Kieron Walton had just begun a puck-battle drill with Henry Doucet when he took an errant high stick from his Sudbury Wolves teammate. Article content

As the pair continued to dig for the disc along the boards, Walton responded with a bit of a crosscheck, then with a bit of a rub into the glass. Doucet was undaunted and continued to work hard until the whistle. Article content Article content

With no hard feelings, the two exchanged a few words and a friendly smile before rotating to the next partner.

Now 19, a fourth-year OHLer and an alternate captain for the Nickel City squad, Walton is among the veterans who are expected to set a competitive tone in each and every practice, but also to ensure their teammates are having a good time.

“There’s lots of little battle drills, but we’

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