Sunday, January 20, 2013
Cory Conacher's NHL Debut-2013
Cory
Conacher played his first National Hockey League game last Saturday night. He
scored one goal as the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Washington Capitals
6-3. Just sixteen months ago, he was invited to attend the Lightning’s training
camp as an undrafted player. Since that time, he has seized the opportunity,
and has blossomed as a hockey player.
Conacher
player in the Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League in 2006-2007 for
Orangeville, amassing 62 points in 48
games. He caught the attention of the hockey people at Canisius College, where
he spent the next four seasons. His statistics improved year after year, and
Coach Dave Smith took the opportunity to contact his good friend Pat Verbeek
about Conacher.
Conacher is
listed in most media guides at 5’ 8”. As
I am sure you well know, for many years smaller players have virtually been
ignored by scouts. To his good fortune, Verbeek is a good judge of talent, and
he is also well under six feet.
Following
his stellar career at Canisius, Conacher, a distant relative of the famed
Conacher family, was invited to the Lightning camp. He relished the opportunity
to play at the highest level, with the
best players. Naturally, he was compared to another star, Martin St. Louis.
Following
one of the training camp sessions in Fort Myers, he chuckled at the comparison.
“I always hear that. But you have to understand that Marty is a star in this
league, and I am just starting out. So it’s good for me to see a player like
that, of that size, to use as a model. I consider the comparison as a real
compliment. I work hard because I see what he’s done. He has made is easier for
guys like me to be considered.”
Cory told me
that he had attended Frontenac School in Burlington, Ontario. He paid a
compliment to one of his teachers there. “Her name is Madame Laferiere, and,
well, put it this way, she kept me honest!” He also tipped his hat to one of
his high school teachers, Bob Stacey, a physical education teacher at Nelson
High School.
He credited
his teammates from the past year in Norfolk for his outstanding rookie year in
the American Hockey League. He had moved from the college ranks to the American
League quite smoothly. He won the “Red” Garrett Award as the Rookie of the
Year, the Les Cunningham Award as the league’s Most Valuable Player, and helped
the team capture the Calder Cup.
“Tyler
Johnson, P. C. Labrie, and Trevor Smith were great teammates. They gave me tips
and pointers throughout the year”.
I spoke with
Coach Guy Boucher after the third day of workouts at the Germaine Arena.
Boucher is a good friend of Doug Orr, a former favourite of Dukes’ hockey fans.
I told Boucher I used to announce Doug’s goals as scored by “Number 14 on your
score sheet, number one in our hearts.” He seemed to appreciate the levity.
Boucher
talked about the job at hand. He had holes to fill in a one week camp, with no
exhibition games. He paid tribute to GM Steve Yzerman for the acquisitions made
in the off season, particularly in goal and on defence. When I asked him about
Conacher’s chances to make the squad, he gave me one of those “excuse me, but
we are not there yet” looks. Thankfully, he was not offended by my nerve.
Before the
game, Conacher was quoted as saying, “I’d rather get the two points for the
team, than get my first goal”. As noted, both goals were accomplished.
His cousin
Dale extended his holiday in Florida to catch the first game. He’s likely
sharing that event with his pals in Burlington today.
James Hurst
January 21,
2013
# posted by James Hurst @ 3:51 PM 
