Gabe Odowichuk has skated in 89 totals games for the Mustangs through 3 seasons. (Facebook/Broad Leaf Media)

By Mat Barrett

Odowichuk Commits

‘Melfort really accepted me’: Odowichuk commits to Concordia University for post-secondary hockey

Mar 19, 2021 | 2:00 PM

A graduating Melfort Mustangs has committed to post-secondary hockey.

Gabe Odowichuk, a 2000-born defenceman, has committed to Concordia University in Edmonton. The Thunder play in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC).

Odowichuk told northeastNOW that his goal when starting to play Junior A hockey was to continue playing at school after.

“It was kind of hard to believe it was going to happen, with the year going the way it did,” he said. “I’m just very grateful that somebody looked at me and thought they wanted me.”

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The Winnipeg, Man. product said his decision to go to Concordia was in part due to the personal nature of his talks with Thunder coach Joey Bouchard. Odowichuk said he had conversations with other schools, but his talks with Concordia seemed more personal, and it felt like they wanted him more for the player that he was rather than just to fill a roster spot.

Odowichuk added that he’s excited to continue pushing himself at the next level and continue furthering his hockey career.

Looking back on his time in Melfort, Odowichuk said he’s very grateful for the community that accepted him even back in his first season in the league in 2018/2019.

“Melfort really accepted me for who I was,” Odowichuk said. “And I’ve never had that before, it felt like a big family.”

He added that he learned how to play a role on a team, from being a depth piece in his rookie season, to more of a prominent role to start the 2020/2021 season. Odowichuk said he also learned how to overcome adversity as well, and he appreciated the upfront nature of head coach Trevor Blevins.

“Gabe was a pleasure to coach the last three seasons,” Blevins said in a release. “He brought a high level of character and competitiveness each and every day.”

Odowichuk said he’ll really remember the two playoff runs he was a part of in Melfort. The finals loss in 2019, and the four games in 2020 prior to the pandemic, where the Mustangs seemed poised for another deep run.

Over his three seasons in Melfort, Odowichuk played in 78 regular season games, scoring four goals and adding 18 assists for 23 points, including four points in five games to start the 2020/2021 season. He also scored one goal over 11 playoff games stretched over his first two seasons. His 210 total penalty minutes between regular season and playoffs sit tied for 12th among Mustang defencemen since 2000/2001.

Off the ice, he said a fun memory was playing Mantracker; being chased by former assistant coach Danny Meyers on a horse.

“It’s not like you get to get chased by a horse nowadays,” Odowichuk joked.

Odowichuk is still deciding on what he would like to do when it comes to classes at Concordia, but he’s thinking something in finance.

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mat.barrett@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @matbarrett6