North Bay Battalion Captain Mike Amadio is looking to move on up in his hockey career.
The Sault Ste. Marie native finished this past season in the American Hockey League with the Ontario Reign.
Amadio says he’ll have a chance to get to their NHL affiliate club, the LA Kings, out of training camp. Amadio says he thinks the Kings are happy with how he has developed since being drafted. He says if he keeps on that track he should be fine.
Amadio was drafted by Los Angeles in the third round, 90th overall, in the 2014 NHL draft. Since then he has compiled 74 goals and 169 points in two years in North Bay.
On top of finishing this year as the only player in franchise history to score 50 goals in a season, Amadio also scored five points in the AHL. One of those was an overtime winner for the Reign.
Amadio says it was a good learning experience and the small taste of pro-hockey gave him something to look forward to for the upcoming season.  He adds he had a lot of fun and he’s happy to be a part of that franchise.
The Reign, located in Ontario California, was swept in the Calder Cup Western Conference Finals by the Lake Erie Monsters. Amadio says to exit in that fashion was tough, but the experience was invaluable.
He says it’s a lot of hard work to get to that point and he says he’s realizing what it takes to stay at that competitive level. Amadio says he just hopes to get better every day, and that means a lot of gym time and ice time in the summer.
Amadio says he’s looking to his former line-mate, Nick Paul, for some advice on how to get even further ahead.
Paul started this past season with the Binghamton Senators of the AHL and ended the year with the Ottawa Senators.
Amadio says it’s been inspiring to watch Pauls career. He says it was nice to see Paul move up to the big league ranks and Amadio says he hopes to join him up there very soon.
Amadio, Paul and several other Battalion players were in town last week for the Battalion Golf for Kids Charity tournament. The event raised over $45,000 for One Kids Place.
Amadio says it’s a great partnership between One Kids Place and the Battalion. He says it’s always nice to give back, especially to One Kids Place who do so much for children in the community.
