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Lifetime Raider Johnstone Preparing for Final Days of Minor Hockey

By Daniel Judah, 03/24/22, 2:15PM EDT

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10-year Ajax-Pickering forward competing at OMHA Championships

As Ajax-Pickering Raiders captain Ryan Johnstone prepares for his final minor hockey games at the OMHA U18 AAA championship, he still has a lot left to prove. 
 
Johnstone went undrafted by the Ontario Hockey League last year, which added to his motivation for the 2021-22 season, turning a negative experience into a positive by taking his game to the next level. 
 
“Feeling like I got overlooked, it brought myself to dig deeper, to do better and almost put me in this mindset that said ‘There is a reason you weren't drafted. Work harder, do better, try to be the best you can be day in and day out,’” said Johnstone. “I'm just trying to prove I was a diamond in the rough. I was a player that teams missed out on. A player that they can add to their hockey team as a key piece to their team in the regular season and into the playoffs.”

Johnstone’s stellar play this season suggests he may in fact be the type of diamond in the rough teams are always looking for. 
 
Not only did he lead his team in points during the regular season, scoring 31 goals with 23 assists in 37 games, Johnstone also led the Raiders to a remarkable 51-3-2 record across all competitions. 
 
“We hate losing,” he said. “The winning mentality that our team has shows why we are in the place we are. It’s not a fluke winning 51 games.” 

Beyond his improvements on the ice, Johnstone’s role as a leader and captain has expanded, too. 
 
Raiders head coach Mike Battah, who is also the director of scouting for the Erie Otters, had high praise for Johnstone’s development in that regard this season. 
 
“His growth as a person in terms of maturity this year has been pretty impressive. He was a unanimous vote for captain and I think it was a good choice by the players for sure,” said Battah. “He’s got something to prove. And I think he looked at himself, not just as a hockey player but as a person and is trying to better himself to be the most well-rounded person he could be.”

The OMHA championship games will also be Johnstone’s final games with the Raiders, as this is his final year in minor hockey. Earlier this season, he was awarded the Lifetime Raider Award for having played 10 years with the organization.
 
“I’ve always stuck to a few traits of loyalty. I always like being loyal to a team, loyal to a coach, not leaving when times get tough,” said Johnstone. “Obviously it is emotional. You’re thinking, my minor hockey career is over. But I'm looking at all the pluses, I’m looking back at how much I've enjoyed this.”
 
Looking past this season, Johnstone is aiming to jump to the next level.

“I'm trying to stay as open minded as possible. Developing as much as I can now before my next year of hockey is the biggest thing for me right now, because I'm hoping to be able to play Junior or Major Junior somewhere next year,” said Johnstone. “Once this season is over, then I'll look to the next level of hockey and look at the next steps.” 
 
The Raiders arrive at the OMHA championship after going a perfect 8-0 in the playoffs, including a decisive 7-0 victory against the Quinte Red Devils in their last game. They’ll look to cap off their dominant season with another set of victories from March 25-27 at the Sixteen Mile Sports Complex in Oakville, Ont. 


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Daniel Judah is a student in the Sport Journalism program at Centennial College. Follow him on Twitter @DJudahSports


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