high praise for the 20-year-old forward.
“He’s a warrior,” Drinkill said. “He’s a leader and an unbelievable person. For him, with our young group this year and the way we play, we had 17 new players, as a captain, it’s like trying to herd sheep almost in the right direction in how we do things here. He’s one of the final guys left from our first playoff run (in 2018-19). Just how good of a person he was and how hard he worked to get everybody on the same page. That will be felt through the organization for the next few years as this group matures and keeps going.”
Asked earlier this season about Baber, Lazary said he “embodies everything we want from a player in our organization, both on and off the ice.”
“He came in when we were in the bottom end of the league and he went through the transition of being the team that was really good for a bunch of years and now we’re in a state of flux where we think we’re really good, but we’re really young,” Lazary said. “He’s seen it all. His ability to lead the guys and explain the two differences in the organization and what was the difference and relaying messages has been huge.”
Lazary added that Baber “does everything right on the ice.”
“He’s a heart and soul guy and he cares about his teammates,” Lazary added.
Baber said he will miss his time in Saginaw.
“I can’t say enough about the organization, the people and the staff,” Baber said. “It was an organization where you come to work everyday and you know why you’re there. At the end of the day, they know why you play is to have fun and they make it fun. I have so many memories there. It’s an organization that you want to do good for.”