Heroic save
PORTLAND — Portland Pirates rookie Tyler Ennis has been hearing it all his young life — he's just too small to play ice hockey.
Or is he?
At 5 feet, 9 inches and 165 pounds, Ennis — who will be in the lineup when the Pirates open the AHL season Saturday night at Springfield, doesn't look like the prototypical hockey player.
Or does he?
Ennis, who turns 20 next Monday, might be the wave of the future for pro hockey — the small, gritty player who uses his speed and guile to outwit his slower, much larger opponents.
"If you're not afraid out there and you want the puck, a lot of times the smarter guy is going to come up with it," Ennis said.
Despite his lack of size, Ennis seems fearless when he is on the ice.
"When a 19-year-old kid has enough confidence to do a spinarama with three guys bearing down on him and throw a back-hand saucer pass to me, it just shows the wily sense he has," said Kyle Wanvig, a veteran of eight professional seasons who played on the same line with Ennis during three preseason games. "He's a step ahead. He's thinking one step ahead all the time."
For the past four seasons, Ennis played for the Medicine Hat Tigers in the Western Hockey League.
"He didn't play that much as a 16-year-old, but you could tell even then he had offensive talent," said Willie Desjardins, coach and general manager of the junior team.
That also was obvious to the Buffalo Sabres, who selected Ennis in the first round of the 2008 NHL entry draft after the first of his two 43-goal seasons with the Tigers.
"He's certainly a real gifted offensive player," Desjardins said. "I'd put him as one of the elite players I've coached, and I coached a few NHL players."
Forwards Joffrey Lupul of the Anaheim Ducks, Clarke MacArthur of the Buffalo Sabres and Darren Helm of the Detroit Red Wings also played at Medicine Hat.
"He'll be real exciting to watch," Desjardins said.
Besides making the transition from juniors to professional hockey, Ennis is making the switch from left wing to center.
"I like the puck in the hands of my high-skilled players, and a lot of times it's the centermen," Portland Pirates coach Kevin Dineen said. "He's able to give-and-go and make plays, and that's my rationale behind (the move)."
Last season, Tim Kennedy — another young, slightly-built forward — made the same move in his rookie season with the Pirates. He started this season in the NHL with the Sabres.
"Timmy Kennedy has made a great impression in training camp as a centerman, and he hadn't played the position before last year," Dineen said.
For Ennis, the transition began when training camp opened in Buffalo.
"There's always different reactions to change, and there has been no resistance at all," Dineen said. "He's made an effort to embrace it, and I'd say it's a big change. He's got a lot on his plate, and I think he's done a great job."
Ennis, a native of Edmonton, Alberta, seems quite comfortable in his new position. In three preseason games, he had two goals and five assists to lead the Pirates in scoring.
"I like getting the puck low and supporting the D-men," he said. "You're always moving. Sometimes, when you play wing, you stop and are flat-footed. At center, you're always moving, and you're always moving to get the puck, and you've got open ice."
While making the step up to the pros, Ennis, the chief scoring threat for his junior team the past two seasons, is learning every player on the ice has defensive responsibilities as well.
"I'm looking forward to learning the position," he said. "I'm looking forward to honing my game into a good defensive player, too."
But Ennis still intends to become an integral part of Portland's offense.
"Growing up, I never really was the go-to man," he said. "I've always been battling my size my whole life, so now I'm kind of looking forward to it. I'm just going to try to play as hard as I can. I'm going to try to put the puck in the net."
