Jacob Battaglia has had quite the weekend - and it’s only Saturday afternoon.
Friday night, he collected two assists as his Kingston Frontenacs opened the OHL playoffs with a 4-1 win over Sudbury.
Saturday morning, he put pen to paper on a brand-new, entry-level contract with the Flames, another exclamation point in what’s already been a sensational season for the 18-year-old.
Contract in hand, the Frontenacs forward is one step closer to living out that life-long NHL dream.
“It’s been a pretty crazy experience. Starts with the Draft, that’s kinda the first step, and then once this becomes reality and the contract’s in front of you, it kinda hits you that ‘wow’; you really are one step closer to making your full dream come true,” Battaglia said when reached by phone Saturday. “The process was pretty cool, just talked to my agent - him kinda explaining to me how it all works, the negotiating stuff - so learning about that stuff was pretty cool.
“Just finally signing on the dotted line was a pretty cool experience.”
He’s been signing on the dotted line on OHL scoresheets all season long, having a career year, with 40 goals and 90 points.
Now, he’s the fourth member of Calgary’s 2024 Draft class to ink a pro contract, and he figures the NHL attention he received last year helped him kick-start his campaign back in Kingston this past fall.
“I think that was kind of a huge momentum and confidence booster,” he said of his first few strides as an NHL prospect. “I wasn’t happy with myself at camp, so I kinda used that as fuel to come back and have a really good year, and show the Flames that I can be better, and I will be better.
“The whole year’s been a whole lot of fun, obviously it’s a lot more fun when you’re winning games, you love all the boys and the team’s putting together some good wins. It’s been a whole lot of fun this year, probably the most fun I’ve had playing hockey in my career.”
The Frontenacs entered the OHL playoffs as the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference - Battaglia faces good buddy, and fellow Flames prospect Henry Mews in Round 1.
But friendships aside, Battaglia is hoping to have a long, enjoyable spring in Kingston.
“We have a lot of guys that have been on deep runs before and played in the playoffs, three guys from the Saginaw Spirit who won the Memorial Cup last year,” he said of the Frontenacs roster. “Having those guys come in and just show us what it takes, and what we need to do to ultimately be the better team every night, has been a huge upgrade and a huge plus for us.”
It’s been a season of growth for Battaglia, and not just on the ice.
In January, he was named the first official spokesperson for the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Talk Today program.
And three months on, he’s grateful to have helped continue to reshape the dialogue around mental health, while also raising awareness and funds for the CMHA.
“It’s been an honour to kind of have that role, get a couple fundraisers and raise a lot of money for the Talk Today program,” he said. “Another thing I found really cool was the Pass the Puck challenge that I started, and how it’s been going around the OHL. A lot of teams are doing it, taking part in it; that was really awesome that it was getting around the league and guys weren’t scared or nervous to step up, and take a part.
“Even just fans coming up to me after games - even my Dad in the crowd - and saying how awesome it is to have that program, that’s honestly one of the coolest things about it. People really appreciate the outreach.”
Battaglia and his Kingston squad contest Game 2 of their best-of-seven set with Sudbury on home ice Sunday, the latest appointment in a memorable few days.
But once he gets a moment to breathe - a moment to soak in that he’s a signed NHL prospect - Battaglia says he can’t wait to celebrate with the people that helped get him this far.
“I think I’ll definitely go out for dinner with my family, my billet family, and just thank them for all they’ve done for me, in helping me get to this point in my career,” he said.
“Just a little celebration like that.”
