Flores staying hopeful, humble during journey through junior hockey

Owen Flores grew up in Antioch, Illinois, next to the Wisconsin border but not close to year-round hockey rinks. He found the sport easy to love. The logistics were another matter. The nearest youth hockey programs were in Palatine or Vernon Hills, around 30 minutes from home -- on a good day.

Flores moved away from Antioch at age 17 to play for the London Knights, one of the most storied junior programs in North America. Around the time of his Ontario Hockey League debut during the 2021-22 season, Flores began a tradition that he continues to this day. Before every game, he writes the same message on the tape of his goaltending stick.

Be hopeful. Be humble.

These days, the simple, powerful mantra is yielding impressive results.

Flores, a 20-year-old playing for Niagara, is enjoying the best season of his junior career. Even before the end of November, he has reached his previous high for wins in a season (10) and had a career-best .901 save percentage.

One year after finishing with the OHL's worst record, the IceDogs (13-7-0-0) are fourth in the Eastern Conference. They play at home against the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds on Thursday.

"I had a huge summer with goalie coaches back at home and training," Flores said. "Coming into this year with an open mind, we made some adjustments to the team. It's a great environment with everybody here."

Flores credits Illinois-based goaltending coach Tony Martino, an amateur scout with the Toronto Maple Leafs for seven years before he joined the Winnipeg Jets on July 24, 2022, as a key influence in his development. His first and most enduring hockey coaches are even closer to him: his father, Art, and uncle, Eleazar.

Art was also a goalie. Eleazar was a forward.

"I started out as a player, then when they started picking out who wants to be a goalie, I was the first one to raise their hand," Flores said. "I remember when I was little, my dad would put pillows on my legs and wrap it. Ever since then, I fell in love with being a goalie."

Art and Eleazar had season tickets to the Chicago Blackhawks, which helped Owen develop an even deeper connection to the game. Their seats were in one of the corners with a great view of the goalies.

Owen loved watching Miikka Kiprusoff, Jonathan Quick and Corey Crawford, who helped the Chicago Blackhawks to Stanley Cup championships in 2013 and 2015.

"I was always fascinated with the way the goalies moved," Flores said.

Flores speaks with deep appreciation for the sacrifices his parents have made to sustain his hockey dreams. His mother, Margaret, works as the bookkeeper at a construction company.

Art, the son of Mexican immigrants, is a retired officer from the Antioch Police Department. Owen remembers watching his dad play in annual hockey games between the Antioch police and fire departments.

"Without them, I probably wouldn't be playing on this team or be in the OHL," Flores said. "The things they've done, the late nights my dad has worked to the early mornings, he's taken me to practice, to different goalie camps. The same thing with my uncle. The same thing with my mom.

"Getting me to practice, different places, the traveling, the whole thing. I'm really thankful for what they've done for me."

Flores' network of fans includes extended family members living in Mexico. His relatives have visited the United States and watched him play, and he hopes to travel to Mexico one day. The dream of playing in the NHL remains realistic after he attended development camps with the Detroit Red Wings (2022) and Pittsburgh Penguins (2023), and Nashville Predators training camp in '23.

"If you really want to make it somewhere, then as long as you do what you need to do, put in the work, anything's possible," Flores said.

He also remembers a baseball player with the same last name -- Bernardo Flores Jr. -- pitching for his favorite team, the Chicago White Sox, in 2020.

"I looked at him and was like, 'That's pretty cool,'" Flores said. "I was like, 'I really wish that would be me one day, being able to see a pro shirt or pro jersey with my last name on it.'"

Flores already understands that the path to success in pro sports isn't straightforward. As a teenager, he approached the first major decision of his career: the Canadian Hockey League vs. college hockey. The Flores family had been considering the United States Hockey League as his path to college hockey, but Owen was attracted to the possibility of playing for the two-time Memorial Cup champions in London.

"I was looking at some schools, here and there, and I just wanted the quickest route to pro hockey," Flores said. "The main goal was to play in the NHL one day, or play pro, so that was one of the big influences. I looked at the timeline and development and thought that the OHL was the best development and quickest route to the NHL."

Trades are part of the OHL landscape, and Flores experienced that when he was dealt to Niagara for two draft picks just prior to his second season in the league. He experienced turnover upon arriving in Niagara, when the IceDogs cycled through three head coaches in a little more than one calendar year.

This season has brought stability with coach Ben Boudreau and Winnipeg Jets forward prospect Kevin He's 17 goals ranking third in the OHL. The standout goalie has backstopped the revival thanks to his improved footwork from all of those summer sessions with Martino.

Flores is thriving, guided by the philosophy he loves to repeat, "Everything is earned. Nothing is given."