Timmins garnering attention heading into NHL Draft

Like any player, the NHL Draft is the start of something exciting.

For Soo Greyhounds defenceman Conor Timmins, the draft will be a culmination of a season that put him on the preverbal hockey map.

The sophomore defenceman, who is coming off a 61-point season in 2016-17, is expected to be among those selected during this weekend’s NHL draft. The 18-year-old shot up the draft rankings after breaking through offensively last season.

“It was definitely a whirlwind year,” the sophomore blueliner said. “Especially for me, rising up in all of the draft rankings and having the season I had that not a lot of people expected me to have. It was a really exciting year.”

“Conor worked extremely hard over the summer,” said Greyhounds General Manager Kyle Raftis. “You could tell in terms of his preparation what he knew he needed to work on.

“What he really improved on was his first step,” Raftis added. “His skating and mobility really took a step forward and that added strength and additional confidence. He’s always been a guy who was a cerebral, high IQ puck-mover and once you get that strength, whether it’s closing on players or pulling away from players in stride, it really added another element to his game.”

Raftis also spoke of an added confidence in Timmins’ game, which was noticeable when he joined the team for his sophomore season.

In 67 games with the Greyhounds, Timmins scored seven goals and assisted on 54 others, a major jump from the four-goal, 13-point season from a year earlier. After the season he had in 2016-17, what can he do for an encore?

“Just doing the same things and trying to take it to the next level,” Timmins said. “Working on my skating and just getting strong will really help me take my game to the next level next year.”

Timmins said the opportunity to play for Drew Bannister and Joe Cirella, both defencemen during their playing days, has been a help for his own game.

“The learning never stops,” Timmins said. “They’re constantly teaching you.”

Timmins, who will participate with Hockey Canada’s Canadian entry at the World Junior Summer Showcase in August in Plymouth, Mich., is looking forward to the draft this weekend.

“It’s definitely a very exciting experience,” Timmins said of heading into the draft. “The season ended two months ago. Once the season ends, you go to the combine but other than that, you can’t really do much but sit back and wait.”

Following the completion of the Greyhounds season, Timmins attended the NHL Draft Combine in Buffalo.

“It was a great experience,” Timmins said. “Getting to meet with all of the teams and getting a sense of what they thought of you and what they thought you needed to work on. Getting to show them who you are and how strong you are in the fitness testing, it’s just a really great experience.”

Timmins called meeting with teams at the combine “intimidating.”

“You grew up watching these teams and to finally get to the point in your career where you get to talk to them seriously about jumping into the NHL is pretty crazy,” Timmins said

“You kind of go through it all year so you get used to the interviews,” Timmins added. “It’s a matter of letting them know who you are as a person and being genuine with them.”

Next up, the 2017 NHL Draft in Chicago. The two-day event begins with round one on Friday night at Chicago’s United Center, beginning at 7 p.m. Rounds two through seven will follow on Saturday, beginning at 10 a.m.