Basaraba may get chance to train with Staal brothers

FORT FRANCES—Joe Basaraba, one of the town’s rising hockey stars, is now able to say he trains with a coach to the pros.
To better prepare himself for training camp with the OHL’s Erie Otters, Basaraba has enlisted the help of trainer Steve Baillot of Thunder Bay—the same trainer who works with the renowned Staal brothers.

“I’ll be going down [to Thunder Bay] once a month for check-ups and stuff to see how my progress is coming along and everything,” Basaraba explained.
“I’ll be doing a lot of weight training, lots of cardio, and some drills with him.
“You know, all that kind of fun stuff,” he added, tongue firmly in cheek.
Basaraba noted Baillot even mentioned he may get to hit the ice with the Staal brothers during a training session or two.
Though it’s not a sure thing, the honour of practising with Eric, Marc, Jordan, and Jared Staal would be huge because they are all great hockey players.
The three oldest already play in the NHL while Jared is eligible for the 2008 entry draft coming up next month.
“It would be pretty great to work with them because they are where I want to be,” enthused Basaraba.
He hopes he can break into the NHL after his OHL career—setting a goal for this accomplishment in 2010.
Basaraba knows it’s a very ambitious goal since not many people actually do reach that level of hockey, but he exemplifies great drive as shown by the fact he spends about five hours a day almost every day at the gym working out and training.
Then there was the esteem shown by his former Muskie coach, Shane Bliss.
“It was not a matter of ‘if’ he would be selected, but more ‘when,’” Bliss had noted upon hearing that Basaraba was drafted in the second round (22nd overall) by the Erie Otters earlier this month.
“If anyone can step up, it is Joe,” he added.
Basaraba is now preparing for his tryout date, which is set for sometime in August.
He said his support team hopefully will be both his mom and dad (if their work schedule will accommodate the time off). But he knows while this may be a relaxing trip for them, it definitely won’t be for himself.
“I’m going to go down there and focus on hockey. It will be all hockey when I’m down there,” Basaraba stressed.
He won’t let other things like tourist attractions and excursions cloud his mind.
Basaraba had said shortly after the draft that it hadn’t really sunk in yet that he was going to be playing hockey at the OHL level. But when asked more recently, he said it definitely has now.
“It definitely has set in now with all the phone calls that have come my way with friends and family, and people in the hockey world.
“My OHL team calls me all the time and they keep me updated. They are really great about that,” he added.
Basaraba watches hockey a lot, and especially enjoys watching the Staals (particularly more recently) as well as Ales Hemsky of the Edmonton Oilers.
But though he watches all of these greats in action, he’s still confident in his own style and skill.
“[I model the way I play] after those guys a little bit, but really I just go by reaction and whatever needs to happen I try to make happen,” Basaraba explained.
(Fort Frances Times)