Adam Helewka’s story is not an uncommon one.
Getting dropped from a minor hockey team is something most every young athlete experiences at some point in their careers.
To some it could be a turning point in their youthful careers – whether for good or bad. Some might take the rejection to heart – blame others perhaps – or give up altogether.
But Helewka isn’t that kind of player.
The 19-year-old Burnaby left winger finished his third season with the Spokane Chiefs of the Western Hockey League with 87 points – eighth overall – and fifth in total goals with 44.
Helewka ended the regular season as a second star with two goals and a single assist in Spokane’s 5-4 loss to the Everett Silvertips last Sunday.
He was also sixth in the league with 12 power-play markers and sixth with eight game-opening tallies, earning the 6-1, 200-pound forward Spokane’s player of the year.
“I was cut from a lot of teams when I was younger. But it only made we want to prove a lot of people wrong,” said Helewka in a telephone interview with the NOW. “Hockey is my one love. I could never quit. I had to keep going and to motivate myself to keep going until I get what I want.”
That end goal is what just about every young hockey player dreams of – and that is one day playing in the pros.
At 15, Helewka went to Saskatchewan to play at the Notre Dame hockey academy team, where he scored 37 goals in 49 games.
He returned home the following year and earned a spot on the Northwest Giants major midget team.
Undrafted, Helewka tried out in Spokane as a free agent and went on to post a rookie of the year season with the Chiefs.
In his second year in the major junior league, Helewka was talked about as a possible third-round prospect in the 2014 NHL entry draft.
Although talented offensively, with good hockey sense and a competent mistake-free air to his game, Helewka’s never heard his name called at the draft.
The knock may have been Helewka’s zero plus/minus while playing alongside high-scoring first-linemates Mitch Holmberg and Mike Aviani, both multi-plus players for the Chiefs.
The setback did not deter the “Burnaby Boy”.
He came into this year’s camp bigger and stronger and more determined than ever to meet the challenges ahead.
“I knew it was a big year for me. I knew I had to be a leader. I knew I had to be good every night and that’s what I’ve tried to focus on,” Helewka said.
In response, Helewka ended the season a plus-10, while averaging 1.26 points per game. He also posted a 19-game point streak through the Christmas period – the third longest this season in the WHL.
Today, Helewka is considered by hockey insiders as a long-term prospect and, as a second-year eligible player, is projected to be a possible sixth-round pick in this season’s draft.
But it’s believable when Helewka says that doesn’t concern him at this point in time.
“Every hockey player dreams to be drafted,” Helewka said. “You can’t give up, you have to keep motivated. … But I’m not really thinking about that right now. I’m just getting ready for the playoffs.”
This Friday, Helewka and the Spokane Chiefs begin their first round best-of-seven series with U.S. division champion Everett Silvertips.
It’s a tall order for Spokane, which snuck into the post season with a near .500 regular season record.
But for Helewka, it’s another challenge he knows he must meet to put behind him last season’s four-and-out playoff against Victoria.
“Yeah, that’s exactly it,” he said. “We lost four straight to Victoria last season. … But I’m one year older, one year more experienced, I have to step up and be one of those big players every night.
“Yeah, it’s a lot of pressure, but it can either help you or crush you.
“I wanted to be a leader on this team. I wanted to be a go-to-guy. I think I succeeded with that goal. Hard work pays off for you.”
