June 12, 2020

Ukrainian pro hockey update

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Logan Hutsko: Perseverance personified

The dedicated commitment required to even have a hope of being drafted into the NHL ranks is almost beyond description. In some unique cases, the degree of perseverance needed to put on that NHL jersey for the first time can be as equal a challenge. There may be no better example of an aspiring draftee than the Florida Panthers’ third pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, one Logan Hutsko.

NHL.com

Logan Hutsko shows his focus on his skills.

As a teenager, he played at Shattuck-St. Mary’s Prep, the alma mater of Sidney Crosby and Jonathan Toews. He then was selected to join U.S.A. Hockey’s National Team Development Program to train with the best under-17s and under-18s in the country. It was his two years with the NTDP where Hutsko’s path to the pros was nearly derailed by a pair of major obstacles.

Halfway through his initial season, Hutsko (Ukrainian on his father’s side) got injured while practicing face-offs with a teammate during warm-ups when his neck went into his fellow center’s chest. The fluke accident resulted in a broken neck when one of the rings around his spinal cord got fractured. One month into a five-month recovery, Hutsko was told by his doctor there was no progress and he might never play hockey again. Fortunately, his body reacted and his injury healed in the anatomical sense. Mentally he would have to prepare for future physicality on the ice.

Year two was his NHL draft year of 2016-2017, which held high hope. An early-season game between the NTDP under-18s and Boston University saw Hutsko take an awkward hit resulting in a cracked kneecap. A misdiagnosis, injury during rehab and surgery ended up costing him more time than the neck fracture. While his teammates were showing off their skills in front of NHL scouts, Hutsko finished with a nine-game stat line and his second major injury in two years. The draft process was put on hold.

Options going forward were a year of junior in the USHL or enrolling in a university hockey program with the intention of regaining his scoring touch. Logan opted for Boston College, hoping to gain any spot on the team and prove his worth. BC had lost its top five scorers from the prior year and there was an opportunity for Hutsko. The freshman began his 2017-2018 campaign as the fourth-line left wing before moving up to third-line right winger. In late December he graduated to second-line center and then to first-line right wing. All told, he tallied 31 points in 37 games to lead BC in scoring as a 19-year-old, becoming the eighth Eagle to win Hockey East rookie of the Year honors.

Hutsko did not receive an invite to the 2018 NHL draft combine, instead holding his own personal workout on campus. Twelve NHL clubs attended his private strength and agility workout on the same day as the combine. Four teams showed special interest in Hutsko’s talents: Boston, Toronto, Pittsburgh and Florida. The Panthers showed the most interest, with General Manager Dale Talon walking away quite impressed.

He was impressed to the point that he traded a future third-round pick (2019) to Nashville to acquire their third-rounder and draft Hutsko. “The dedication this kid has, the desire, the passion to get through all that?” Tallon said in a 2018 draft day press conference. “That shows impeccable character.”

The skill, hard work, determination and perseverance paid off with an opportunity for Hutsko to put on that NHL sweater for the first time.

 

Committed to college

There was great concern for those in attendance at Hockey East’s championship game on March 23, 2019, in Boston’s TD Garden. Late in the final period, Hutsko lay motionless on the ice after an entanglement with a fellow Boston College Eagle and a Northeastern Huskies defenseman, taking a hard fall and smacking his head against the frozen surface. BC trainers rushed to the sophomore’s side in the corner where he came to rest against the sideboards after the collision. Paramedics were summoned and spent some 15 minutes immobilizing Hutsko, securing him to a backboard and wheeling him from the ice on a stretcher. Even head coach Jerry York made a rare walk on the ice to check on his injured player.

The outcome was very fortunate for Hutsko, who assisted on both BC goals in the 3-2 loss. He was moving his fingers and toes upon arrival at Massachusetts General Hospital with his father, Todd. After a rapid recovery, he emerged unscathed from his latest injury scare.

The 2018-2019 season saw him finish second on the team in scoring with 26 points (6G, 20A); the team concluded the year with a disappointing 11-20-3 regular season record. But the Eagles surprised in the post-season, stunning two eventual Froze Four teams to reach the Hockey East final. First, BC upset Providence, winning a pair of one-goal games after dropping the first in overtime. Hutsko scored the OT game-winner in Game 2, picking a perfect time to end a 19-game goal-less streak. More heroics followed in Game 3, as he scored the eventual game winner in the third period – a wrist shot over Friars’ goalie Hayden Hawkey’s right pad.

Hutsko then assisted on what turned out to be the game-winning goal in the semifinals as Boston College shocked regular season champion UMass, 3-0. The Minutemen later reached the national championship game led by Hobey Baker Award-winning Ukrainian Cale Makar.

The 5-foot-10, 175-pound Hutsko started the year slowly, but came on at the end with 10 points in BC’s final 10 matches. He enjoyed eight multi-point games and showed his value by the fact his team went 11-5-2 when he scored at least one point and only 3-17 when he was scoreless.

This past season, cut short by the coronavirus, saw Hutsko tie for the team lead in goals (19) and total 33 points with a plus-17 in 30 games. Amidst all of the COVID-19 headlines, Boston College hockey fans got some good news this year on March 27 when Hutsko announced he would return for his senior season. After losing top line-mates David Cotton and Julius Mattila to graduation, Hutsko’s return will bring some stability back to the top line.

Hutsko will return with one more shot at a Hockey East Tournament final, the Beanpot Championship and, hopefully, a deep run in the NCAA tournament. As a senior, he will be looked upon as the leader of a talented group of underclassmen poised to develop and improve as a team.

Ihor Stelmach may be reached at [email protected].

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