Photo Credits: Charles Warburton
The Brampton Steelheads are coming off a successful weekend, picking up four points in three games. Everything is coming together for Brampton, regardless of the injuries they have suffered so far this season. Depth scoring was an issue at the beginning of the season, but as of late, their depth has been an essential factor in the games they have been winning, with forwards Luke Misa, Adam Zidlicky, and Lucas Karmiris being a key part of that.
But there is one more forward who has also been helping lead the way: Jack Van Volsen. Van Volsen came up big this weekend for Brampton. He left this weekend on a four-game point streak. On Friday night against the North Bay Battalion, he scored two goals and one assist and was named the game’s second star. Van Volsen picked up where he left off from Friday’s game on Saturday against the Sarnia Sting, where he picked up an assist in a 5-3 loss. On Sunday afternoon in North Bay, the Steelheads finished off a three-in-three weekend, picking up a 5-4 win, and Van Volsen stayed hot by scoring the opening goal 59 seconds into the game.
Watching Van Volsen play the last three years with the Steelheads, he looks like a completely different player. He uses his size and strength in his game, making him a better player. He’s been taking away goaltenders’ vision on the powerplay, helping create scoring opportunities, and his faceoff ability in the offensive zone, similar to Ryan O’Reilly.
Van Volsen was drafted sixth overall in the 2022 OHL draft by the Peterborough Petes before being traded to the Steelheads. He had a career year last season, picking up 32 points in 63 games. This season, it looks like he will break that in 14 games. He has five goals and eight assists for 13 points. As the season continues, I’d expect him to be a major factor for the team, maybe even getting a chance at the top line between Porter Martone and Carson Rehkopf.
