Mignosa provides leadership, as well as skill
by Peter Ruicci (Independent Media) | Photo courtesy of Bob Davies
There’s little doubt he’s made a lot of noise this season with his stick, hands, eyes and feet.
But the words that come from Marco Mignosa’s mouth have also brought a smile to his coach’s face.
Asked about the 19-year-old’s (2005 birth year) team-leading stat line (31-43-74 in 50 games), Soo Greyhounds bench boss John Dean called the winger “our most-consistent player all season long.”
Entering the final eight games of the regular season, a stretch that begins with 7:07 p.m. home games Friday, against Barrie, and Saturday, against Oshawa, Dean also spoke of how Mignosa “relishes high-pressure opportunities and plays well in the big moments.”
However, it was the Vaughan, Ont., native’s leadership credentials that were top of mind on Wednesday.
As an alternate captain, Mignosa’s ability to stay calm – and keep his young teammates as calm as possible – surely hasn’t gone unnoticed.
“As you know, we’ve had difficulty holding onto leads and we’ve had difficulty managing some of the adverse situations inside of games,” said Dean, whose club owns a 24-33-2-1 record and remains in a torrid fight for a Western Conference playoff berth. “Miggy just stays on an even keel and vocalizes to his teammates his enjoyment that comes from playing in tough situations. While on the bench, he lets guys know that this is what they’re here for. He tells them to have fun within those moments.”
And how he does it, is most effective, the coach added.
“He talks to the guys in such a relaxed way that it’s contagious for the rest of the group,” Dean added.
While trying to downplay the importance of his off-ice role, Mignosa, in his fourth OHL season, did admit he’s “trying to be an uplifting leader with this younger group.”
The Hounds roster features nine OHL rookies.
“I try to encourage the guys to go and play and feel free,” added the 170-pounder, who stands a little over five-foot-11. “I remind them they’re here for a reason. You’re trusted by the coaching staff and your teammates. So, in my opinion, there’s no need to be nervous. Just go out and enjoy the moment.”
Of the advice he’s delivered, one of Mignosa’s best slogans is ‘All gas, no brakes.’
He’s used it on the bench during games to implore his teammates to continue to play fast, while avoiding any tendency to be passive in their approach.
Mignosa says he heard those words somewhere, and repeats them because he believes they’re particularly useful.
“For us, playing at a fast pace and not backing down from anybody is big,” he noted.
Along with addressing teammates on the bench, Mignosa has sometimes been invited by Dean and the coaching staff to speak to the team after pre-game warmup.
“It’s pretty cool when the coaches look up to you,” he said. “I just try to do what I can and speak from the heart.”
As for his on-ice performance, Mignosa talked of how he’s playing with a chip on his shoulder.
He talked about how he’s “sick of being an underdog in this league. I think I’m underrated and over-looked in this league. I want to show who I am and bring it every night.”
One of his goals, Mignosa added, is to let his play do the talking for him, enabling him to gain more attention from scouts.
Dean said he’s come to thoroughly appreciate the way in which Mignosa makes decisions with the puck, knowing when to employ his skill and when not to.
“He walks that fine line beautifully,” said the Soo coach.
Play away from the puck is another aspect of Mignosa’s game Dean enjoys talking about.
“That part of his game has improved significantly and he values that aspect differently than he did earlier in his career. Miggy is at a wonderful point in his career where he enjoys the high-pressure moments and realizes those are really the fun parts of the game.”
A big part of Mignosa’s 31 goals are his league-leading total of eight, short-handed markers. No one else in the 20-team loop has more than four. For his career, he’s scored 10 times while killing penalties.
Steve Gatzos and Boris Katchouk share the franchise record with 13 shorties each.
Going into Friday’s action, the Soo and Owen Sound (22-31-4-3) are tied for the eighth-and-final playoff spot with 51 points each. Both have played 60 games.
Sarnia (20-27-5-7) holds seventh place with 52 points in 59 games. Guelph (18-31-5-4) is 10th with 45 points in 58 games.
Meantime, Barrie is slated to visit Saginaw on Thursday. The Colts carry a 37-18-2-2 mark into that clash.
Dean called Friday’s Hounds opponent a “fantastic hockey club, built to win this year. But, quite honestly, we’re at a point in the year where we expect to win every night. That’s our goal, that’s our agenda.”
Asked about this final eight-game stretch, Mignosa said the key to how the Soo performs lays in the players ability to play for each other.
“I don’t want to go home on March 24,” he said of the day after the regular season is slated to end. “I want to keep playing hockey.”
Notes:
Dean seemed his most optimistic on Wednesday when asked about the status of netminder Nolan Lalonde.
He said the overage, out with a lower-body injury, remains day-to- day.
But, when pressed, the coach admitted: “Lalonde could potentially play this weekend.”
