Sep 19, 2008 - 04:30 AM
By Shawn Cayley
Daryl Borden is back.
But for how long remains to be seen.
The 19-year-old Brantford native who in the summer left the Oshawa Generals to pursue a career in law enforcement, surprisingly returned to the fold this week.
Over the summer Borden, who was expected to be the club's No. 1 goaltender this season, indicated he was done with OHL hockey, and was instead preparing to take the next step in his life at Mohawk College, hopeful of becoming a police officer.
But because of a slight colour blindness, Borden was unable to get into his program of choice, he said.
So back to Oshawa he came.
"I found out that I might not be able to do what I wanted to do, what I wanted to go to school for," said Borden in explaining his reasoning for a return. "That weighed in on my mind. I figured why not come back for another year and see what happens. You never know. It will also give me time to figure out what I want to do."
That comment, to me, is a curious one.
While Borden is more than capable of providing the Generals with the goaltending necessary to compete this season, and who knows, a great year could even open up some doors in terms of playing hockey beyond the OHL, a comment like that forces one to wonder where his head is at.
He insists he only left over the summer to embark on a career change, adding that he's happy to be back and ready to play. Although I'll admit I don't know Daryl Borden the person any more than I know the guy beside him in that Generals locker room, I have to wonder whether that is indeed the case.
And I have a suspicion the Generals are wondering exactly the same thing after it seemed Borden had moved on and his heart was elsewhere.
Why else would the club keep around overage goalie Neil Conway, who will start tonight in Sudbury, if they were sure about Borden's commitment level? Surely they could have tossed rookie Kevin Bailie to the Wolves (pun intended) tonight, have Borden back him up and send Conway packing if they were confident in Borden. After tonight's game the club will enjoy an entire week off, giving Borden ample time to prepare.
But head coach and general manager Chris DePiero says he'll carry all three goalies and "let things play out over the next little while."
How that plays out is anyone's guess, but I wouldn't count out a Borden trade as a possible solution, while Conway and Bailie, two guys who were here from the start, get their shot.
Of course I am sure the club would prefer a focused and committed Borden, but it's hard to say if they'll get that.
Shawn Cayley's column appears every third Friday. E-mail him at scayley@durhamregion.com.
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