Seth Griffith: From Lacrosse Phenom to NHL Prospect
Seth Griffith of the London Knights - Photo copyright Aaron Bell/OHL Images
Before he was lighting the lamp with a puck in the OHL with the London Knights, Wallaceburg’s Seth Griffith was using a ball and a lacrosse stick to terrorize goaltenders across the country. According to Seth Griffith, it’s a question he gets asked a lot, “why hockey?”
For a time, Griffith was considered one of the best, if not the top lacrosse prospect in Ontario and Canada. According to Griffith however, the choice to pursue his hockey dreams, instead of continuing with lacrosse, was an easy one,
“Hockey has always been my favourite sports,” said Griffith. “Everybody asks why I chose hockey. Growing up I loved the game of hockey. I loved lacrosse too, but when it came to choosing, hockey was always my first choice.”
Griffith, who won a provincial championship while in the Wallaceburg Minor Lacrosse system, also competed at the Canadian Championships as Team Captain for Team Ontario. While many parents and coaches across Canada swear that to be the best, you need to focus on only one sport, Griffith found lessons in playing lacrosse that he has transferred to the ice, which in fact, according to Griffith, have made him a better hockey player,
“Playing lacrosse really helped my stick skills and vision on the ice. In lacrosse, you’re constantly looking around and moving the ball so it definitely helped with vision and stick skills. As well, it has helped me with the physical side of rolling off checks.”
Standing in Wallaceburg Memorial Arena during a Wallaceburg Minor Lacrosse game, you’re bound to hear talk of Seth Griffith’s lacrosse talents. His ability to play lacrosse at the professional level was not doubted by any coach or scout in North America, but for Seth, it came down to choosing his true passion and pursuing his dream of playing in the National Hockey League.
When asked about whether or not he’d ever return to playing lacrosse if a professional hockey career didn’t work out, Griffith said it wasn’t something he’d even considered, but that lacrosse is still a game he loves,
“I haven’t really thought about that,” said Griffith, “I’ve just wanted to make the NHL so bad I haven’t even considered it. I guess it would be an option and lacrosse is such a fun sport I’d definitely like to play lacrosse again. For now though, my focus is 100% on making it to the NHL.”