As a 17-year-old rookie in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), Derek Froats put up a respectable 23 points and traded punches with future NHLers Shane Prince and Marcus Foligno.
Six years, two major shoulder surgeries, multiple broken wrists, and zero healthy seasons later, Froats is in a familiar position—another comeback attempt, this one with the Carleton Ravens. Still feeling the lingering effects of a concussion suffered in October, the two-way forward is clawing his way down the road to recovery once again.
“It’s been a battle and a ride, to say the least,” Froats said with a laugh, who was once a top prospect with the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs before having his junior career derailed by a series of injuries. “I’ve missed way too many games to count, but I wouldn’t trade [the journey] for the world.”
During his most recent spell on the injured reserve, Froats discovered a talent and passion off the ice—music.
“My music has kind of happened because I’ve been hurt so much,” Froats said. “I was bored, sitting at home with a sling on, not able to play [hockey], and discovered that it’s pretty fun.”
While the 23-year-old’s twangy guitar and soulful vocals are strictly hobbies and limited to his Instagram account (@dfroats19) for now, he says music is something that brings teammates and locker rooms together.
“It seems like every team you play on, there’s five or six guys that play guitar,” Froats said. “I play with Spud [Ryan] McLaren and Mike McNamee, and it’s a lot of fun. I tend to pick up my guitar three times a day at least, to get away from everything.”
For one of his teammates, fifth-year assistant captain Mitch Zion, Froats has been an integral part on the team despite having played just four games.
“Having Derek on the team has been one of the reasons our team is so tight-knit,” Zion said, who has known Froats for a long time. “Him and McNamee seem to have a cool thing going that the guys really enjoy. They started collaborating in Europe at the start of the year and the rumour is they have a mixtape album coming soon that the guys are really looking forward to.”
Even for a player as well-traveled and used to adversity as Froats, who essentially missed two full seasons after suffering a broken collarbone in his freshman season at St. Thomas University, the 2015-16 season has been a frustrating one.
After a positive Ravens debut in pre-season play, a pulled groin and ugly concussion derailed his comeback attempt.
“Three months out of [collarbone] surgery, I was missing it, and approached [Ravens head coach] Marty [Johnston] about getting a tryout. Despite the injuries I’m very happy to be here,” Froats said, who is playing hockey near his hometown Winchester, Ont. for the first time in seven years. “It’s nice to be able to go to my mom’s or dad’s house for dinner. I played minor hockey with 90 per cent of the guys on this team, so it’s a real family thing all around.”
Aiming for a return in time for playoffs, Froats is focusing on the day-to-day grind of his recovery from a concussion suffered in Waterloo on Oct. 24.
“I’ve got a lot of experience in hockey, and I’ve learned that you can’t look too far into the future,” Froats said, who took on a leadership role and earned assistant captain in 2011-12 with Kingston (OHL). “I come to the rink every day, skate in the morning, get my workout in in the afternoon, and just work really hard to try and get back into the lineup.”
