Gibson grows game as Greyhounds’ rookie
by Peter Ruicci (Independent Media) | Photo by Bob Davies
It’s not certain exactly what was at the top of their September wish list.
But as the Soo Greyhounds prepared for the start of the 2022-2023 OHL season, it’s a safe bet they were hoping – emphatically – at least one of their defencemen would take a major step forward.
That’s the way it is when you’ve graduated a trio of impact defenders such as Ryan O’Rourke, Jack Thompson and Robert Calisti.
While the club had a pretty good idea of what it would get from returning rearguards Kirill Kudryavtsev and Caeden Carlisle, the play of rookie Andrew Gibson through eight games has been a revelation.
“His progression upwards has been exponential. I’ve been very impressed by him,” said Hounds head coach John Dean, whose club is preparing for Friday’s 7:07 p.m. clash with the Ottawa 67s at GFL Memorial Gardens. “He’s been a sponge so far. I’m so excited in the direction Andrew Gibson is heading.”
The 17-year-old (2005 birth year) native of LaSalle, Ont., has played so well – at both ends of the ice – he’s averaged over 20 minutes-per-game. He’s also earned the right to go head-to-head with the opponent’s top forwards.
Once overage Ryan Thompson suffered a foot injury early in the season, Gibson became a part of the Soo’s No. 1 defensive pairing, alongside Kudryavtsev.
“We’re trusting him to play against every team’s top line. He’s played very difficult minutes and is still producing,” Dean said of the six-foot-three, 196-pounder.
Has Gibson surprised himself?
“I’ve always believed in myself, including last year,” said Gibson, a fourth-round selection (No. 67 overall) in the 2021 OHL draft, who was named the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League’s top defenceman last season while skating for the Soo Thunderbirds. “I had a lot of confidence going into this year. But it’s really surprised me how much confidence they (the Greyhounds) have in me. It’s great.”
While also killing penalties and skating on the Soo’s No. 2 power-play unit, Gibson has produced two goals and four assists with a plus-minus of minus-1. With six points, he’s tied for second in team scoring.
When asked, Dean spoke of how he isn’t surprised over how good Gibson looks.
“As a coaching staff, as an organization, we knew we had something special in Andrew,” the coach added. “But I didn’t realize how quickly he was going to progress – especially in such a short period of time.”
With quick first steps, Gibson’s skating is impressive. So is his ability to shoot the puck.
But he believes simply taking care of the basics is helping to make him effective.
“I haven’t been too flashy and I have to thank my D partner,” Gibson added. “Kirill is a really-good partner to play with.”
Considered by some to be more of an offensive rearguard, Gibson talked about how he’s always been determined to shine defensively.
“I know playing this position, you have to be good at defence first,” he said. “I feel like my defensive game has improved a lot since last year.”
When it comes to that area, Dean credits assistant coach Brendan Taylor, who works with the club’s rearguards, and Gibson, for the hard work he’s put in.
“He has the ability to break out and be extremely scary for the opponent with his speed,” the coach said. “But he also can control his game on the way back and be very composed defensively. He’s become a dual threat and we’ve been throwing him into the fire every night.”
Dean also thinks Gibson’s physicality and ability to defend are underrated. And he certainly hasn’t shied away from blocking shots and making life easier for the Greyhounds goaltenders.
While his goal is to help the Hounds win as many games as possible, Gibson is also focused on being selected in the 2023 NHL draft. Following instructions from the coaching staff, he added, will go a long way towards helping him become a drafted player.
Meantime, the 67s enter Friday’s game as one of the league’s most-impressive clubs to date. Ottawa takes a 6-0-0-0 record into a Thursday night contest in North Bay.
So far, the 67s, coached by former Hounds bench boss Dave Cameron, have been bolstered by special teams Dean calls “extraordinary.”
Going into the North Bay game, Ottawa was first in the OHL in power-play efficiency (42.3 per cent) and fourth in penalty-killing success (88.9 per cent).
“They score a lot of goals on the power play,” added Dean, whose team is 2-3-3-0, having lost three straight overtime games. “Also, they’re extraordinarily structured led by a very-experienced coach. Five-on-five, they’re difficult to penetrate because of their structure. We’re going to have a very-difficult task on our hands on Friday, but we’ll be ready.”
Notes:
Carlisle and centre Harrison Ballard are both bothered by lower-body injuries and it’s not known whether either will play on Friday. Dean said both are day-to-day.
Winger Tyler Savard will miss the game, completing his four-game OHL suspension.
