CALGARY , Alberta – When Cody Hodgson was drafted tenth overall in the first round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, the Vancouver Canucks had a pretty good idea of just what kind of player they were drafting. Scouts everywhere knew the kind of skill-set and tremendous leadership Hodgson possessed, but perhaps what they didn’t realize was what this young man could bring to the table when the stakes were sky-high.
As the 2009 World Junior Hockey Championships in Ottawa come to a close, we can look back on the tournament and safely say it was another success for Team Canada. Another gold medal, their fifth consecutive at the tournament, means the lofty goals that Hockey Canada had set upon the team were successfully achieved with flying colors.
This year’s version of Team Canada was relatively inexperienced compared to those of the recent past, with only four players from last year’s gold medal-winning team returning to lend their hand at “the drive for five”.
Returning were John Tavares of the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) London Knights, who captained the Canadian squad, defensemen P. K. Subban of the OHL’s Belleville Bulls, Thomas Hickey of the Western Hockey League’s (WHL) Seattle Thunderbirds, and forward Zach Boychuck of the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes.
With this year’s squad lacking experience, Team Canada turned to some of the older players on the roster to help guide the team to victory.
Eighteen year-old Haliburton, Ontario native Cody Hodgson is currently the captain of the Brampton Battalion (OHL). Hodgson began playing hockey with the Haliburton Huskies of the Ontario Minor Hockey Association, and at an early age, exuded the skills and intelligence of a great hockey player. His on-ice vision and strong two-way play have been compared to that of Hall of Famer Ron Francis. 
Hodgson is extremely coachable and excels at whatever is asked of him whether it’s quarterbacking the powerplay, winning the important faceoffs, tenaciously carrying the puck on the rush, or chipping in on defense. He’s rarely out of position, showing that it’s what’s between Hodgson’s shoulders that had the scouts talking before the draft.
Hodgson’s hockey sense, skill, leadership, and commitment have Vancouver management excited for the future. In fact, Hodgson almost won a roster spot with the Canucks out of training camp. Canadian hockey fans from coast to coast have found out what Brampton Battalion and OHL fans have known for a few years.
Cody Hodgson is the real deal.
Contact the author at Michael.Paul@prohockeynews.com
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