North Bay's Danny Desrochers, seen here in exhibition play at Memorial Gardens on Monday, is entering his third full season with the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL. Both he and his coaching staff say they are anticipating more from his game this season. PHOTOS BY LIAM BERTI
Sure, Danny Desrochers has been a staple in the Sudbury Wolves' lineup for the past two years.
But with a new Ontario Hockey League season fast approaching, both Desrochers and his team are expecting to see his game reach new heights.
“With time in this league your role changes, and Danny’s now a 19-year-old, so our expectations that we have of him rise,” said Wolves Head Coach Paul Fixter.
“We certainly expect him to continue to play the strong two-way game that he does, but we need him to bring some offence to his game as well, and he’s more than capable of that.”
Entering his third full season with the Wolves, Desrochers says he feels better than ever going into the new campaign.
“I’ve been working all summer for this opportunity,” said Desrochers after the Wolves‘ exhibition game against the Battalion on Monday. “You have to stay confident, believe in yourself, and that’s what I’m trying to do.”
“I would like to contribute more offensively, that’s my main goal this year, as well as being strong on the defensive side,” he explained. “I want to stay on penalty kills, obviously, and hopefully get a chance on the power play to show what I’ve been working on this summer.”
Through 130 regular season OHL games, the North Bay native has 11 goals, 15 assists and 83 penalty minutes. While those numbers might be a far cry from his Junior A and AAA numbers, Desrochers has taken on a whole new role as a major-junior hockey player.
With major-junior being almost a different game entirely, playing on a Wolves team that is stocked with offensive potential has shone light on his defensive capabilities. Now a go-to penalty killer for the Wolves, Desrochers says he’s not done evolving his game; far from it, in fact.
Beyond what the organization already expects from him, Desrochers says he has high expectations for himself too. The former third-round pick of the Wolves says he’s looking to build on his past two seasons and convince team brass that he’s capable of much more.
“That’s obviously a big role change going from Junior A to major-junior, but you’ve got to adapt to it and I think I did pretty well with it,” Desrochers explained. “Hopefully now, coming into this season, I can get a better shot at both ends of the ice and prove to the team what I’m capable of.
“The points are going to come with more hard work and buying into the system,” he continued. “If I can get my confidence level to stay up at a high level, I think the offensive side will be a lot better.”
Desrochers is coming off a summer of intense, precise and tenacious training back in North Bay, with almost every day consisting of off-ice strength workouts with local trainer Dave Whitehead and on-ice skills and speed practice with Dan Selin.
The work, he says, has put him in a position where he feels more self-assured than ever.
“I’m coming into the camp confident; that’s what you have to do,” he said. “You’ve got to be able to use all of that in the game. Hopefully I can keep my confidence up and use more of the skills-aspect of my game to help the team out more.”
Now, at 19, Desrochers also knows he is entering unfamiliar territory as a veteran of the league, something he says he is embracing within the Wolves' group.
“I feel great coming in here helping some of the young guys,” he said enthusiastically. “Obviously you want to show them what it’s like to be in this league.
“That’s a huge advantage for young kids, having the vets helping them out all the time and giving them tips,” he continued. “You can’t ask for better veterans than guys that do that because that’s helping their game out, helping the team out and everyone in the organization overall.”
Those efforts haven’t gone unrecognized by the coaching staff either.
“He’s a great teammate, he’s a hard worker, and guys look up to him because he is such a hard worker,” said Fixter. “He’s worked on his game, his conditioning and it’s allowed him get to the point where he’s now been in the league for a number of years.
“I think he relishes what's been given to him and he’s enjoying it and that’s what’s most important,” coach Fixter concluded. “What it leads to? Only time will tell.”
