Generals' de Haan emerging from the shadows

OSHAWA -- Calvin de Haan wants the Oshawa Generals to be his team.

While James DeLory and Brett Parnham may be sharing the captaincy for the club right now, there is little question that a new leader is hoping to emerge from the Generals' dressing room.

While de Haan won't carry the same amount of clout inside the locker room that veterans like DeLory and Parnham do, he is eager to step up and lead by example with a Generals team that lost a lot of talent and on-ice leadership with the trade of John Tavares and Michael Del Zotto to London three weeks ago.

"I am going to try and step up to the plate and take what is there and just run with it," he said. "It's going to be tough but I am willing to do it."

With Del Zotto's departure, the pressure on de Haan to perform was immediately heightened and after spending the first three-plus months of his rookie season doing quite well playing second fiddle on the Oshawa blue-line, de Haan has embraced the shift of the spotlight.

Two weeks ago the resident of Carp (near Ottawa), played in the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Oshawa, and just last week was named as the lone General to compete in next month's OHL all-star game at the WFCU Centre in Windsor.

"I've got to step up to the plate now," said de Haan, a high end prospect for this summer's NHL draft. "The chance is there and I've got to anchor this (defence) core. Hopefully I can do it."

Through 47 games de Haan has totals of 5-38-43, is a plus-9 and sits third in the league in scoring among rookies.

He says logging heavy minutes at the Tier II level last season has helped prepare him for the grind of the OHL season.

"Playing 30 minutes a game in Kemptville was great for me," he said. "I think putting up good points and getting a lot of confidence really helped my game. I am just trying to carry it over and so far it's working."

Joining de Haan on the Eastern Conference all-star roster, among others, will be former General Corey Cowick of the Ottawa 67's who has 29 goals on the year and Goodwood's Ethan Werek of the Kingston Frontenacs. The club will also be coached by George Burnett, head coach/GM of the Belleville Bulls, the same position he held previously in Oshawa.

Tavares and Del Zotto will be suiting up for the Western Conference, while Courtice's Greg Nemisz and Oshawa's Andrew Engelage of the Windsor Spitfires and Ajax's Chris Chappell of the Saginaw Spirit are also on the roster.