HALIFAX — Isaac Ratcliffe's mom taught him an important lesson early in life.
"Growing up, becoming a hockey player, one thing my mom always told me was 'you're not a hockey player, you're a person who plays hockey' and that's what I kind of want to be remembered as coming out of this league,'" Ratcliffe said Friday in Halifax as the team prepares for its opening game at the Memorial Cup.
"As a guy off the ice that the guys in the dressing room that can come up to talk to and a guy that the fans on the street wouldn't be afraid to come up and talk to."
The Guelph Storm captain is this year's winner of the Mickey Renaud Captain's Trophy, the league award given to a team captain for their dedication and leadership both on and off the ice.
The Storm's Matt Finn won the award in 2014.
"George pulled me in the day we got here to Halifax and told me I'd won it. It's a real honour," Ratcliffe said Friday.
"I got to meet Mickey's family at the start of the year in our first game in Windsor and just to kind of hear about his story, the way he affected this league so positively with his work ethic and his character, and to be recognized for having some of those traits, is just awesome."
The Storm held a very brief (30 minute) practice at the old Halifax Forum on Friday afternoon in anticipation of their opening game Saturday at 3:30 p.m. EST against the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League champion Rouyn-Noranda Huskies.
Ratcliffe was recognized not just for doing the regular things expected of an older player, such as the appearances in schools and at local events, helping make the McFadden's Movement charitable effort a success and being active raising money through Bell Let's Talk Day, but also for the way he made the extra effort when it was needed.
Those included reaching out to a 10-year-old fan who had a negative experience at a game due to the behaviour of some visiting fans and setting it right for him with a visit to the dressing room.
There was also someone he had met a couple of years ago who was heading to Philadelphia for cancer treatment and Ratcliffe, a Philadelphia Flyers draft pick, made it possible for the family to take in a Flyer's game that night.
"There's so many people over the years who affected not only my on-ice career but my life, in dramatic ways since I've been in Guelph and I can't thank them enough," Ratcliffe said, quick to thank the Storm's community relations lead Stephanie Corrati for her efforts.
"It's just really great to be able to get out in the community and do these types of things."
