It's pretty rare for an OHL player to play their entire career for the same team, never mind their hometown.
Jake Karabela knows how lucky he was to have been able to do that.
The Guelph native, along with fellow overagers Max Namestnikov and Ryan McGuire, wrapped up his OHL career Sunday at the Sleeman Centre as the Storm downed the Kitchener Rangers 2-0 in front of 4,950 at the Sleeman Centre.
"I don't think it really hit me until after the game, shaking all the boys' hands," Karabela said after the win. "But that's part of it. Now i'm looking forward to the (year-end) banquet and what's to come after."
"I don't think it's really hit me yet, it probably will the next couple of days or so. Right now it's just enjoy the moment and enjoy the night."
Karabela, whose 16-year-old rookie season was stolen by COVID, played 262 games in a Storm jersey, scoring 72 goals and adding 107 assists.
The Guelph Minor Hockey product was able to play four years sleeping in his own bed in the house he grew up in.
"Yeah it's pretty surreal. I got to spend some time with mom and dad a little bit more and that was special."
Karabela said he's grown as a person as well as a player.
"I think when you look at me as a 16 or 17 year old you maybe come in a little bit immature and joking around and not taking things as serious. Now at 20 years old I still get up to the same shenanigans but I think there's a more mature approach to certain things."
His hockey journey doesn't end there. He'll be attending Ohio State University on a hockey scholarship, thanks to the new rules allowing OHLers to play NCAA hockey on scholarship.
"I'm pretty excited to go down there and check it out," said Karabela, who hasn't been able to visit Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio, yet.
"Once the rules changed, teams started reaching out and me and my dad decided we wanted to go to a Big 10 school or a Hockey East school and we were fortunate enough to get one in the Big 10.
Sunday's season-ender saw Colin Ellsworth make 26 saves for his first OHL shutout against a Rangers team firmly entrenched in third place in the standings. As a result they sat out nine top players in the regular-season finale.
A bit of a snoozer until the third period, Guelph got goals from Quinn Beauchesne and Lev Katzin in that final frame to secure the win.
Next up for the Storm is the OHL draft on April 11. Guelph will pick anywhere from first to fourth overall in the draft, a position to be determined by a draft lottery held the Wednesday prior to the draft. They have a 30 per cent chance of getting the first overall pick.