By Warren Kozireski —
St. Lawrence captain Kaden Pickering moved about 12 miles from home to play his home games at historic and renovated Appleton Arena. In fact, for all but one season, he hasn’t strayed far from home while on his hockey journey.
“I grew up watching Clarkson and St. Lawrence play and it’s been a dream of mine to play in the North Country in general for sure, Pickering said. “St. Lawrence showed a lot of interest in me when I was young and I created some relationships here that really drove me to come this way.”
After scoring 30 goals in 22 games with Norwood-Norfolk High School in 2013-14, it was Northwood Prep in nearby Lake Placid for two campaigns with a combined 53 goals and 105 points.
“A lot of hockey went into that decision, but also the academics. I felt that I could do better when it came to school, so my parents thought it was a good idea to send me to prep school to get ready for college ad the hockey up there was elite at the time. It was a great opportunity for me and it wasn’t far from home, so it was a great experience.”
The soon-to-be 23-year-old (Dec. 17) then challenged himself not just to leave the North Country, but do so in a big way 3,000 miles away in Chilliwack, British Columbia for the 2017-18 season.
27 points in 54 games and a higher level of competition prepared him to return to familiar territory with the Saints.
“It was a tough decision to go that far from home but to play junior hockey in a great league you kind of have to get out of northern New York a little bit, so no regrets. It was a great experience out there with the scenery, the mountains and the ocean were unbelievable. And spending a year away from home really made me appreciate coming back to the North Country and playing here.”
And now Pickering leads the Saints in goals with five and shots on goal (49) and is tied for the team led in points with eight t the midway mark of the 2022-22 campaign. He is on pace to shatter his personal collegiate bests in all three categories.
Over the final six games prior to the holiday break, he registered four goals and three assists and has had three multi-point games.
“I think confidence plays a big role; being a senior and captain on the team I feel like I have to lead the way and I feel like I’m ready for a lot more pucks that come my way. I want the puck more and getting in shooting areas and realizing the shooting areas before it’s too late is a big part of that, so things as of late have been clicking.”
“It’s awesome to see my mom and dad up there and my grandparents get to catch a few games before they head to Florida for the winter.”
Due to the pandemic last season, players have the option of an extra year if they choose, but Pickering isn’t making any commitments yet.
“It’s up in the air for me right now; I’m just taking it day-by-day,” Pickering said in early December. “I’m not looking ahead that far, but I’ll make that decision when the time comes.
“We were lucky to play last year so I don’t feel as cheated as some other guys might on different teams.”
But maybe he decides to stick around for a few more home-cooked meals every now and then.
(St. Lawrence Men’s Hockey Photo)
