It was the start to the season that Jeremiah Addison had been hoping for, as he suited up for the Ottawa 67’s. After two seasons in Saginaw, the 18-year-old winger became a notorious two-way player that was excellent on the defensive side of the puck. His work ethic and never-give-up attitude earned him major responsibilities on the penalty kill and defensive zone starts, and Addison earned his way up the ranks by never missing a shift. But when he joined Ottawa, things changed for the good. Not only was his defensive game still in full effect, but he was putting up points too.
Last Word with Habs Prospect Jeremiah Addison
In 63 games with the new team, in his third season in the OHL, Addison scored 19 goals and added 28 assists, doubling his totals in the last two seasons with Saginaw. Combined. The 67’s couldn’t make it past the first round in the playoffs, but Addison was a factor for his team, scoring 6 goals in 6 games, while adding 4 assists.
Drafted 207th overall, in the 7th round, Jeremiah Addison was the final selection from the Montreal Canadiens camp. We reached out to Addison and he was able to respond to some of our questions despite undergoing a tight schedule with development camp and off-season training.
Shawn Wilken: First off, congratulations on being drafted! How does it feel to hear your name get called, and what was going through your mind when it was the Montreal Canadiens that selected you?
Jeremiah Addison: It felt good an it was an wonderful opportunity, I am grateful for it. Great organization, it was great to be drafted by an original six team.
SW: Character and two-way play seems to be a trend regarding players the Canadiens select. From what Trevor Timmins stated, you have a lot of both. What else can you tell us about your game?
JA: I take pride in both side of the puck. I am a gritty player and I take pride in winning all my battles.
SW: You played two seasons in Saginaw before moving on to the 67’s. You then exploded offensively, scoring more than the last two seasons combined. What was the biggest factor to your point totals suddenly taking a giant leap?
JA: It was my third year in the league and I did what I needed to do to be successful.
SW: In the playoffs, you scored six goals in six games and finished with ten points. On a personal level, how important was it for you to come out big like you did during the season?
JA: On a personal level it was very important for me to come out and finish great. I wanted to make a lasting impression and what better time to do it but, in the playoffs in my draft year.
SW: How do you feel about your year as a whole, both the regular season and the playoffs?
JA: I felt I like had a good year but, could get better. There are somethings I need to do in order to push my game forward to the NHL level going forward.
SW: With your last season in Ottawa showcasing your ability to put up points, can we expect more scoring out of Jeremiah?
JA: Yes, but we will see what the future holds!
SW: In the 2015-16 season, what are some things you’ll be working on to improve your game?
JA: Continue to get bigger, stronger and faster.
SW: How has development camp been treating you? Is it what you expected or has it taken you somewhat by surprise?
JA: Camp has been treating me good. The Canadiens have been a first class organization and no, it hasn’t taken me by surprise so far.
SW: What are some things that the team has been teaching you this week, while off the ice, that fans don’t know about?
JA: Teaching me how to be a pro on and off the ice.
SW: If you could compare yourself to someone in terms of playing style, currently playing or retired, who would it be and why?
JA: Mike Richards as a role player, he plays hard at both ends of the ice. He wins all his battles. He took pride in the jersey he was wearing.
SW: We’ve seen a player like Ondrej Palat of the Tampa Bay Lightning go in the seventh round and become a top-line, contributing player. Where do you see yourself in five years from now?
JA: Hopefully you will see me doing the same thing in the Canadiens organizations.
You can follow Jeremiah Addison on Twitter (@addy1zero). We thank Addison once again for granting us the time to speak with him and we wish him the best of luck next season with the Ottawa 67’s, as well as his future with the Montreal Canadiens.
