Liam Herbst is looking to prove some people wrong.
The Guelph Storm's new overage goaltender went through a rough season with the Ottawa 67's last year and he comes to Guelph looking for a fresh start and carrying a fresh perspective.
"Hockey's a difficult game and it's a tougher game when things outside the game aren't going great and I think those two world's kind of clashed for me last season," said Herbst, in town recently for fitness testing.
"It's frustrating because I know deep down inside that the goalie that I am is the goalie that I was two seasons ago."
Physically Herbst has never felt better. Last year was a lesson in the mental side of the sport.
"I learned a lot last year and went through a lot of adversity. I went through it physically when I was 15 and 16, last year it was more so mentally," said the six-foot-three Etobicoke native.
"Just learning from that and growing as a player and a person. I'm excited where I am right now in my hockey career and I'm very optimistic about next season, to prove some people wrong again."
Herbst was the top-rated goaltending prospect in the 2012 OHL draft.
After helping his Mississauga Rebels minor midget team capture the OHL Cup, the London Knights made him the only goaltender taken in the first round of the draft, 22nd overall.
Then came the surgeries.
Chronic knee and hip issues that were partially blamed on his butterfly goaltending style led to a series of surgeries.
Herbst missed his entire first season and played just 10 games in the OHL his second season, two in London and eight in Ottawa, where he was traded at the deadline for a second round pick and conditional fourth rounder.
Finally healthy, he blossomed two years ago, playing in 39 games and posting a 2.76 goals-against average and .901 save percentage.
But as is often the case in junior hockey, the worm turned again last season. Herbst was inconsistent and by the end of the year had surrendered the number one goalie position to the younger Leo Lazarev.
It was Lazarev that started in all five of Ottawa's playoff games.
"Last year was a tough year. I got off to a tough start and then didn't play much in the second half, which was really frustrating," Herbst said.
With Lazarev the top dog in Ottawa, the writing was on the wall for Herbst.
"The Ottawa organization had two or three goalies, two now, that could really play and I knew that most likely one of us wasn't going to be back next season," he said.
"I have a no-trade clause, so I obviously waived that to come here. I'm optimistic about the team for next season and the future of the club."
Herbst has known C.J. Garcia for several years, playing summer hockey with him, and he did a charity event in Toronto with Givani Smith last summer.
Coming to a new team brings an instant sense of rejuvenation.
"Yeah, of course. Especially with a young group. It's a great organization and I've heard so many things about the Storm organization.. I can tell there's a good attitude here and a good buzz around the team."
