Paone pleased to be a Pete

Being drafted was the icing on the cake for Nicholas Paone this season.

The 16-year-old defenceman concentrated on his game for the Southern Tier Admirals and was prepared to let the chips fall where they may as far as anything else went.

“I didn’t really think about it too much throughout the year,” said Paone, a Grade 10 student at Saint Michael in Niagara Falls. “I just thought about playing my game and sticking to getting the wins for our team.

“Getting drafted was just the bonus on the year.”

Paone ended up having a solid season for the Admirals, finishing third in team scoring with six goals and 20 points.

“I thought I had a good year offensively and defensively and our team had a good year,” he said. “I think I improved on my skating and shot. Skating was a huge thing I worked on this year. You can always improve on your skating.”

Paone’s hard work and production did not go unnoticed as he was selected in the 12th round (233rd overall) by the Peterborough Petes in Saturday’s Ontario Priority Selection.

“I was at home watching it with my dad,” he said. “The stream wasn’t working so I didn’t see my name come up at first. I barely saw it and then 20 seconds later I got a call on my phone.”

Paone, who is planning to head to Peterborough for rookie camp at the end of April, intends to work hard over the summer to give himself the best shot possible at cracking the Petes’ lineup in the fall.

“For sure it’s a huge jump but if you get in the gym and work hard and work hard throughout the summer, it’s definitely possible,” he said. “It’s not impossible to play as a 16-year-old.

“My dad always tells me if it were true, everyone would do it. You just have to put in a lot of hard work and get bigger and stronger and faster and see what happens in camp.”

But Paone is also realistic and is well aware he may need a year of seasoning in junior B or Tier 2.

“It’s not the end of the world (to not make it as a rookie). Playing in that league as a 16-year-old is very, very difficult.”

The Admirals had a solid season, finishing fifth in their loop and placing second in the playoffs, barely missing out on a chance to play for the OHL Cup.

Paone figured playing so many meaningful games helped his development.

“The games when we were playing against Oakville or Burlington or Brampton there were always a few more scouts out there to watch,” he said. “There was that extra pressure to play well, but you just focus on the way you play and your game and you’ll be fine.”