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Braden Falkingham Canfield | Hockey
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Whenever the Canfield High School hockey team scored a big goal in the 2014-15 season, chances are pretty good that Braden Falkingham was the player launching the shot.
The Cardinal senior played center, but says his sophomore wingers deserve credit for his success.
“They were the grinders, they got the puck to me,” Falkingham said. “They took a lot of hard hits and gave a lot of hard hits to get the puck.
“They’re not the biggest dudes, but they were willing to go into the corners and take a hit to get the puck.”
Former Youngstown SteelHound Chris Richards was Canfield’s coach this season.
“It was an honor to play for a guy with so much experience,” Falkingham said of the former Ohio State and professional hockey player.
A native of Canada, Falkingham learned to skate at a very early age.
“I put on skates before I could walk, but I don’t have any memories of it,” he said.
He first played hockey when he was 4.
Falkingham’s family moved to Ohio from Ontario when he was an eighth grader.
“It was really hard changing countries,” Falkingham said of playing with the Youngstown Phantoms’ youth hockey program. “Hockey is what got me making friends. You meet a lot of people right off the bat.”
Falkingham calls his parents’ (Kevin and Lori) support “amazing. My whole career, they got me top gear. Price doesn’t matter so I can pursue my dream of playing hockey.”
One of his influences is his dad, who was a goalie in an adult recreation league.
His favorite NHL team is the Pittsburgh Penguins. What’s surprising is his love of the Pens and Sidney Crosby began when he lived about three hours north of Toronto.
“A lot of people thought I was weird,” Falkingham said of growing up surrounded by Toronto Maple Leafs fans. “They wondered why I didn’t like the Leafs, but I wondered why they didn’t like the Pens.”
In the fall, Falkingham will enroll at Youngstown State University to major in business. The Penguins’ club team, which has been dormant for several seasons, is being revived.
“They haven’t had a team for a few years; it kind of just disintegrated,” Falkingham said, adding that 30 games already have been scheduled. “It’s going to be fun.”