Springwater’s Robert McLaughlin off to a hot start with Davenport University
SPRINGWATER, Ontario — The small community of Springwater has seen its fair share of gifted athletes over the years, but perhaps the one that has shown the most promise is Robert McLaughlin.
McLaughlin was born and raised in the Springwater area, playing for the North Central Predators U18 AAA squad and taking over at the high school level for Elmvale District Secondary School.
Following his tenure in the ETAHL, he then played for the Pacific Junior Hockey League’s Penetang Kings from 2017-2019, accumulating eight goals and 19 assists over two seasons with the club.
From there, McLaughlin carried this momentum into the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League from 2019-2021. He reeled in eight goals and 14 assists in just two seasons with the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners before getting called up to the ACHA’s Davenport University.
What he’s already been able to accomplish in just his first year with Davenport University is what’s truly astounding. The freshman winger currently sits 7th on the team in terms of points scored with 16 points total in just as many games played (nine goals, seven assists).
These points include a hat-trick performance against Stony Brook on Oct. 9, as well as multi-point outings on Oct 29 versus Oakland University and Eastern Michigan University on Nov. 5 and 6.
That being said, McLaughlin isn’t the only fresh face for Davenport University, as the club has seen a vast amount of change in other areas as well. Not the least of which includes the Panther’s new bench boss, Jeremy Barber. With the former Davenport All-American recently taking over the program, he indicated how he’s more motivated than ever coaching for Davenport.
“It is with great pleasure and excitement to further support my alma mater, first through board leadership and philanthropic endeavors, and now as head coach of the ACHA Division I men’s hockey team,” Barber said. “It is my passion and goal to provide leadership, growth and opportunity to our youth, and I seek to continue that pursuit with the men’s hockey program.”
Undoubtedly, Coach Barber’s familiarity with the program and burning desire to shift the culture in Davenport has made a big impact with the young group of players.
This was reiterated in a statement by Ryan McCosky, the university’s director of non-varsity sports and programming.
“Jeremy’s passion for the program was evident in the interview process,” McCosky said.” We wanted someone to bring new energy to the program without losing sight of our hockey tradition of the past. Jeremy, being a former DU captain under Paul Lowden, checked those boxes. Jeremy’s values and respect for the game align with what we want in the next leader of our ACHA DI program.”
Regardless of Coach Barber’s freshly minted status with the Panthers, there’s no denying that Springwater’s McLaughlin has played a large role in Davenport’s incredible run in 2021. The team currently sits at 11-7 and is the 8th-highest scoring squad in the entire ACHA.
The Panthers now prepare to cap off the regular season in the coming weeks before gearing up for another deep run in the ACHA National Championships this upcoming March, an event which Robert McLoughlin will no doubt play a vital role in.
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