HENSALL – The Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League (SOJHL) is not a vast pond, but last season Aaron Bedard was one of the largest fish in it.

The Hensall native was Yeck Conference MVP, a year-end conference all-star, and shared the conference goaltending award as a member of the North Middlesex Stars.

He was also the league's top-rated goaltender during the regular season, posting a 2.54 goals against average, a .915 save percentage, and 23 wins in 28 games.

The fact the Exeter Hawks signed him away from North Middlesex this offseason was not a small thing.

It was the kind of catch you might ask a taxidermist to preserve, and a move that could help Exeter contend for a league title this season, as they did last year.

Bedard said in an interview the goal for this year's Hawks is to improve on last season.

"How do you do better than a Game 7 loss (in the league finals)?" he said. "You've got to win. I think once we get everyone on board for the main goal we're going to have a great year."

Though he's a veteran who won a league title with North Middlesex in 2009, Bedard said he hasn't thought much about whether he'll try to take a leadership role with the Hawks.

"The vets are always looked upon to lead, I guess," he added. "We're going to have ups and downs throughout the year, and that's when we're going to be called upon to be leaders."

Bedard said there's a fair bit of talent in the Hawks training camp this year, adding there are "some good rookies coming up and some great vets from last year.
"If we can combine the two together, I think we should be right there again, hopefully," he said.

A first-year Fanshawe College student in police foundations, Bedard said he'll  be back and forth between Hensall and London this year, adding that playing in Exeter suits his current situation better.

"That way I don't have to drive all over the counties just to play hockey," he said. "I can just drive home and it's right there, so that's pretty much it."

He also listed the Hawks' desire to win as a reason he signed.

"When I was talking to them up front, their goal is to win, simple as that," he said.

"Right now you can't really say ... we haven't played games. But I think everyone who is returning all has that same kind of goal in mind, that a championship is the only thing acceptable."