Hamilton is now second overall in the OHL's Eastern Conference and sports the third-best record in the elite junior league. The Bulldogs are 8-1 with Winterton back in the lineup, the team moving up several places in the conference standings.
Winterton's pace of nearly two points per game and six-game winning streak are all the sweeter given his journey this season. He attended the Kraken's inaugural training camp but was limited in participation due to the shoulder issue. The injury was projected to sideline him for a month. It turned out to be five months.
"It was a tough process," said Winterton, who is one of the youngest 2021 picks, his early September birthday just 11 days shy of inclusion in the 2022 NHL Draft. "The constant delay was the hardest part. Every time I would see the doctor or physio [therapist], they would set it back another week or say I was not ready for contact [in later stages of the rehab process]."
Winterton skated with his Hamilton teammates for two-and-a-half months before getting the green light to suit up for games. He says he feels stronger in all parts of his game, affording huge credit to Gary Roberts, the Kraken's sports science and performance consultant, and Matt Nichol, who oversees strength and conditioning for the Canadian Football League's Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Roberts and Nichol have collaborated on a popular 12-week offseason training regimen followed by hundreds of devotees across sports. Roberts trains a large group of elite NHLers and Nichol has worked Canadian gold medalists among other athletes, including reigning Olympic 200-meter champion Andre De Grasse after he suffered a devastating hamstring injury several years ago.
"They were a big part of my support group, coming into the gym to a couple workouts," Winterton said. "I can't say enough about them. My support system included my brother [Jacob, a 21-year-old Canadian college player], my parents and everyone in the Seattle [hockey operations] organization."
The shoulder rehab was even more jarring to Winterton because the OHL canceled its entire 2020-21 season. The Whitby, Ontario, native nonetheless was chosen to play for Team Canada at the 18U 2021 World Championships, helping his country win gold, scoring two goals and notching two assists in seven games.
Making the team and playing well convinced Winterton he would get drafted, even though his only OHL season was as a 16-year-old. More than a few people across hockey are starting to believe the Kraken got more than third-round value with the Winterton pick.
On the ice, Winterton says "confidence" and "my work ethic" have boosted his fast start returning from the shoulder issue.
"Confidence is a big one, having the trust of my coaches and teammates," Winterton said. "My work ethic is another reason. I never expected the recovery to take that long. There were lots of times I just had to bear down."
The confidence thing goes two ways: "I'm very happy to be back and ready for the playoffs and, let's hope, the Memorial Cup [playing as the OHL representative team]."
