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Sports Oakville Beaver 31 · Friday, October 26, 2012 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com SPORTS EDITOR:JONKUIPERIJ Phone 905-632-0588 (ext. 294) email sports@oakvillebeaver.com NHL lockout can't end soon enough for Mason Blue Jackets goalie eager to prove he can regain Calder Trophy-winning form By Jon Kuiperij BEAVER SPORTS EDITOR W ith all due respect to hockey fans in Oakville, there may be no person in town more anxious to see an end to the National Hockey League lockout than Steve Mason. The 24-year-old goaltender has spent the offseason addressing possible culprits for his descension from budding superstar to someone simply fighting to stay in the league. Now Mason's eager to see if the work he's put in, most notably re-dedicating himself in the gym and shedding some weight, will pay off. "It's been a good summer of training. I had a clean slate going into this summer, a fresh state of mind. It's only been practices, but I'm feeling really good and seeing really good results," the Minor Oaks Hockey Association product said Wednesday at Joshua's Creek Arenas, where he and former Anaheim Ducks forward Ryan O'Marra were guest instructors at an Oakville minor midget AAA Rangers practice. "I'm looking forward to getting the season started, whenever that may be." It was only three-and-a-half years ago that Mason won the Calder Trophy as the NHL's rookie of the year, backstopping the Columbus Blue Jackets to the franchise's first -- and only -- playoff appearance. But it feels as though it's been much longer than that, particularly to Mason, who readily admits last year was the most difficult season he's ever endured as a hockey player. Going winless in your first eight starts, suffering a concussion, getting sliced open for 15-20 stitches in practice, going through a coaching change, watching your franchise's cornerstone (Rick Nash) prepare to get sent out of town and dealing with constant questions about your own struggles would make for a long seven months for anybody. "It wasn't a lot of fun at all. It was tough to get through," Mason said. "But obviously I'm here, still playing hockey. I learned a lot. Our goaltending coach Ian Clark was a big help throughout the year, making sure I got through the tough times, and I feel as a working partnership we accomplished a lot to get to where we wanted by the end of the season. I'm really looking forward to picking up where we left off." Columbus was much better in the second half of last season, going 18-21-2 after firing coach Scott Arniel and replacing him with Todd Richards. And Mason posted an 11-7 record after January, winning seven of his last 11 decisions. "It's been nice to be home to see friends and family for an extended period of time," said Mason, who has been working out at Beyond The Next Level (BTNL) with about a dozen other NHL players. "But that can get old pretty quickly, especially when you're missing hockey." O'Marra also can't wait for a resolution to the work stoppage, though his motivations are different. As an unrestricted free agent, not only is O'Marra's NHL future uncertain, MICHAEL IVANIN / SPECIAL TO THE OAKVILLE BEAVER minder Brendan McGlynn some pointers during the Rangers' practice Wednesday at Joshua's Creek Arenas. Mason and former Anaheim Ducks forward Ryan O'Marra attended the practice to pass along some advice to the Rangers about how to deal with the pressures of being in their Ontario Hockey League draft year. his opportunities in Europe are also affected by NHLers going overseas to stay in shape and earn a paycheck. "I'm optimistic, whether it's here or across the pond, I'll find a job somewhere," said the 25-year-old O'Marra, who was selected 15th overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Islanders but has bounced back and forth between the NHL and American Hockey League for the past four seasons. "It's tough being a fringe guy, an up-and-down guy. There are a lot of things going against me. It's a little frustrating and discouraging, but hopefully something comes out of it." Advice for OHL draft hopefuls O'Marra and Mason attended the minor midget AAA Rangers' practice Wednesday primarily to pass along some advice to the youngsters currently in their Ontario Hockey League draft year. "It's obviously an important year for them. There's a lot at stake for the guys who want to make a career from hockey, and there's no better guy to learn from than (Rangers coach and former Toronto Maple Leafs star) Rick PRESSURE POINT: Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Steve Mason (right) gives Oakville minor midget AAA Rangers net- Vaive," said Mason, who went to the London Knights in the 2004 OHL Priority Selection. "You want to put pressure on yourself to make sure you're treating things with pretty high importance, but you don't want to stress yourself out to the point that you're way too nervous and worked up for games." Judging by the Rangers' performance so far, they're doing a good job of maintaining that balance. Oakville is the topranked minor midget team in the province this season, solidifying that status with a 9-0 rout of the second-ranked York-Simcoe Express last weekend. It is expected that seven or eight players on the Rangers roster will be selected in the first round of next year's OHL draft, with many others on the team likely to be picked in the later rounds. "There's a lot of pressure on us to perform and show up every night. We have to work hard, and it's definitely a new experience," said Rangers defenceman Anthony Baxter. "We've never had this much attention on us." O'Marra said the key to dealing with the exposure is to enjoy it while also continuing to work hard. See Important, page 32