175 pounds , Genoway wasn ’ t drafted by an NHL team . He signed a free agent deal with the Minnesota Wild and played one game in 2011-12 . He played a season with the Houston Aeros in the AHL and then was dealt to the Washington Capitals where he played a full season with the Caps ’ AHL affiliate in Hershey .
At that point , he decided that he wanted to make some money and signed with the KHL ’ s Dinamo Riga . He played the 2014-15 season in Riga , then signed with Spartak Moscow . After a year in Moscow , he signed with Jokerit Helsinki . After a year in Finland , he signed another deal with Lada Togliatti in Tolyatti , Russia . He ’ s played for four different KHL teams in four years .
Since Christmas of 2016 , Genoway has played in the Spengler Cup and in three other international events .
Howden comes from a successful hockey family . He ’ s a former first-round draft pick of the Florida Panthers ( 25th overall in 2010 ) and his brother Brett , who just won gold with Team Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship , was the first round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning ( 27th overall ). Quinton , who once played on a World Junior Championship team with Jets star Mark Scheifele , is just 24 and has 10 goals and 17 points in 97 NHL games .
He says he was a little shocked to get the Olympic call . “ I was shocked . It was a pretty special moment ,” Howden told reporters . “ Honestly , when I first got invited to one of the Olympic tryout camps I thought , ‘ Wow ! They ’ re actually considering me ,’ And I just wanted to do everything I could to be a part of this team .”
Howden grew up in Oakbank , played in the Springfield Minor Hockey system and had a great year with the Eastman Selects Triple A Midget cub before heading off to play for the Western Hockey League ’ s Moose Jaw Warriors .
After being drafted by the Panthers , he kicked around the AHL and NHL and spent the 2016-17 season with the Manitoba Moose . Although he played five games with the Jets that year , he played 58 with the Moose and when it ended , he knew it was time to chase a big European contract . So he signed with Dinamo Minsk in the KHL this season . In 49 games he already has 15 goals and 29 points . “ My speed is my asset ,” Quinton said . “ I try to get in on the forecheck as hard as I can and try to be competitive on every shift .
“ I try to play good defense and I love to play a penaltykilling role . Basically , I just use my speed and push the opponents ’ D-men back as much as I can .”
During the Olympic team news conference , head coach Willie Desjardins had an interesting comment about the type of young men who will make up Canada ’ s 2018 Olympic team . It is an experienced team that has played 5,544 games of International hockey and averages 31 years of age . The team has an average height of 6-foot-0 and an average weight of 194 pounds . The
players have won a total of 24 major international and North American championships including a Stanley Cup and 14 Spengler Cups .
“ All of our players , somewhere along the line have been told , ‘ No ,’” Desjardins said . “ They ’ re not going to get a chance to continue their NHL careers or maybe even start one . But like a lot of other Canadians , they ’ ve managed to battle back . They ’ ve stuck with it and they ’ ve decided that they won ’ t give up . That ’ s what our team is about . It ’ s about guys who have all been told ‘ No thank you ,’ but found a way to turn it into a ‘ Yes , sir .’ And they are all going to the Games to win gold for Canada .” ❍
QUINTON HOWDEN WITH THE JETS
CHAY GENOWAY WITH TEAM CANADA IN THE SPENGLER CUP
102 | GAME ON | REGULAR SEASON EDITION 2018