'It’s pretty special': Baden's Beau Akey reflects on being drafted to NHL
Baden native Beau Akey is training with a mix of professional hockey players at RIM Park in Waterloo this week, as he gets set for the upcoming season.
Akey, 18, was selected in the second round of the 2023 NHL Draft in June. He was picked 56th overall.
Akey is expected to return to the OHL’s Barrie Colts for the upcoming season, but has his sights set on breaking onto the Oilers roster.
"It’s pretty special. You dream about it as a kid,” Akey said. “Obviously, it's a once in a lifetime thing that happens and I was lucky and thankful enough that it happened to me.”
Akey is training with local pros like Mike Hoffman and Logan Stanley in Waterloo. He's getting a better idea of what's to come, and playing with Stanley Cup Champions like Kitchener’s Nicolas Hague.
"It's a pretty special thing when you can come back to do your offseason training and there's a guy that just won a Stanley Cup out here with you, and you're out there battling for pucks against a guy like that," Akey said.
He’s considered by many scouts as a puck-moving defenceman with an elite skating ability. Akey put up 47 points in 66 games with the Barrie Colts last season, and helped the team reach the second round of the OHL playoffs.
Akey helped the Barrie Colts reach the second round of the OHL playoffs last season, putting up 47 points in 66 games. (Colton Wiens/CTV Kitchener)
"It’s a pretty exciting time,” Akey said. “I head to Edmonton in a couple weeks, back to Barrie here soon, so it's just exciting times for me.”
Akey grew up playing in Waterloo Region. He attended private hockey school Victus Academy in Kitchener for his Grade 10 year.
"He was a great athlete back in his minor hockey days and has continued to develop into being a great hockey player as well," Todd Hoffman, director of student athlete development at Victus Academy, said.
His coaches said the blue-liner displayed a high level of talent early on.
"In his first game as an under-ager he got four points. Just as a D-man he's very skilled, he's smart, and he’s a hard working kid," Shawn Dietrich, Akey’s Under-16 Waterloo Wolves coach, said.
Akey grew up playing in Waterloo Region and attended private hockey school Victus Academy in Kitchener for his Grade 10 year. (Colton Wiens/CTV Kitchener)
Those who know him said he's not only a skilled athlete, but also a great person off the ice.
"I think the thing that is not talked enough about Beau is how good of a person he is. He's a great teammate, he stands up for his teammates, but he also has the best intentions for his team,” Dietrich said.
"He’s one of those role models that kids are going to look up to. He's got great character, and that's exactly what teams look for," Hoffman said.
Akey was one of at least six players with connections to Waterloo Region and Guelph who got the call up to the big leagues in the latest NHL draft.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trudeau and Harris? Poilievre and Trump? Here's who Canadians think would work best with: survey
As Americans prepare to elect their next president on Tuesday, new data from the Angus Reid Institute suggests Canadians hold differing views as to which federal party leaders would be best suited to deal with either Donald Trump or Kamala Harris.
B.C. port employers launch lockout at terminals in labour dispute with workers
Employers at British Columbia ports say they are going ahead with locking out more than 700 foremen across the province after strike activities from union members began.
Months after VRBO booking, Taylor Swift fan told home 'not available' during Vancouver concert
A frustrated Taylor Swift fan is speaking out after being pushed from a short-term rental she booked for the upcoming Vancouver leg of the superstar’s Eras Tour.
Felonies, assassination attempts and a last-minute change on the ticket leads voters to Tuesday's U.S. election
A campaign that has careened through a felony trial, incumbent being pushed off the ticket and assassination attempts comes down to Election Day on Tuesday.
Measles cases in New Brunswick more than double in three days
A measles outbreak declared in New Brunswick’s Zone 3 last week, which includes Fredericton and the upper Saint John River Valley, has more than doubled since last week.
Prison sentences handed down for sexually abusive London, Ont. parents
In handing down the sentences for two London parents, Justice Thomas Heeney told the court, "The facts of this case were the most egregious that I have encountered during my 26 years on the bench."
She was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes about a year ago. Here's how her condition was reversed
A year ago, Lorraine O'Quinn was coping with stress, chronic illness and Type 2 diabetes. Then she discovered a health program that she says changed her life.
Surprise swing state? Iowa poll has Harris suddenly leading
Based on victories in the past two elections and polls leading up to Tuesday’s election, Donald Trump had seemed almost certain to win Iowa, but a new poll has Kamala Harris with a sudden three-point lead.
Russia suspected of sending incendiary devices on US- and Canada-bound planes, Wall Street Journal reports
Incendiary devices that ignited in Germany and the United Kingdom in July were part of a covert Russian operation that aimed to start fires aboard cargo and passenger flights heading to the U.S. and Canada, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported Monday, citing Western security officials.
Shopping Trends
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
