BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
At 6’6, Tim Gettinger is hard to miss on the ice and his stock is rising as tall as he is.
Gettinger, a Hartford Wolf Pack rookie left winger, has had some strong, decent numbers posting 12 points in 23 games through the first quarter of this AHL campaign.
Gettinger was drafted by the Rangers in the fifth round (141st overall) in 2016. His four-game audition was a bit from left-field even for the left winger.
“I was a little surprised, for sure. I was so excited, and surprised when I got the call, like really? The experience was very good for me. I really got an idea of what it will take to play at the next level. I take a lot of pride to have gotten there, but now I have more work to do to get back up there.”
This past weekend the Wolf Pack had a pair of games against the AHL’s best team the Charlotte Checkers.
“They’re fast and skilled with the puck and without it. We realized how good they were last week. We have had a good week of practice to prepare.”
The onus is on the older players to handle some scoring and assist in the growth curve for prospects as well.
“It’s been great and a great group of guys on any line I’ve been on. And everyone has helped in my transition even lately when we have guys in and out of the lineup.“
Gettinger uses his size effectively and on the PP, his ability to redirect pucks is quite good.
“I’ve been working on that since juniors. Being net-front, that’s where a lot of goals are scored these days. The key to practice is making sure your taking away the goalie’s eyes is key.”
His recall to the New York Rangers opened his eyes as to what the NHL is like for a player, but in person, he saw what it’s all about.
“The speed of the game was something else. Down here it’s fast, but the NHL is so much faster up there. They go by you in no time, and you have to be physical just to keep up with the speed.”
Gettinger has been in involved in a period where the evolution of the big man’s role in the game is changing.
“It’s all about pure puck possession now and everybody is fast and to make plays you have to keep up with it.”
The Rangers were selective in putting together a veteran core of players like Peter Holland, Shawn O’Donnell, and Bobby Butler to shepherd their young flock. The older players brought in during the offseason are there to help in the mentoring/tutoring process. THose players have been important in Gettinger’s growth.
“We have an excellent group of older players, I think. They really have taken us under their wings and it’s not really just one guy. It has been a collective group. In juniors, you really don’t have to worry about players coming in and out of the lineup as much as we do here. It’s a bit different. I think we’re all getting used to it by now. You have to just keep working hard no matter who is here.”
Gettinger played four years with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, two of which were as an assistant captain. His last year he was the team’s captain. He finds himself in Hartford as he did with the Sault.
“I had it my first year in Sault Ste. Marie. I was a first-year guy learning the league. Again, there it was older guys like Darnell Nurse (Edmonton) and (current Ranger and ex-Pack) Tony DeAngelo bringing us along, and by the end of my (OHL) career, there I was, one of those guys, and the captaincy was a sign of trust in me.”
Gettinger comes from Ohio, a non-traditional hockey area, that has been producing new hockey players.
“Coming from Ohio, it’s not the mecca of the hockey world,” Gettinger, from North Olmstead which is just north of Cleveland, said with a laugh. “I was very fortunate to get into a good program, and it was a good area and team for up-and-coming hockey players.”
He got his baptism in hockey early.
“I was four or five, and my brother (Grant) was playing. When the (AHL) Barons were in town we got to see games and they sponsored the youth teams. I really benefited from it, and my brother kept pushing me into hockey. I don’t regret that at all,” Gettinger said with a broad smile.
His trek to the Canadian major junior route was a direction he hadn’t thought of as he was growing and developing with the Cleveland Jr. Barons program, initiated by the former AHL tenant of the same name in that city.
“I was 15 at that time. I had somewhat of an idea what the OHL was about, but like most American guys, you’re looking at the college route. Sault Ste. Marie called and said they were kind of interested (in me). To be honest, when I heard about it (that he had been drafted) I really didn’t know where Sault Ste. Marie was. They brought me into a development camp and I liked it right away, and it’s a very good hockey town.”
