The Kerins stood and turned their heads TheAHL.com

Patrick WilliamsTheAHL.com Features Writer

Every AHL-prospect-turned-NHL-constantly needs that success, something that catches the attention of decision makers behind the bench and the front office.

Be it scoring, defensive reliability, special teams play, leadership or something else, a player has to shine. Do something. Be careful.

That's even more true for sixth-round draft picks. Late entrants are already starting to face obstacles. A little too much, perhaps. Or very little. Skating that is not at the level of the pro game.

Something, maybe more than one thing, is holding that player back.

Calgary Wranglers third year forward Rory Kerins it is taken care of.

The thing about the state of the draft is that even if it can be a hindrance early on, it can be quickly set aside when a player's performance takes over. Kerins was taken by the Calgary Flames with the 174th overall pick of the 2020 NHL Draft. Kerins is second in the AHL in goals. Compiling 10 goals in 14 games will immediately open up all kinds of opportunities and attention for a prospect, regardless of draft status. So we'll be tied for fourth in the AHL in points for the first place team challenging for the top spot in the league.

Dustin Wolf showed that late draft picks don't have to be a hindrance to moving forward in Calgary's program. He was a seventh-round pick in 2019; three outstanding AHL seasons later, he's in the NHL and pushing hard for the Flames' No. 1 job in net.

Those early career storms are real, though. Kerins had a 30-goal campaign with the Sault Ste. Marie of the Ontario Hockey League in 2019-20. But like many players his age, the 2020-21 pandemic season has provided an extra hurdle for Kerins. The OHL did not play, and he managed to get in four contests with the Flames' former AHL affiliate in Stockton.

He then returned to the OHL in 2021-22, where he finished second in scoring with 118 points (43 goals, 75 assists) in 67 games. But still, Kerins began his professional career in the ECHL, scoring 17 goals in 38 games with Calgary's Rapid City affiliate in 2022-23.

Last season he established himself as a regular for the Wranglers and put together a respectable season that included 32 points (16 goals, 16 assists) in 54 games.

“I think last year might have been a bit of a cliffhanger,” Kerins said. “I learned a lot last year being a champion and being honest and knowing about the league and how it works and what to expect. Good reading pushed me this year.”

But Kerins brought something else entirely this season. He opened with two goals on opening night on October 11 against Abbotsford. A hat trick followed in his third game of the season. Another pair of goals two nights later in Henderson, and the entire AHL immediately took notice.

Of course, recognition must be done in the right way. No matter how good the hitting numbers may look, building a two-way NHL game is necessary. Head coaches throughout the AHL want that, as do NHL front offices.

And while it takes more than the ability to score goals to become an NHL regular, it never hurts to be seen among the league leaders. And the group does not start quickly. Kerins is determined to shoot the puck, too, tied for eighth in the league with 40 shots on goal. And a great coach Trent Cull Using him in the middle, his natural position, he had the opportunity to play alongside the likes of The Dryden Hunt, Jakob Pelletier again Martin Frk. And playing high allows Kerins, a left-handed shot, to use his vision and creativity. He can touch and shoot well, and can play a direct game that allows his line to play to each member's strengths.

“I feel like it's natural for me,” Kerins said of the play center.

He also found that this past summer's work has really started to pay off in terms of fitness, something that comes at different points from one player to another.

The Wranglers just finished an eight-game homestand at 6-2-0-0. Now comes the tough test: starting tonight in San Jose, they'll be on the road for seven straight games. This weekend there are a few games with the resurgent Barracuda before a trip to San Diego, Henderson and Manitoba.

The most encouraging thing for the Wranglers is that there is still a lot to open up in this team. They are 16th in the AHL on the power play, for example. If that part of their game kicks in, this is a team that could do a lot of damage this season.

One point of emphasis among Cull's players, Kerins said, was “owning the puck.”

“I think we still have room to grow.”

In the American Hockey League for two decades, TheAHL.com features writer Patrick Williams and currently covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is a regular contributor to SiriusXM NHL Network Radio. He was the recipient of the AHL's James H. Ellery Memorial Award for the league's top scorer in 2016.