It's not very often a team makes a big deal out of signing a fourth round draft pick, but Owen Bennett is no ordinary signing.
Bennett, drafted by the Guelph Storm in 2018, was one of the more highly-regarded goaltenders in that draft but teams backed off because he had indicated he would be going the NCAA route.
It wasn't until Christmas that the Georgetown resident and his family decided on the OHL.
"It's very exciting. This is the only thing I've been able to think about for the last couple of months now," said the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Bennett.
"It's a little overwhelming. I'm just really looking forward to being here."
Bennett said halfway through the past season he knew the OHL was best for him.
"It wasn't one day where I switched, it was a process of knowing how I feel" and going with his heart, he said.
He describes himself as a calm, quiet goaltender who is relaxed in the net and uses his size to his advantage.
Bennett played last season in the Central Canada Hockey League 2, an affiliate junior league a notch below the tier II loop in the Ottawa Valley area, playing in 29 games with a 2.48 goals-against average and .909 save percentage.
He could have played midget hockey but wanted to play against older players, plus he got to practice a lot with the tier II Carleton Place Canadians.
Bennett said Martin Brodeur is the reason he is a goaltender. When he was five or six his parents gave him a book on the Hall of Fame goaltender and he read it over and over.
"After that I just wanted to play goal," he said.
Storm general manager George Burnett said Bennett was right there with top goalies of the 2018 draft but some teams backed off because of the NCAA leanings.
"Give the family a lot of credit for finding out about our league and about our organization," Burnett said.
"We had him in for a game at Christmas time and I could see a little smile and a twinkle in his eye and really got the impression that he was very interested," the Storm GM said.
"He was in the top group. It was more his interest to consider other options" that moved him to the fourth round, Burnett said.
"He was among that top group of three or four goaltenders," Burnett said.
The sigining leaves the Storm with three goaltenders next season: overager Anthony Popovich, 18-year-old Nico Daws and Bennett.
"We'll address it and deal with it in the next few months," Burnett said. "It's an ongoing process ... there's a lot of things to consider and we're going to take some time to do the right thing."