Ryan Stanton is living the dream as a pro hockey player with the Rockford IceHogs.
"It's definitely pretty cool," the 21-year-old defenceman told the Gazette while in St. Albert during a break in the IceHogs' schedule prior to Christmas. "Like everyone else I'm just trying to do what I can to hopefully one day get called up to the NHL."
In 26 games in the American Hockey League with the farm team of the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks, Stanton had six assists and was minus-four defensively.
"It's gone pretty well," said the St. Albert Catholic High School grad. "I started a little slow but after the first few games I felt more comfortable. I've played the last 20 or so games and I think they've been pretty happy with me but there is still obviously tons of room for improvement."
The six-foot-two, 205-pound Stanton has quickly emerged has a reliable defender for the last-place team in the western conference.
"I'm playing lots of penalty kill and I've been starting to play against the other team's top lines with Nick Leddy, who is with Team USA at the world juniors. I've been his D partner for probably 15 or so games," he said. "I'm trying to be a physical defenceman out there [39 penalty minutes] and be consistent, game in and game out. Offence is just a bonus basically right now in my first year here."
The former midget AAA St. Albert Raider (3-15-18, 64 PIM in 35 games in 2005/06) has come close to lighting the lamp.
"I played on the power play in a couple of games and I honestly had two wide open nets but I've never really had very good finish," said Stanton, who scored 19 goals in 242 Western Hockey League games with the Moose Jaw Warriors. "I'm due so hopefully I can manage to get at least one in the second half of the season."
The American league is the next best thing to the NHL as Stanton works towards cracking Chicago's roster.
"It's definitely a real high level of hockey. There are tons of players that are getting called up to the NHL, guys that have been in the NHL and future NHLers. There is a lot of developing younger players as teams try to build up their prospects," he said. "It's a big, fast league and it's tough to play in. It's a big step up from junior. The skill factor, the size of guys and how strong they are, that's been a major difference compared to junior."
Turning pro
Stanton signed a three-year entry-level contract with Chicago in March as a free agent. After Moose Jaw lost its opening playoff round to the Calgary Hitmen in seven games, he hooked up with the IceHogs for two games in the regular season and played two more in the playoffs.
"That was good. I got to meet lots of players that I'm playing with now this year, plus all the coaching staff and the brass. It made it a lot more comfortable for me going into camp and starting up with them this year," he said. "After playing four years with the same organization [Moose Jaw], and you have a major change like that, you don't really know what to expect with the pro hockey lifestyle and what it's going to be like but everyone was friendly and they made it comfortable for me."
Off the ice it's been a challenge after living with billets in Moose Jaw.
"It's quite a bit different than junior. You're living on your own, you're cooking for yourself and doing your own laundry so that's been quite a big adjustment," Stanton said of his new digs in Rockford, located on both banks of the Rock River in the far part of northern Illinois. "At this level you try and do everything you can to make it to the NHL so you don't want to be out making the wrong choices. You have to keep your nose out of trouble and be smart about what you're doing."
Stanton is where he is today because of his time in Moose Jaw.
"I can't say enough good things about that place. The coaches I had there, my billets, just everything was awesome," he said. "It was a major part of me becoming a player good enough to get a pro deal. There was a comfortable level playing there and I learned a lot off the ice and on the ice in how to become a man."
Bypassed in both the WHL bantam draft and the NHL entry draft, Stanton never got discouraged.
"I've always kind of been a late developer I guess you could say, and I think it's kind of worked to my advantage. It gives you motivation seeing players who are drafted high who go play pro. You just say to yourself if I work hard you can get there, type of thing and the possibilities are endless," said the former bantam AAA Sabre (9-12-21, 84 PIM in 38 games) with the infamous 3-33-3 St. Albert team in 2003/04.
His big break was playing in Moose Jaw where a scout from Chicago lived.
"He talked to me a lot and made me feel wanted. When I finally did sign it was a dream come true," said Stanton, who attracted interest from a few NHL teams before committing to Chicago.
Star-struck
Another career highlight was attending Chicago's main camp in the fall.
"It was an awesome experience getting to meet all those guys. They were obviously excited after the big cup win," said Stanton, who played in front of a full house in the United Centre during an intersquad game. "Definitely walking into the dressing room and seeing Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith, guys that are worshipped and idolized, and to get to play alongside them was a pretty cool experience. They were very welcoming to everyone and good with the rookies. They were trying to teach us as much as they could. They're human just like everyone else, very down to earth guys."
Keith is the type of defenceman Stanton strives to emulate.
"Seeing him in camp and playing against him, you see the stuff he is able to do and how he reads the game. He makes it look so simple," he said. "Growing up I always liked watching Chris Pronger. I like how simple he keeps the game and how skilled he is."
As good as Stanton is, his younger brother Ty might turn out to be even better than the Chicago prospect. Ty is a strapping defenceman with the midget AAA Raiders and was picked by the Medicine Hat Tigers in round two, 36th overall, in the 2010 WHL bantam draft.
"He is a big kid at six-foot-three but needs to fill out a little more," said the older Stanton. "We're real close. We talk a lot on the phone and Skype while I'm gone. It's good to be back and spend time with him. Hopefully we'll get out to the outdoor rink and have some friendly brother-on-brother action out there before I have to go back."
Stanton's stay in St. Albert was short but sweet, as the IceHogs (12-12-1-4) resume league play Sunday against the visiting Milwaukee Admirals.
"It's definitely an awesome time of the year to come back home for the Christmas holidays and have your meals cooked for you by your mom [Deanne]. I've got a lot of family and friends here and it's too bad I'm not back long enough to see everyone."
