U16 Niagara North Stars netminder Finn Wilson has emerged as one of the top goalies in Ontario behind a strong routine and a commitment to his craft in net.
 
Wilson played in 16 of the North Stars' 23 regular-season games, leading the team to the top record in the SCTA. Niagara went 21-1-1 in the regular season, followed up with a 5-1 performance in the SCTA playoffs. 
 
He had the league’s best goals-against average (1.59) and tied for the most shutouts with three.

Niagara coach Ryan Berard says Wilson lives and breathes hockey and that his attitude and preparation set him apart from other goalies in the league.
 
“He’s a super dedicated kid. He’s calmed his game down tremendously in the past year,” said Berard. “He comes prepared to practice, he comes prepared to games … he’s just so strict with what he does on and off the ice and I think that’s what separates him.”
 
Wilson’s gameday routine includes a pre-game trip to Tim Hortons for a decaf triple-triple and a dedicated playlist of songs that accompany his stretching, cardio and hand-eye co-ordination drills to get his mind and body ready. 

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The work ethic and consistency that Wilson pours into gameday is just a small example of the time that he’s put into his game to perform at such a high level.
 
“I worked a lot on my skating over the past year because I thought it was something I needed to (improve) to get to the next level,” Wilson said. “I (work) a lot on reading stick plays, tracking shots and reading the play because missing a year of games (due to the pandemic), I’ve lost out on situations that come to you during games.”
 
He found his way to the North Stars just over a year and a half ago. 

“I really liked the group in Niagara,” Wilson said about his process of finding a team. “The kids on my team are very talented, so I thought it’d be a good fit for me to be on a higher-end team.”
 
Berard thinks that Wilson’s path to becoming a top prospect is unlike any other goalie’s story. 
 
"They don’t usually come out of nowhere like this,” he said. “He went from ... maybe being passed up by a couple of teams (before) coming to us and just being lights out.” 

This season Wilson has gotten the chance to show his talents and prove that he is one of the top goalies, despite not coming into the season as the most well-known name. 

Catch Wilson and the North Stars in action - click here to watch the OMHA U16 AAA Championships presented by Egg Farmers of Ontario from March 25-27

“I just like proving people wrong and showing what I can do. It’s another thing that motivates me,” Wilson said. “It’s hard to get your name out there, especially in the last year without games, but (being in) Niagara really gave me the chance to show what I can do.”
 
His performance at a Silver Stick tournament in Whitby, Ont., stands out to Wilson as a moment he established himself as a top prospect.
 
Playing five games in a row, four of them within 26 hours, gave Berard more confidence in him, too.
 
“He’s had to step up to big-time, big moments and it has exceeded our expectations,” Berard said, referencing the team’s original plan to have Wilson share duties with Hayden Jeffery. “We anticipated running 1A, 1B (in net) and it hasn’t worked out that way because of Hayden’s injuries.”

Wilson and the North Stars will look to build on their dominant season and create some more memorable moments at the OMHA Championships from March 25-27, in Oakville, Ont. 
 
“I’m really excited,” Wilson said. “It's going to be fun to play in games where you have to show what you can do and help your team out.”
 
Looking beyond the end of the season and into OHL draft preparation, Wilson says that continuing his development is his top priority. 
 
“My willingness to develop and listen,” he said about what separates him going forward. “I’m open to hearing what people have to say because I want to keep getting better. My mindset going into things is that I always want to win and I always want to develop.”