EXCLUSIVE: Angus Booth Reflects on His First Professional Season with Ontario Reign

Angus Booth had a solid first year for the Ontario Reign, quickly earning the trust of head coach Marco Sturm. The trust Sturm had in Booth led to him playing big minutes against the opposing team’s best players. The 21-year-old defenseman finished the season with 13 (2 G, 11 A) points in 50 games and suited up for both playoff games for the Reign, despite missing two months with an injury. With his rookie season in Ontario in the rearview mirror, I had a chance to catch up with LA’s 4th-round selection from the 2022 draft to talk about his first year as a pro on Wednesday after day three of development camp.

Note: Thank you to Ontario Reign Insider Jared Shafran for setting the interview up and to Booth for taking time out of his schedule to answer questions.

*Edited for clarity

On how the offseason is going for him

“Really well. I’m happy to be here [development camp] and be around the guys. It’s nice to be back in the middle of the summer, see everyone, and some new faces, also. I’m still trying to become bigger and stronger. That’s the name of the game for me right now. So, that’s what I’m focused on while I’m here.”

Describing his first season as a pro

“I think it went really well, excluding my injury. Obviously, before that, it was a smooth transition. I liked how I was playing, and then obviously it got more dicey with my whole injury, and I was in a different situation. I think I had a pretty good year, and now I just got to build on that.”

On how he thought he adjusted to the size and pace of the professional game throughout the season

“I think the only way to get used to that is by playing those games against those bigger, faster guys. That’s really the only way you could learn and get better from that. I was happy to be able to be in the lineup every night and get better at that.”

On how tough it was when the injury sidelined him for two months

“Yeah, that was tough for me. Even though I rehabbed in those couple of months, I didn’t feel great when I came back. It was a little annoying for me, but to be done with that now and reset for next season is perfect.”

On earning head coach Marco Sturm’s trust and receiving praise from him throughout the season

“Yeah, that’s the biggest thing for a young guy. You have to earn the coach’s trust. That’s how you get minutes, and that’s going to lead to you having more confidence on the ice. Marco was a great coach for me. He was hard on me at times, but then also, like you said, he was, he praised me, and that helped me a lot. Also, guys like Chris Hajt [Ontario’s assistant coach] were invaluable to me. A lot of video and learning. I don’t know what’s gonna happen with [Hajt], but those two are great coaches for me.”

How Chris Hajt and player development coaches (Sean O’Donnell and Matt Greene) were helpful in his development on the defensive side of the ice

“We work a lot on the details of the game, a lot of devise. It’s a lot like development camp right now, actually, a lot of those same drills, same practices that you get during the season whenever we have a little downtime, a little day off. It’s not the first year I’m working with them, but this year I got more reps and in touch with them; that was really important.”

On if there is anything the coaches or he wants to improve on heading into year two

“I’m not sure about my game. I got to get bigger, and that’s been the main thing ever since I was 18 when I got drafted. I just have to put on some weight to be able to win those corner battles and play against those bigger players. Those guys are really big, and you can’t be an undersized guy. I have to match that.”

On playing and living with captain Joe Hicketts and how he helped him become a better player and person on and off the ice

“I think more off the ice and living with him. I’m able to have a lot of those conversations that you don’t have at the rink. He showed me the ropes a lot, and even if there was a play after a game. I used to ride home with him, and I would ask and pick his brain about it. That was really helpful for me. I was surrounded by a lot of help, and that helped me in my first year.”

How good is it knowing that Hicketts will be back with the organization for two more years?

“Yeah, that’s awesome. It’s good to know that I have a roommate [he said with a chuckle]. He’s a great captain, and he’s going to be invaluable to this team. He’s a great player and plays the game the right way. I think a lot of guys can learn from him.”