Dickinson brings consistency – and much more
by Peter Ruicci (Independent Media) | Photo by Bob Davies
Two years ago, as a quiet, soft-spoken, Ontario Hockey League rookie, getting words out of Tanner Dickinson was like coaxing toothpaste from an old tube.
That’s no longer the case.
“I’m a lot more mature and a lot more comfortable in situations where I would have been nervous when I was younger,” said the Perrysburg, Ohio, native. “I’m more comfortable in the room, too, and also with the guys. I’ve made some really good friends on this team.”
But that’s just one area in which Dickinson has advanced.
On the ice, the 19-year-old (2002 birth year) centre has become a study in speed and skill, production and consistency.
With 11 goals and 21 assists in 23 games, Dickinson, who joined the Soo as a free agent before the 2019-2020 campaign, enters Wednesday’s action tied for 10th in the OHL scoring race.
His plus-minus of plus-15 is ninth overall and the six-foot, 170-pounder has failed to generate at least one point in only two of his 23 starts.
“I’m way more willing to shoot the puck and take the puck and try to create things this season,” said Dickinson, whose club is slated to visit the North Bay Battalion (7 p.m.) on Thursday. “Whenever I touch the puck, I just try to start moving my feet right away and that opens up everything else for me.”
The Hounds take a three-game win streak into the game, along with a 14-9-0-0 mark. The Battalion have won two straight, are 7-1-1-1 over the last 10 games and 15-7-1-1 overall.
Asked about Dickinson’s consistency, Hounds head coach John Dean agreed it’s impressive, while adding how “he’s also consistently getting better. His game continues to grow and he wants to be challenged by me and (assistant coach) Jamie Tardif,” who’s in charge of the club’s group of forwards.
Consistency is “something I take pride in this year,” said Dickinson, who notched nine goals and 31 assists in 64 games during his rookie season two years ago. “I just want to help the team win games and producing (offensively) is probably the best way for me to do that. One of my strengths is my offensive ability.”
One of Dickinson’s two goals in Sunday’s 7-2 victory over Saginaw at GFL Memorial Gardens was a slick, wrap-around effort. It was another example of how much more assertive Dickinson is this season.
“I’m super confident in my ability to make things happen,” said Dickinson a fourth-round selection of the St. Louis Blues in 2020, who signed a three-year entry-level contract in late August. “I always want the puck on my stick this season. I’m trying to do things and I’m not just going with the flow.”
Signing with the Blues showed the club’s trust in him and helped boost his confidence, Dickinson added.
“They expect me to do certain things and I’ll do whatever I can to live up to those expectations and even more than the Blues expect,” he said.
After being pursued by Greyhounds general manager Kyle Raftis, Dickinson walked away from a commitment to play for The Ohio State Buckeyes to sign with the Soo. It’s a decision the player said he in no way regrets.
“It was the right move, 100 per cent,” he added. “This is a league where you’re playing against guys who could be in the NHL next season. It’s helped speed up my development.”
When asked to think back, Dickinson said he arrived in Sault Ste. Marie standing about five-foot-11 and weighing just 145 pounds. He’s put on 25 pounds since then and spoke of how getting both bigger and stronger has benefitted his game.
He said he’s able to hold onto pucks longer, escape from opponents a little easier and able to open space for himself and his linemates more often.
That’s one of the reasons Dickinson was so appealing to Team USA, which recently named the Hounds star to its tryout roster for the World Junior Hockey Championship.
Action is set to begin Dec. 26 in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alta., and Dickinson will be among 31 American hopefuls hitting the ice in Plymouth, Mich., beginning Sunday.
Notes:
While Dean doesn’t comment on his goaltending plans, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Tucker Tynan get the start in North Bay on Thursday. Tynan was acquired from Niagara on Monday for third and eighth-round draft choices.
Meantime, the clash in North Bay was to be the first of a three-game trip for the Hounds. However, due to a COVID-19 outbreak involving a number of Sudbury Wolves players, Friday and Sunday games in the Nickel City have been postponed.
