DEL MASTRO FOCUSED ON LEADING YOUNG STEELHEADS

Given the circumstances, Ethan Del Mastro said, adjusting to life as captain of the Mississauga Steelheads has felt like a bit of a jump.

Prior to the start of this season, the last time Del Mastro suited up for the Ontario Hockey League club was as a rookie in early 2020, right before the COVID-19 pandemic put a 19-month pause on OHL play.

"I was just a rookie, but now I've got to be an older guy and take on a bigger role," said Del Mastro, an 18-year-old who was Mississauga's first-round pick in the 2019 OHL draft.

"I think I jumped on that right away, took that leadership role on and the coaching staff looked at me as one of the leaders. I'm truly honoured to be captain and to lead these young guys."

A 6-foot-4 defender, Del Mastro played 57 games before the 2019-20 OHL season was cancelled. During his rookie season, he learned a great deal from former teammates Thomas Harley, a Dallas Stars prospect, and Liam Ham, the team's former captain.

"Sitting beside (Ham) in the dressing room, it was easy to look toward him for leadership," Del Mastro said. "I saw what his tendencies were. My first year was kind of taking some of those into my own game and it's been very helpful."

Steelheads general manager and coach James Richmond said Del Mastro being named captain was a natural progression.

Although the 2020-21 OHL season was cancelled, Del Mastro earned some valuable experience from being picked to play for Team Canada, which won gold at the IIHF World U18 Championship over the spring.

Over the summer, he was chosen by Chicago in the fourth round of the NHL Draft. He's now focused on leading a young Steelheads squad, which he believes is better than their 3-4-1 record indicates.

"I think we're outplaying a lot of teams and outshooting them. We just need to pay attention to detail and things will start swinging our way," Del Mastro said.

"I think we're shocking a lot of teams with how fast we are and how hard we are to play against."