Unwavering winger worthy of praise
by Peter Ruicci (Independent Media) | Photo by Bob Davies
You can count John Dean among those dazzled by the early-season play of Marco Mignosa.
The way the 18-year-old (2005 birth year) winger has performed, the Greyhounds have grabbed onto him the way a bachelor grabs onto his favourite old T-shirt.
They’re simply very, very comfortable with him.
“A big part of Marco’s game is his consistency,” said Dean, the Soo’s veteran head coach. “Not a lot of bad games, not a lot of bad shifts. We know what we’re getting from him every day.”
What they’ve gotten this season, are contributions in all three zones.
“He is legitimately a driver of play,” said Dean, whose club is set to carry a 13-7-1-0 into a lengthy three-game trip, which begins Thursday (7 p.m.) in Erie. “Marco has become so defensively responsible, he wins 50-50 battles, he’s so structurally sound. He competes hard, he’s first on pucks on the forecheck and he tracks back like a dog.”
Combining those traits means he’s “getting a lot more opportunity with the puck, which is where he generally shines,” the coach added.
While Mignosa and the Greyhounds would love to see the Vaughan, Ont., native score more often, his 5-15-20 stat line in 21 games speaks to his ability to create chances for those around him.
The third-year player has developed a deft passing touch, and is on a bit of a heater with three goals and four assists over his last six games.
“He’s a really-good puck distributor with a high IQ,” Dean noted. “I think he’s just been a well-rounded, 200-foot player.”
There’s little doubt Mignosa, taken by the Hounds in the second round (No. 36 overall) of the 2021 OHL Priority Selections draft, is playing his best hockey since arriving in the Sault.
Mignosa agrees, though he also spoke of there always being lots of room for improvement.
“I’d say it’s the best hockey of my career. I’ve been playing pretty well,” said the five-foot-11, 170-pounder. “I’ve gotten a lot stronger on pucks, I’ve been winning battles and, offensively, I’ve been finding my way.”
How about defensively?
“Well, I’ve been trying to get better and better because that helps my overall game,” Mignosa added.
A season ago, most Hounds followers would agree Mignosa played too much of a perimeter game.
After scoring 13 times in 55 games as an impressive rookie, he managed just 10 a season ago, although he did contribute 27 assists in 68 games.
It had become obvious, improvement was needed.
“It was a disappointing season all around, for me personally and for the team,” said Mignosa, whose club missed the playoffs in 2022-2023 with a 20-33-9-6 mark. “I was expecting more out of myself. I think I could have produced more offensively. It was frustrating.”
And so he used the long spring and summer break to build his body and hone his skills.
Mignosa talked about working a lot on his shot and foot speed, while training to get both bigger and stronger.
One of the goals this season was to consistently get to the dirty areas around the opposition goal, the places where players typically pay a physical price to visit.
“I could have lived there more last year,” Mignosa said. “I think more goals would have come.”
And this year?
“I’ve been finding my way there and getting greasier. And when you get greasy, goals come.”
“He’s getting to the blue paint,” added Dean, whose club is also slated to visit Brantford on Friday (7 p.m.) and Mississauga on Sunday (4 p.m.).
With the strides Mignosa has taken, Dean was asked if he’s the Hounds most-improved player so far this season.
His answer came without hesitation.
“He’s definitely one of the most improved if not the most improved,” the coach said. “I’ve been very impressed with his season and he’s made himself a staple in our lineup.”
Looking ahead, Mignosa said he believes the Hounds are quite capable of reaching their goal, which is to make a serious championship run. He spoke of how Greyhounds players believe in each other.
Personally, his goal is to eventually play pro hockey, something he’s been focused on since his early days learning the sport. To move in that direction, Mignosa realizes he must continue to get bigger and stronger.
He says he’s determined to do just that.
As for the road trip, the Otters lost 10-3 in Kitchener on Tuesday and carry a 9-9-3-0 mark into Thursday’s game against the Soo.
The Hounds, who lost 5-4 in overtime to North Bay last Friday, are 2-2-1-0 over their last five starts.
“We need to be more refined with our habits and details,” Dean said, when asked about the keys to what is a lengthy trip. “We need to be even harder on pucks and harder with our daily habits. We think we can be significantly better.”
With the time on the bus the club faces – not to mention three games in four days – Mignosa talked of the importance of rest, nutrition and hydration.
“Those things are super important for us.”
