Knights forward lands fill-in role at world showcase tourney
Ryan Pyette
Updated: July 24, 2018
Liam Foudy was still snoozing when another unexpected journey came ringing along at the last second.
“I got up and checked that I had missed a call from Saskatchewan,” the London Knights forward said. “I don’t get too many calls from out there. Usually, it’s going to be someone from Hockey Canada. Something clicked that it was probably going to be an invite to the (World Junior Summer Showcase tournament).
“You’ve got to be pretty excited to be invited to a world junior camp.”
Foudy leaves his Scarborough home this weekend for the event, which features games against the United States, Sweden and Finland at Kamloops, B.C.
He is one of three emergency fill-ins for a handful of players that can’t make it. One of them is his old Knights captain Robert Thomas.
“It’s unfortunate he’s unable to go because of his injury,” the 18-year-old said, “but it’s nice to get that call. I’ve been training this whole time. I want to go to this first camp, play really well there, have a good start to the season and hopefully, get an invite to the (selection) camp in December.”
Foudy knows the drill.
All you need is a skate in the door. Then, it’s up to you to prove your worth.
That was the story of his sophomore OHL season. His rise in the hockey world started shortly after he was named as an injury replacement to the Top Prospects Game in Guelph.
He followed up a strong outing there with a torrid second half, racking up 20 goals and 33 of his 40 points during that late stretch, many of them critical to Knights victories.
That improved production, his raw speed, his performance at the under-18 worlds and his dominant display of athleticism at the NHL combine convinced the Blue Jackets to select him 18th overall at last month’s draft.
“I had no idea at all,” Foudy said. “I thought I would go between 25 and 40, and you don’t want to get your hopes up too much (about going in the first round). The (pre-draft) meeting with Columbus was the same as the others, nothing too special. When I heard them say, ‘From the London Knights . . .’ I didn’t know what to think. Regs (d-man Alec Regula, maybe)? Then, I heard my name and I thought that was pretty cool.”
He flew home from Dallas that Sunday, then zipped to Ohio the following morning to start development camp. He spoke with Basil McRae, the former Knights GM and now the Blue Jackets director of player personnel, received text messages from the current Columbus players wishing him luck and entertained a number of interview requests while strutting his stuff on-ice.
“Kole Sherwood, the ex-Knight, was there and (London mate) Billy (Moskal) and I were on the same team for the three-on-three tournament,” he said. “It’s nice to know a few guys there. That’s always helpful. It’s the same out west (where Evan Bouchard and Alex Formenton will be part of the Canadian squad and Regula on the American team).”
Foudy’s younger brother Jean-Luc, a Windsor Spitfires first-rounder, is currently at Hockey Canada’s under-17 development camp in Calgary. He’s a little lighter in the wallet, too, after failing to top Liam’s two-year-old Ontario junior boys 300m hurdles at the OFSAA track and field meet last month.
“He bet me he would beat it and he didn’t,” Liam said. “He was a second off my record, so I got a nice 20 (bucks) from him.
“We’ve been training together this summer and pushing each other. I give him some advice about the OHL — but not too much.”
Jean-Luc’s first regular-season game this fall, after all, will be against his brother at Budweiser Gardens.
Knights forward lands fill-in role at world showcase tourney
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