By Jim Mason/OJHL Communications
If the Ontario Junior Hockey League is looking for a poster boy…
Step right up, St. Michael’s Buzzers captain David Elmy!
The well-spoken Mississaugan is following up on his break-out 2023-24 campaign with another solid start – 11 goals, 10 assists in 19 games so far this season.
The Toronto team’s No. 21 finished in ninth spot in OJHL points with 81 last season – a massive leap from 21 (11 goals/10 assists) in 2022-23, his rookie season.
Elmy’s 44 goals were third highest amongst the 500-plus players in the 24-team loop last year.
Now 19, he followed that up with 21 points in 11 postseason contests and suited up for Team Hawerchuk in the Eastern Canada Cup
There was no surprise when Elmy was voted the OJHL’S 2023-24 Most Improved Player in postseason voting last spring.
He committed to NCAA Division I Canisius College in Buffalo for next season last year.
“It’s just a great experience with St. Mike’s and the OJHL,” Elmy said during last month’s OJHL Governors’ Showcase in Niagara Falls. “When you make the jump to junior, you don’t know what to expect, but I’ve learned so much from our coaches here.
“My first year, 21 points, to my second year and having that chance to excel … I can only thank my teammates and coaches for that chance.”
Movement is a near constant on junior hockey rosters, but loyalty is big with third-year man Elmy.
“I have a lot of faith and trust in our coaches,” he said. “They’ve been very straight up with me regarding what they expect. I trust people I know and go from there. This is what I want to do, keep progressing under them.”
“And family’s a really big thing for me. Being able to stay at home and see them every night, talking to my dad about games and certain plays and things I can try… It’s a big thing for me, for sure.”
The coach is a big fan.
“David has emerged into the league’s most elite very quickly and many people have noticed,” St. Mike’s Head Coach and General Manager Rich Ricci told the OJHL earlier this season. “He plays hard and heavy. I really saw an outbreak last September. He was scoring the type of goals you see at a higher level…goals every which way. Along with that was a seriousness in practice and a singular focus to work hard and improve.
“In the room and off the ice, he complemented our leadership group despite not having a letter. He has the opportunity here to lead a good team and maybe garner further accolades beyond his commitment to Canisius.”
Elmy played with the Mexico Warriors – his mom is Mexican – in the NHL-sponsored Amerigo LATAM Cup last summer.
The NHL, NHL Players’ Association and Florida Panthers were among the sponsors of the tournament, which was founded in 2018 by Juan Carlos Otero, a longtime Panthers fan, to help grow the sport within the Hispanic community both internationally and locally.
The LATAM Cup’s growth since 2018 prompted this year’s tournament to take place at Florida Panthers IceDen and Baptist Health IcePlex, the 2024 Stanley Cup champions’ new practice facility in Fort Lauderdale.
“A great experience and a lot of fun,” Elmy said.
