by Stephen Meserv | AHL On The Beat
On March 16, Justin HryckowianThe collegiate career ended in the quarterfinals of the Hockey East conference tournament.
Less than a week later, the Northeastern University forward was pulling on the Victory-green-and-white Texas Stars jersey to begin his professional career on the other side of the country, with a March 22 game in San Diego.
A whirlwind week has seen the center fielder play a key role for the Stars immediately. With damage to important pivots such as Oscar BäckHryckowian was the lone center on the team with no technical experience to his name.
“The opportunity was there for me,” Hryckowian said. “I knew when I got there that there was going to be a good track to run just to get my feet wet and learn and practice on the fly.”
The head coach Neil Graham named the Île Bizard, Quebec, native as the team's best defenseman so far this season, and praised his key role in the team's playoff run last year.
“He just filled a big void in our team in the middle and played a big role in our team from day one,” Graham said.
Hryckowian's experience last season perhaps served as the foundation for his early success. He has four goals and six assists in his first seven games, tied for the league lead among juniors.
“I'm very happy that I decided to leave school and go and get that opportunity, I got that opportunity under my belt,” said Hryckowian. “It just made everything a lot easier this year.”
When you look at Hryckowian's history, something seems off at first. He is from Quebec who went through prep high school and into the Junior United States Hockey League before playing in the Northeast. He points to his parents for that decision.
“I was on the new side of things, and obviously my parents were willing to take care of your education and that side of things,” she said. “I felt like the college had the best of both worlds.”
It was a logical decision as he started at Connecticut's Salisbury School and met his current teammates. Luke Krys. Their signing in Dallas was announced the same day.
“He was probably one of the first guys that reached out when I decided to go to Salisbury,” Hryckowian said. “He was my captain that year, we became very close. Funnily enough, we ended up in the same place, and we live together here in Austin.”
In the end, the decision to join Dallas was not difficult. The Stars, led by a two-time GM of the Year Jim Nillhave a reputation that precedes them. Hryckowian said that all the people he worked with were “first class” and everyone he spoke to about the organization agreed that they did things the right way.
He said: “All the discussions were encouraging. “I really appreciate their honesty and how they were up front during the process.”
Additionally, you have placed a high value on being part of a winning program. As it says on the wall in the Texas locker room, “We Win Here.”
Even with Dallas in win mode now with Stanley Cup hopes, the AHL side is also in it to win.
“Being part of a program where you're expected to win every year… [that] it's something I want to have,” explained Hryckowian.
Hryckowian has been a huge part of the Stars' success this season from the get-go, as he has passed on several different teammates in seven games so far.
“Justin is very detailed in his preparation for both practices and games,” Graham noted. “He understands the level of commitment to being a top-level champion, and he leads by example. He is a very good prospect, and I believe he will only get better.”
The rookie already has a taste of what's next if he continues his success in the AHL: Dallas called his number in this year's preseason.
Asked about his first season success, Hryckowian is reluctant to praise his teammates but also recognizes that the preparations he has made over the summer and throughout his career so far have put him in a position to do well.
“I am put in many situations to succeed, obviously,” he said. “Confidence is everything, and that comes from hard work and preparation. It was good for me to just build all that. I feel good about it, I'm really happy doing what I do every day.”
Stephen Meserve is the host of 100 Degree Hockey, which has covered the Texas Stars since their first season.
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