A childhood dream for many Canadian born hockey players is to one day play for your ‘hometown team’.  Whether that team is a major junior team in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) or one of the Canadian teams in the ECHL, American Hockey League, or NHL, many Canadian kids share that dream.  After being drafted by the Medicine Hat Tigers at the age of 15 in the Western Hockey League Bantam Draft, Didsbury, Alberta native, Bretton Cameron, worked diligently for that opportunity.

The next season, Cameron played in the Alberta Junior Hockey League for a Junior A club in Drumheller, only an hour away from his hometown.  “It was definitely easy for my parents to come and watch me play.  When I was 17, we had a really good team [in Medicine Hat] so I got to join the team after my playoffs ended with Drumheller. I played the last two regular season games and the team ended up going all the way to the Memorial Cup.  I didn’t play, but I sure gained a lot of experience from that.”

Cameron’s dream of playing for a WHL team came true when he started his first of three seasons with Medicine Hat in 2007-08.  “I grew up watching the [Calgary] Hitmen, the [Red Deer] Rebels, and the [Medicine Hat] Tigers. I thought that was the coolest thing ever so I wanted to play in the WHL all along.”

From an early age, it was instilled in his mind that he would play in the WHL.  “The NCAA route was something I never really had in mind.  My uncle played in the WHL and went on to play pro after that, so in my mind, Medicine Hat was the place I wanted to be after I got drafted there.”

Growing up in Alberta and playing three junior seasons only three and a half hours away from home, is something Cameron will cherish for the rest of his life.

“Medicine Hat was a great little city to be in and hockey is the talk of the town there. We had competitive teams all three years. I think we posted 40 wins all three years so it’s an established franchise and it was a huge honour to play there.”

It was during his junior career when Cameron realized that not all players are put on the ice to do the same job.  A winning hockey team requires different players, playing various roles and knowing how to perform that role well.  Cameron grew up assuming a goal-scoring role on all of his minor hockey teams.  “Growing up I always wanted to score; I wanted to be the scorer.  But as you get older you learn pretty quickly if you want to make the jump to junior, you have to play a different role before you get to be a top line guy.”

The adjustment came in his rookie WHL season.  “I learned in junior that if you want to be in the lineup every night you have to learn to adapt.  When you are on that third or fourth line you have to be that character guy who is finishing checks, sticking up for guys, and leading by example.”

Cameron’s head coach in Medicine Hat was Willie Desjardins who he credits, along with the rest of the coaching staff, for being key contributors toward his development.  “I learned a lot while in Medicine Hat from Willie Desjardins (current head coach of the Vancouver Canucks).  He and the rest of the coaching staff were pretty much all former pro players so I was able to learn a lot from them.”

After his three seasons in the WHL concluded, Cameron, who was 20 at the time, was invited to the Chicago Blackhawks Development Camp after they won the Stanley Cup in 2010.  “It was a great experience and I ended up having a pretty solid camp.  I definitely learned a lot with the regulars on the team being there, as well as other young guys.”

Taking what he had learned from the Blackhawks Development Camp, Cameron then attended the Hartford Wolf Pack’s main camp, before signing with Stockton of the ECHL.  “I ended up being one of the later cuts, close to the beginning of the season [from Hartford’s main camp].  It is definitely a jump from junior to pro.  Physically guys are more developed and in Hartford there were a lot of guys that had NHL experience, so to learn from them was great.”

Part of what Cameron has learned from attending NHL and AHL camps is the importance of preparing his body and mind off the ice.  “Playing professionally is different than playing in junior or college because there you have classes, homework and other things going on. When you play pro, you wake up in the morning and you focus on eating the right things before you head to the rink.  Then you focus on getting a proper workout in before practice.”

He realized quickly that being a professional means being focused and prepared every day.  “Whether it is a 45-minute skate or an hour and a half skate you have to be ready to perform at a high level.  When your coaches see that you have come to the rink prepared it makes them happy and when they’re happy, practices seem to be a little quicker.”

After a season and a half with the Stockton Thunder and a couple of games in the AHL, Cameron was traded from Stockton to Greenville in 2011-12.  The following season Cameron was called up to the Texas Stars of the AHL and again he found himself adapting and finding his role on a new team, in a new league.

“I learned the same type of lesson when I was scoring in the ECHL and got called up to Texas.  Like making the jump to junior, I didn’t get put on one of the top two lines, I played bottom six and had to play a checking role. But I embraced it. I enjoyed it.”

After 21 games with Texas where he recorded a goal and four assists, Cameron was returned to Greenville and played the entire following season with the team.

When asked about the city of Greenville, Cameron had nothing but praise for the place he currently calls home.  “It’s great. I think it is one of the top places in terms of a small-town feel and everyone is really friendly here. It reminds me of back home a little bit and I can’t complain about the weather by any means either.”

The 2014-15 season marked Cameron’s third season with the team.  That season became extra special as he was named team captain.  A special honour in the hockey community, Cameron described what he feels a good captain should embody.

“First and foremost, you definitely need to lead by example.  You have to practice what you preach.  You have to carry yourself to a standard that you want to see everybody else to, as well as to the standard the organization expects you to.  I try to be versatile when it comes to working with guys as well.”

One thing that has made Cameron an effective leader is the fact that he does not see himself as a leader above his teammates.  He realizes the importance of having a solid leadership group, as opposed to one leader.  “You can’t do it all as a one-man-show.“ 

Having played with a number of great players at different levels throughout his career has offered Cameron an opportunity to become a sponge of knowledge.  “I have learned from many captains over the years.  I tried to learn from what they do well and also what they could have done better.  No one is perfect and I am definitely learning every day.  I think if you’re not trying to learn every day then you’re getting complacent, and when that happens guys will get ahead of you.”

The captain takes pride in wanting to lead and learn every day, which made Cameron decide to become a PHPA Player Representative in 2013.  He wanted to learn about the off-ice issues that surround the game he loves. 

“Going to my first PHPA Annual Meeting of Player Representatives, I didn’t know what to expect, but I wanted to learn more about the issues the PHPA encounters as our player association.  I learned that as players we are very privileged to be represented by the PHPA.  There are no other player associations representing minor league players in any of the other major sports.”

Cameron added his thoughts about the PHPA staff and their commitment to players’ rights after attending the PHPA Annual Meeting this past summer.  “You can tell that the PHPA staff and team of advisors are always working to enhance the situation that we have and the quality of life for us.  I learned a lot about some of the small things that even as players we don’t take into consideration which made for a great experience.”

As Greenville’s Player Rep he is in contact with PHPA staff on a regular basis throughout the season.  “Every time we call, the PHPA is right on it and they want to figure out solutions as quick as they can for us.  You can tell that they are emotionally involved as well, which is what you want.  They truly care about us players and our well being.”

Cameron is enjoying his time in Greenville where he has solidified his role on the team and become a player that is looked up to as a leader.  He is a constant student of the game on and off the ice, and is a consummate professional that can be easily identified as one of the hardest workers in the room (or on the ice).

Follow Brendan Connolly on Twitter @BConnolly_