RYAN PENNY DEVELOPS FOR CATS
Ryan Penny is starting to develop into the type of player the Moncton Wildcats envisioned when they selected him in the fourth round of the 2010 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League draft.
“We’ve given Ryan a chance the last few games to play a higher profile role,” said Wildcats head coach and director of hockey operations Danny Flynn. “He’s stepped onto the second line with Patrick Delisle-Houde and Scott Trask and they’ve assumed the role of a shutdown defensive line.
“I think Ryan has really grabbed hold of that. He’s barely 17 years old, but I think as your confidence grows your game grows and right now he’s gaining confidence game by game.”
Penny, 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, is a sophomore centre who’s now playing the best hockey of his QMJHL career. He’s scored twice in the past three games and he’s playing on a line that’s done a superb job defensively.
“It’s a good feeling to know the coach has confidence in me,” he said. “He wants our line to play more of a defensive role. I’m playing with two really good veterans and I’m learning from them. I feel fortunate to be getting this opportunity.
“A lot of things are going well right now and I’ve just have to build on that. I put up points when I was in midget AAA, but my game was more power forward and defensive hockey so I’m comfortable in the role I have now.”
Moncton, 18-19-3-1, is fourth in the Maritime Division. It will face the Gatineau Olympiques tonight at 7 p.m. at the Moncton Coliseum.
Penny has six points, including five goals, in 32 games this season. He was one of two 16-year-olds on the club last season when he posted rookie totals of one goal and five points in 44 games.
The native of Fall River, N.S. — near Dartmouth — knows that he would’ve gotten more ice time last season if he had returned to midget AAA.
“I still think it was the best thing for my development to play major junior last season as a 16-year-old,” he said. “I learned a lot and I think I’m seeing the benefits right now.
“I learned about the league and saw what it takes to play at this level. I knew what I needed to work on to get ready for this season. I knew that I needed to shoot the puck more, have more confidence with the puck and not always look for the pass. I realized that if I play well defensively the offence will come.”
Moncton has had its share of ups and downs this season. It has earned points in the past three games with a 1-0-1-1 run.
This comes immediately after the Wildcats suffered through an eight-game losing streak, their biggest slump since a 10-game losing streak in 2000-01. They were missing numerous key players during that stretch, something that gave Penny an opportunity to be promoted to the second line.
“We hope that he blossoms into a good two-way centre that’s responsible defensively, but also can generate some offence,” said Flynn. “For a 17-year-old, he has good size and good skill and he’s taking some steps as a player so that’s really encouraging to see.
“It’s hard to score in this league at ages 16 and 17 because you’re up against guys who are two and three years old. There’s an experience and strength factor. There’s an ice time component. (Penny) has been given an opportunity to play on the second line and he’s making the most of it.”
Moncton acquired defenceman Braden Wood, 17, from the Drummondville Voltigeurs yesterday in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the 2013 QMJHL draft. He was a third-round draft pick of the Lewiston MAINEiacs and played a handful of games for them last season.
Wood played for Fredericton last season and was named Defenceman of the Year in the New Brunswick/P.E.I. Major Midget Hockey League. He’s been playing for Woodstock this season in the Maritime Junior Hockey League.
Wood will stay with the Wildcats for the remainder of this season and could make his debut with the club tonight.
“I’ve watched him the last couple of years,” said Flynn. “He’s a smart puck-moving defenceman with good skill. He’s a little under sized, but I think with time and strength gains he’ll be effective in this league.”
The Quebec Remparts traded defenceman Brendan Duke, 17, and a first-round pick in the 2012 QMJHL draft to the Halifax Mooseheads yesterday. Quebec acquired forward Gabriel Desjardins, 19, and two second-round picks in the 2012 QMJHL draft.
The Cape Breton Screaming Eagles traded forward William Carrier, 18, to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the 2013 QMJHL draft.
The QMJHL trade period ends on Saturday at 1 p.m. Moncton’s other moves so far were sending left winger Olivier D’Aoust to Gatineau and defenceman Daniel Milan to the Victoriaville Tigres.
The big question is whether the Wildcats will trade defenceman Brandon Gormley, who played for Canada at the world junior championship. Trade rumours have surrounded him for the past several weeks.
“I think for everyone the trade period is a nervous time of the year, but you can’t worry about it because it’s out of your control,” said Penny. “You’ve just got to focus on playing hockey. I think everybody will be glad when the trade period is over and we see what we have for the rest of the season.”