He was very fortunate to have a family support system as he started his major junior portion of his early hockey odyssey.
“My grandparents turned out lived about an hour away, just south of Sault Ste. Marie (Cheboygan, Michigan), so they were up all the time and that was great. It was a dream come true getting to play a high level of hockey. I had four great years there, and it’s a move I don’t regret at all.”
The Greyhounds had lots of success during his time there. They had a tough series with the Hamilton Bulldogs in the OHL Final last spring with a Memorial Cup invite on the line as well as the OHL title.
“We just missed out in the OHL Finals from going to the Memorial Cup. We lost in a seventh game that was a heartbreaking loss. My first year, we had some really good players and lost, and last year was a special group too, and we came up just a little short. It was a great series. Both buildings were packed every night. It was a fun time, but I wasn’t happy with the final outcome.”
Former Wolf Pack player, Drew Bannister, now the head coach in San Antonio, was Gettinger’s coach in Sault Ste. Marie and played a big role in his growth as a player.
“He really helped me learn what it was going to take to be a pro. There were days, of course, he harped on me a little more. but that is a part of the process. Having Drew as a coach for three years, no question helped me grow tremendously both on and off the ice.”
Gettinger will be heading back to Ohio for the holidays.
“It’s nice to get away from the bus for a bit. I’m looking forward to a few days at home for Christmas.”
NOTES:
The Pack was able to keep the Checkers “in check” partly because they had one of their best players, Janne Kaukkonnen, on recall by Carolina when Jordan Staal was put on IR.
Christmas hockey tournaments are big every year and one of them in Davos, Switzerland is the 92nd edition of the Spengler Cup that starts on Boxing Day.
Six teams from across Europe and an entry from Canada participate. Quite a few familiar names dot the lineups of each of the six teams.
Team Canada-Could be called Team Whaler with recently named co-GM’s Sean Burke and Ron Francis and the head coach being Kevin Dineen.
HC Dynamo Pardubice (Czech Republic-CEL) – The team GM is former Sound Tiger, Dusan Salficky.
HC Davos (Switzerland-NLA) – Features ex-Pack forward, Andres Ambuhl, and the recently added ex-Pack, d-man, Bobby Sanguinetti.
Metallurg Magnitogorsk (Russia-KHL) – Ex-Pack defenseman, Alexei Bereglasov.
Nuremberg (Germany-DEL) – A pair of ex-Pack in Chris Brown and ex-CT Whale and Wolf Pack, Brandon Segal.
KalPa Kuopio (Finland-FEL) – The coaching staff is led by former Whaler great Sami Kapanen and his assistant coach is from the very first Sound Tiger team, Marko Tuomainen.
Lastly, HC Ocelari Trinec (Czech Republic-CEL) has skating for them, ex-CT Whale, Tomas Kundratek, who just returned from Kunlun (China-KHL), and former Sound Tiger Tomas Marcinko.
Former Yale goalie, Alex Lyon, continues his season-long shuttle from Lehigh Valley to Philadelphia. Another goalie, Jon Gillies, (Salisbury Prep) is recalled from Stockton while Paul Carey (Salisbury Prep) is returned to Belleville by Ottawa.
Mitch Eliot, the son of former Nighthawk, Daren Eliot, has signed a three-year entry-level deal with Vancouver. He is currently playing with the Sarnia Sting (OHL).
Goalie Charlie Millen, the son of former Whaler goalie, Greg Millen, was loaned by Birmingham (SPHL) to the Reading Royals 9ECHL).
Greg Chase, the nephew of former Whaler, Kelly Chase lands on his third ECHL team this year. He leaves the Allen (TX) Americans for the Maine Mariners.
-Ex-Sound Tiger Greg Mauldin leaves Medvescak Zagreb (Croatia-EBEL). They are in deep financial trouble and released most of their players for a second time in two years. Mauldin signed for the rest of the season with the Stavanger Oilers (Norway-NEL).
