By Mike Beasley /
The last time Ryan Spooner skated in a meaningful hockey game before noon hour he was 15-years-old playing Minor Midget AAA in Eastern Ontario.
Now 17-years-old and a member of the OHL Peterborough Petes, Spooner had a flashback to his minor hockey days earlier this month with a contest at 10:30 a.m. in his hometown, against the Ottawa 67s on ‘School Day’ at the Urbandale Centre.
Sure, there have been some informal skates with his teammates or a couple of summer shinny sessions since his days with the Ottawa Senators Midgets but never something with as much importance as an OHL regular season game.
“I remember playing those early morning games at minor hockey tournaments – I liked it because I was well rested and wide awake,” Spooner said.
Spooner must have had plenty of sleep prior to the Monday matinee because he was an offensive force for his team all game and scored a beautiful goal in a shootout to give the Petes the win.
The 5-10, 175-pound centre from Kanata, Ont. has been everything and more for the Petes organization ever since they made him their first pick (fifth overall) at the 2008 OHL Priority Selection.
As a 16-year-old Spooner had a fantastic rookie season with 30-28-58 points in 62 games becoming the youngest player and the first freshmen in the team’s 53-year history to hit the 30-goal plateau.
“Not many people talk about it but Ryan is the first Petes player to score 30 goals in his rookie season,” said Peterborough GM, Jeff Twohey.
“It’s quite an achievement considering all the great players that have come through our organization like Steve Yzerman, Jordan and Eric Staal.
“The fact is this kid can score, create offensive opportunities and has tons of talent. He sees the ice very well and has the ability to look off players before making his move.”
Yzerman had 21-43-64 points for the 1981/82 Petes in his first OHL season.
This season Spooner hasn’t missed a beat either leading the Petes in scoring after 18 games with 9-13-22 points putting him in Top 20 in OHL scoring.
“We know what Ryan can do offensively, it’s his commitment to defence that we are very pleased with,” Twohey explained.
“He wants to be more than just a scoring threat – he takes pride in being counted on for his defensive ability.”
All these components make Spooner a legitimate high-end NHL prospect.
Projected to possibly be a first or second round pick at the 2010 Amateur Entry Draft, Spooner knows what he has to do to keep his value up this season.
“I really want to help the team in any way possible I’ve been working hard on improving my faceoffs and defensive play.
“If I do well with those two things, the scoring chances will come because I’ve always been a strong offensive player. I’m trying to focus on the little things that are going to make me a complete hockey player.” |