by Warren Rappleyea
In his first season in the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL), forward Zachary Losier has shown he has a bright future in the game.
The lefty-shooter joined the Junior Senators this season after a successful stint at highly respected Ridley College in St. Catherines, Ontario, where he posted 14 points in 21 matches a year ago. The 18-year-old also impressed in Ottawa as well, compiling 12 goals, including a game-winner, and as many assists in 40 regular season games.
“Zachary has a very good and accurate shot; he can score from just about anywhere in the offensive zone, even from distance” Ottawa Coach Kyle Makaric said. “He scored some big goals for us this year.”
That ability is likely to come in handy during the playoffs as Losier has just returned to lineup following a late-season shoulder injury.
Standing 6-1 and weighing in at 190 pounds, Losier is a power forward who likes to drive to the net and who’s not hesitant to play a physical game at either end of the ice.
“He’s a talented guy and plays kind of like a freight train,” Makaric added. “He’s definitely someone the other team needs to be aware of.”
An eighth-round selection by the North Bay Battalion in the 2021 OHL Priority Draft, Losier adjusted quickly to the faster speed and more physical play of the CCHL.
“This is a very close team with high expectations,” he explained. “We have a good group of older guys, and they were all very accepting. Our Captain, Wil Murphy, kind of took me under his wing and helped me make my way.”
Like many of his teammates, Losier, who hails from Niagara Falls, Ontario, began playing the game at an early age, although he initially didn’t like being on the ice.
“I was screaming and bawling my eyes out and the skating instructor actually pulled me off and gave my parents their money back,” recalled Losier, who eventually changed his mind. “It’s funny though, about three years ago I was skating with the same instructor. So it kind of came full circle.”
A center/forward for most of his young career, he switched to defense for a season in minor bantam. It was a fortuitous decision.
“That really helped me realize that the D see the game in a different way,” he said. “Playing and seeing the game from a different perspective was very beneficial for me. As a forward, I know where the defensemen want me to be and what they expect me to be doing.”
