The Bobcats’ success after their shutouts against Pittsburgh last weekend is bittersweet for freshman center James Howard, who said it’s hard to be away from home while his son celebrates his first birthday Tuesday.
Howard’s decision to pursue his hockey ambitions places a strain on him because of the time he spends away from his son, who he sees once a month. But he hopes his choice will lead to a better future for his family.
“It’s heartbreaking to have to miss his birthday. But I get to see him on Dad's Weekend, which will be great,” Howard said. “Being away allows me to solidify a future not only for myself, but also for my son.”
Howard fostered his love for hockey while playing street hockey with his neighbors in Shirley, N.Y., where he was born and raised. Howard said that when growing up, the defensive side of the game never interested him as much as scoring did.
His father, Scott, played hockey at Ohio from 1975-1978, but did not push the sport or playing at his alma mater on his son. Howard took both on by himself.
“Honestly, defenseman was never an option for me — I always wanted to score goals. It’s the only time my dad’s influence came in because he was a forward too when he played,” Howard said.
Howard’s mother, Anita Howard, had been working at the World Trade Center just hours before the terrorist attacks of 9/11 decimated the building and rocked the nation.
“I can’t even describe how insane it was — it made me see the world differently to see all of that happening around me,” Howard said. “I think for everyone it was a real eye-opener.”
Family matters contributed to the family’s move from Shirley to Canfield, Ohio in 2004. While growing up in Canfield, James played for the youth travel team the Cleveland Barons, on the Triple-A level.
After graduating from Canfield High School, Howard moved to Frisco, Texas to play junior hockey for the Texas Tornado. When Howard ended his stint with the team, he was one of the program’s most prolific scorers, scoring more than 100 points in only two years.
“One of the biggest influences on my life was my juniors coach, Tony Curcale. I thought he had more to offer than the typical hockey coach — he was always there for us and taught a lot of life lessons that I’ll never forget,” Howard said.
One of the most important lessons that Howard learned from Curcale was the importance of being consistent and hard-working in everything that he did, be it on or off the ice.
“I feel like everything you handle in life has to be done consistently,” Howard said. “I can’t expect to work hard on the ice and not have to work just as hard in school. It carries weight in both directions.”
James adds additional offensive skill sets and physicality to an already-potent offensive squad. Assistant coach Michael Callan says that Howard’s creativity has the potential to make him a consistent playmaker for the team.
“Howard has a creative mind, and he’s a good playmaker,” Callan said. “We’re looking to him to set up plays and score when he can.”
Ohio coach Dan Morris, echoes Callan’s praise.
“As a player, he’s very skilled offensively and a nice addition to the team,” Morris said.
jd202409@ohiou.edu
