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OHL Best Of Both Worlds CHL Network CHL on Rogers Sportsnet ADT Canada Russia Challenge Home Hardware Top Prospects MasterCard Memorial Cup Teams Barrie Colts Belleville Bulls Brampton Battalion Erie Otters Guelph Storm Kingston Frontenacs Kitchener Rangers London Knights Mississauga IceDogs Oshawa Generals Ottawa 67s Owen Sound Attack Peterborough Petes Plymouth Whalers Saginaw Spirit Sarnia Sting Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds Sudbury Wolves St Michaels Majors Windsor Spitfires Development Environment Education Home The OHL Environment Dan Snyder Memorial Award Right Wing Trio adds to NHLs Expanding Diversity John McGourty NHLcom Three right wings from Toronto two of them teenage friends are making an impact with NHL teams and beyond this season On the ice they have earned their share of shifts Plus as black players they are adding diversity to the NHL boosting the number of minority players in the League to 31 Additionally 17 minority players who have appeared on NHL rosters at one time currently are playing in the American Hockey League or ECHLThe players who hail from Toronto the Los Angeles Kings Wayne Simmonds the Colorado Avalanches Chris Stewart and the Nashville Predators Joel Ward are enjoying their first full seasons in the NHLWard played 11 games with the Minnesota Wild last season before signing as a free agent with Nashville during the summer Ward technically is not a rookie because he is 28 years old two years older than the limit to be eligible for the Calder Memorial Trophy that goes to the NHL rookie of the year In a goodnatured way Ward who made the nightly highlight reel with his sixth goal this season Jan 28 in the Predators 53 victory at Vancouver indicated he doesnt like that ruleI still have to do the rookie stuff and duties around here he said Stewart the younger brother of Florida Panthers forward Anthony Stewart and Simmonds both rookies grew up together in the Scarborough and Port Union sections of Toronto and played in the same youthhockey organizationAll three have interesting histories and one thing in common they all believed they had NHL talent even if in some cases others didntSimmonds determination is off the charts He played only two years of junior hockey and jumped straight to the NHL Last November Glenn Anderson said it was his fear of losing that made him such a clutch performer and a Hockey Hall of Famer For Simmonds it was a loathing of minorleague hockey that motivated him to keep after his NHL dreamMy parents Wanda and Cyril are honest hardworking saltoftheearth type people who instilled a strong work ethic in me while I was growing up Simmonds said I understood early that I would have to work for everything twice as hard as the next guy Theyre still on my back about how I have to work hardAfter finishin...