Game On Magazine 2017 Nov Game On low res | Page 16

– that he took the puck and
ran with it.
“It was kind of funny at
the beginning of last year,”
he said. “I felt early on I was
playing well enough, it’s just
the wins were not coming as
frequently as I would have
liked. Once I got a couple of
wins in a row like that it was
turning point for me.
“Once I had a few good
games and I gave the team a
chance to win I started to feel
really good about myself. Once
that was the case it was hard
to let go (of that feeling).”
Dola acknowledged
that both he and the team
had considerably higher
expectations of his play
coming into this season.
Still, he doesn’t feel any more
pressure now than he did a
year ago.
“I came in this year with a
clear head,” Dola said. “I try
not to get too high if things
are going good and I try not
to get too low if they don’t.
I’m just trying to keep an even
keel. I try to go into games
with the same attitude each
time. I just try to do what I
can and everything will fall
into place.”
Steelers head coach Dustin
Hughes said his netminder
stole more than a few games
for the team last season – and
he expects more of the same
this year.
“I would say he’s similar in
style to (new Winnipeg Jets
goalie) Steve Mason. He’s an
athletic guy and positionally
he’s very solid as well,” said
Hughes, a former Steelers
player that Dola used to watch
play as a kid.
“Another one of his
strengths is he’s always able to
1 6 | G AM E ON | N OVEM BER 2017
Hayden Dola keeps the puck at bay
rebound from a tough outing
or a bad goal. If he does let a
bad one in he’s able to put it
behind him and move on.”
Even though he’s not one
of the most talkative players
in the Steelers dressing room,
Dola has taken on more of a
leadership role with the club
this season. His words remain
measured but they carry
significant weight.
“As a 20-year-old I’ve seen
it all in this league,” he said. “I
feel like I’ve been around long
enough to know how things
work here and I’m trying to
pass that on to the younger
guys.”
That includes preaching
calm, even when things aren’t
going his team’s way. Selkirk
didn’t pick up its first victory
of the year until Sept. 29
(a 5-4 OT win over OCN)
and was just 1-4-0-0 after
five games. Dola’s advice?
Everyone just R-E-L-A-X.
“There’s no need to hit the
panic button,” he said. “We’re
only a couple games in. We’ve
had some injuries early on
and we’ve been playing with a
short lineup. Once those guys
get healthy that’s only going to
help our team.”
Dola will admit to having
begun thinking about the
future. He would love to
extend his hockey career by
landing an athletic scholarship
to a Canadian or U.S.
university and has already
talked with several schools.
But his primary focus
remains in the here and now.
The Steelers haven’t won an
MJHL championship since
2007 and there’s nothing Dola
would like to do more than
hoist the Turnbull Trophy
before he’s done. It would be
the perfect ending to what has
been a fairytale story.
“A few days ago I was
talking to my dad after a game
and I was saying how cool it’s
been to spend four full years
with the same team I grew up
watching,” he said. “It’s rare
now that guys get to play four
years in this league, especially
with the same team.” ❍
Selkirk netminder Hayden Dola makes a big save