Sophomore center Mason Castonguay is leading the OPRF JV Team as it pushes through the 13-team IHSHL West. The Huskies sit in third place with a 13-5 record and are 31-8-2 overall, which included an appearance in the finals of the prestigious O’Grady Thanksgiving Hockey Tournament, hosted by Loyola Academy.
Castonguay has 16 goals and 10 assists in 17 league games for 26 points this season – all tops on the team.
“I’m a big playmaker; I love winning a border battle and looking for a cross-crease pass or an open corner,” said Castonguay, 15, who lives in Oak Park and is poised for back-to-back all-star seasons. “I love watching (NHL star Connor) McDavid play; I like how he can make a move around a defender and find an open player to pass to.”
In 46 games this season, Castonguay has 41 goals and 25 assists for 66 points – team-leading in all categories. He already has 3 hat tricks, 4 powerplay goals and 6 shorthanded goals.
His goal is a 100-point season.
“Mason is a relentless competitor with elusive speed,” said OPRF hockey director and varsity head coach Mike Murphy. “He has an extra gear that opponents can’t keep up with, and he has a way of avoiding over-aggressive defenders while finding small areas to shoot from.
“His shot is compact, quick and accurate. He is an electric offensive player who can score from anywhere at any time. He is very difficult to keep off the puck. He is the player you don’t want to see on the other team in a big game, and he keeps getting better.”
Castonguay’s long-term goal is to play at the junior hockey level and nothing looks to stop him – including diabetes, which he was diagnosed with at age 2, thus, he often has to give himself insulin or eat sugar to keep his blood sugar in check. He may drink apple juice to get some sugar or add insulin if his blood sugar is high.
“Diabetes has rarely affected me during games; I work hard to keep my body healthy and my diabetes under control so my blood sugar is almost never out of control during games, so this allows me to not be held back by my diabetes,” he said. “I was diagnosed at such a young age that my love for the game and journey playing hockey has always been the same and hasn’t been affected by diabetes.”
Castonguay has, at times, eaten a bag of candy minutes before a game to control his health which, he admits, draws some “weird glances” from teammates early in the season when they don’t know why.
“Everyone can be good at something; some of us just have to put in more work and take a harder path to get to the same spot. But it pays off,” Castonguay said. “My teammates are always looking out for me, whether that’s scratched or injured players holding candy or insulin (for me), or teammates just asking if my numbers are in check.”
Slapshots With ... OPRF JV Center Mason Castonguay
Jersey Number: 15
Youth Hockey: Played for the Oak Park Ice Bears and Chicago Stallions
Off The Ice: “I love to hang out with my friends, watch hockey with my dad and doing whatever I can to help me on the ice.”
Hobbies: “I love spending time with loved ones and friends, and if I’m not playing hockey on the weekends, I try to go skiing in the winter.”
Favorite NHL Team: Chicago Blackhawks
Favorite NHL Player: Patrick Kane
Favorite Sports-themed Movie: Miracle on Ice
Favorite TV Show: Money Heist
Favorite Pre-game Meal: “Nothing … I almost never eat within a couple of hours before games.”
Favorite app: Instagram
Celebrity You’d Like To Meet: Patrick Kane
Best High School Uniform (other than OPRF): Saint Ignatius road jerseys