Edwards elevating game in rookie campaign

Beckham Edwards, a Komoka, ON, native, has had a strong first OHL season. The Sarnia Sting forward has scored against his hometown team, netted the Teddy Bear Toss goal, and improved his prospect standing.

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

* * *

The transition to the OHL has been a smooth one for Komoka’s Beckham Edwards.

In his first year with the Sarnia Sting, the forward has been among the top rookies all season. He’s currently sixth among freshmen with 37 points, and third in goals with 22 (heading into action the weekend of March 7-9).

Edwards says finding offensive success early has certainly helped with his confidence. But, overall, he’s been focused on becoming a more complete player.

“The OHL is just so quick. If you’re out of position for a split second, the puck can end up in the back of your net,” Edwards told Gameday London. “So, it’s just about making sure you’re always in the right spot when you’re out there.”

Edwards has played on the wing a bit this season, but he says he’s most comfortable up the middle. He knows that playing centre comes with added responsibility, which is something he welcomes.

“You have to be really reliable defensively,” he said. “I think the biggest thing is being able to handle the bigger strong guys and battling with them. I think I’ve been able to do that so far.”

Sarnia’s head coach, Alan Letang, has liked what he’s seen from the first-year forward.

“He’s very coachable. He asks the right questions. You can tell he worked really hard in the summer to get his body ready for the OHL,” Letang told Gameday London. “It’s a tough league for a 16-year-old to come in and produce. There’s going to be some mistakes, there’s going to be some learning, and he’s been very open to that.”

Edwards (right), a Komoka, ON native, has produced 22 goals and 37 points in his first 53 OHL games. (Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

* * *

The former Medway High School student previously played for the Elgin-Middlesex Canucks, but he moved to Michigan to wrap up his youth hockey career playing for a strong Little Caesars team in his OHL draft year.

Edwards considered some college options, but after Sarnia selected him in the third round of last year’s OHL Priority Selection, he says the decision to sign with the Sting was an easy one.

“I wanted to play somewhere that I could do the schooling in person,” he said. “I really like the city and the organization, and it wasn’t too far from home, so it seemed like a good fit for me.”

The young forward has already scored some memorable goals in his young career. The first came in his first OHL game. He’s also scored a pair of goals in front of family and friends in London against a Knights team that he grew up watching.

The one that sticks out, though, came in early December …

“Has to be the Teddy Bear toss goal, that was super cool,” he said. “I’ve always loved that tradition with all the bears going on the ice. So, scoring that goal and seeing all those bears come flying down, it was a special moment that I’ll remember for a really long time.”

The Sting are currently in year two of a rebuild after reaching the Western Conference finals in 2023, and despite being one of the league’s youngest teams, they’ve been jostling for the final playoff spot in the conference as they eye a return to the postseason.

The rebuild has given Edwards an opportunity to play a big role early in his OHL career. Letang, his coach, stresses that he’s earned it with his work ethic and on-ice play.

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

“He pays attention to the details, he knows what he’s good at that makes him successful, and he’s open to working on those other things to help round out his game,” Letang said. “He’s already a really good forward in this league, and he keeps getting better.”

Edwards won a gold medal with Canada White at the U17 World Hockey Challenge, which happened to be hosted in Sarnia. Count that as another highlight in the OHL rookie’s successful season.

The forward will see the Knights one more time for their final regular season matchup Sunday, but there is a chance those two teams could meet in the first round of the playoffs if Sarnia finishes in eighth and London hangs on to the top seed. Perhaps that would be the icing on the cake for Edwards in his junior debut.