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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, February 11, 2016 | 40 Kevin Nagel Sports Editor sports@oakvillebeaver.com Sports "Connected to your Community" "The kid doesn't really tire," said Blades coach Mike Tarantino. "He makes smart line changes and never gets caught on the ice. It's a skill that doesn't really get noticed. He plays a lot of minutes, but he'll never try to squeeze an extra 20 seconds out of a shift. He's a great team guy." · · · By the end of October, Rollo had 19 points in 14 games, already eclipsing the totals from his rookie season. But when the rosters were named for the Eastern Canada Cup All-Star Challenge, his name was nowhere to be found. He ended up being added to Team Nieuwendyk as an injury replacement and led the team in scoring. "I wanted to prove them wrong," the Burlington native said. He's been doing that ever since. He went on to earn a spot on Canada East for the World Jr. A Challenge and again led the team in scoring and was fifth overall in the tournament with two goals and six points in five games. Now, at a time in the season when a player should be wearing down -- especially one playing on two teams -- the 5-foot-10, 165-pound winger is heating up. Since first suiting up with the Petes, Rollo has scored in six straight games for the Blades, tallying nine goals and 15 points in that span. He is one of only three players in the Ontario Junior Hockey League averaging 1.5 points or better per game. Rollo attributes that to having great teammates and said playing in exhibition games for Barrie the past two seasons was also beneficial. see Rollo on p. 41 Blades' Rollo thriving doing double duty By Herb Garbutt Oakville Beaver staff The Oakville Blades had just turned a 5-4 deficit into a 6-5 lead in the final two minutes of the third period. Their fifth straight win was less than 30 seconds away and so, too, was a well-deserved rest. The Blades, playing their third game in three days, would have to wait, though. A Whitby goal with 21 seconds to play tied the game and extended their weekend a little longer. If anyone should have been dreading overtime, it was Tyler Rollo. For him, it was his fourth game in four nights, having played for the Ontario Hockey League's Peterborough Petes last Thursday. And yet it was the player whose legs should have been giving out that brought the game to an end. The second-year left winger used his speed to beat a Whitby defender to a loose puck and poked it past him to spring himself on a breakaway. He deked the goalie and buried the winning goal with 50 seconds to play in the second overtime. The goal was his second of the game and capped a five-goal, ninepoint weekend. · · · In the week leading up to the OHL trade deadline, several NHL first-round draft picks were dealt and rebuilding teams traded their top scorers to contenders. One of the unheralded deals saw the Barrie Colts and Peterborough Petes exchange defencemen. It also included a fourth-round draft pick going to Barrie while the Petes picked up a player drafted 255th overall three years earlier. Rollo was sleeping when his phone rang to tell him of the trade. He had been to the Colts' camp three times and though he had made an impression each time, he hadn't been able to land a spot on the team. He had asked if they could accommodate him if there was an opportunity for him to play for another team. But as the trade deadline approached he wasn't expecting anything to happen. Rollo had been on the Petes' radar, but after he showcased his abilities at the World Jr. A Challenge in December, Peterborough made the deal for him. The Blades made an arrangement with the Petes where Rollo would play as an affiliate, allowing him to finish the season with the Blades. It has made the 18-year-old Oakville Blades' Tyler Rollo has been a busy player lately, logging minutes in the Ontario Junior Hockey League and with the OHL Peterborough Petes. | Photo by Andy Corneau / OJHL Images very busy the last few weeks. Since signing with the Petes, he has played nine games in 17 days. In addition to the games, he practises with the Blades Monday and makes the two-hour drive to Peterborough for practices on Wednesdays and Thursdays. "There's been a lot of driving to Peterborough, but it has been worth it," Rollo said. "I'm one of those guys who's never not on the ice. Even if there's not a practice, I'll ask if there's ice available and work on my shot. I can't stay off the ice." Coincidentally, it's his ability to get off the ice that has helped Rollo handle the heavy workload. ALL YOU CAN EAT Lunch or Dinner 10% off Dinner* Dine in & cAsh onlY *With this AD Dine in for All You cAn eAt 280 North Service Road W. @ Dorval, Oakville 905.338.6228 7 DAYS A WEEk www.august8.ca