As a 20-year-old rookie for the American Hockey League affiliate Coachella Valley, Kraken prospect Ty Nelson is the only Firebirds defenseman to play in all 59 games heading into Wednesday’s home game in the southern California desert. Only AHL-tested forward Logan Morrison has matched that.
“A lot of the young kids playing their first AHL season hit a wall,” said Firebirds head coach Derek Laxdal in February. “They can face peaks and valleys in the second half of the season. We planned to hold him out, just for a one-game reset, but then ‘Fleurs’ [Cale Fleury] was called up. Nelly had to go right back in there and, to his credit, he didn’t miss a beat.”
Quite the contrary. Nelson, a 2022 third-round draft pick, has upped his performance at both ends of the ice over the last two-plus months. He leads Coachella Valley defenseman with a plus/minus of +12 and tops CVF defenders with 112 shots on goal. His scoring totals of six goals and 20 assists (three in the last four games) for 26 points each rank top-five among AHL rookie defensemen.
“The shots on goal stat is especially important because of the way we play, looking to funnel the puck on goal with our forwards arriving on time [for tip-ins, re-directs, screens],” said Stu Bickel, the Firebirds assistant coach who has been in charge of the defensive corps and the penalty kill units for all three Firebirds seasons, which, of course, include two Western Conference championships and a current squad just five standings points short of leading the Western Conference and Pacific Division as the third youngest team in the AHL. “It’s part of our identity and shooting the puck is natural for Nelly.”
Zoning in on the Defensive End
Bickel similarly mentored Ryker Evans during the young Kraken defenseman’s first pro year with frequent video sessions and on-ice work. He is equally apt to use advanced analytics to gauge Nelson’s progress from season start to Game 60 this week.
“In the first 30 games, Nelly’s exit percentage out of our ‘D’ zone was 75 percent,” said Bickel by phone Tuesday afternoon. “The last 30 games the percentage is up to 83 percent.”
Both Bickel and Laxdal praise Nelson’s coachability. Bickel sees that as a big plus as the player and assistant coach meet at Bickel’s computer for separate sessions on 5-on-5 play and penalty-kill performances/top-of-mind objectives before every Firebirds game. Bickel is sure to mix in both great plays and the inevitable miscues all pro hockey players make in a sport that demands high-pace, elite skill and split-second reads on what to with the puck or what the foe will do with the puck.
“I'm looking for every piece of insight that I can get from whether it's coaches or older players,” said Nelson this week after practice. “Just trying to better myself every day to make that jump to the next level.”
“Nelly is progressing quickly,” said Bickel. “Nelly is such a great kid, he's super coachable, he works hard. He checks all those boxes in terms type of player that does all the things to improve in practice, the weight room, watching video and taking care of his body.”
Sizing Up the Path to the NHL
Bickel said Nelson is “clearly a 200-foot player” and “interesting to work with in that he has a little bit different build [5-foot-9, 195 pounds] and we've done a lot of work on his defending, getting his stick to spots quickly, his stick-on-puck ability. Staying with players is huge for him because while he lacks a little bit of range, he makes up for it in his tenacity and his quickness.”
As an NHL player (76 games, New York Rangers, Minnesota) with lots of AHL experience as a defenseman and coach, Bickel has taught a master class on Nelson using his stick and body this season. Nelson was happy to provide an example that he says has transformed his work on the defensive end, especially against the veteran pros he faces every night.
“When I first got up here, I would always have two hands on my stick in the defensive zone,” said Nelson. “That was something that I was comfortable with doing in junior hockey. Stu said you can't defend with two hands on your stick in the AHL, because guys are able to make plays around you. You need to be able to close on players faster. Do it quickly because if you don’t in a split/half a second, they're going to make a play. He taught me how to defend with one hand on my stick and how to do it effectively. It's helped me out a tremendous amount playing in this league.”
Far from Home, Close to Teammates
Nelson is a Toronto native who grew up in the city limits with his close-knit family. He talks with his dad and mom pretty much every day, plus connecting with his sister and nephew. The conversations range from doing three time zones East to what Nelson is making for dinner in the house he shares with AHL veteran forward Luke Henman, the Kraken’s first-ever pro contract signee and appreciated across the organization as the pro’s pro.
“I love doing surf and turf, shrimp and steak,” said Nelson in the animated fashion that clearly explains how he becomes a verbal leader at Kraken development camps and how he fits into the esprit de corps with the Firebirds defensemen group. “Then there's these protein bowls that I make with some ground beef, rice, peppers, onions, corn, a little bit of sour cream and salsa. You just throw that all together for a great meal.”
As for those veteran D-men that represent the wisdom of the Kraken and Firebirds organizations in providing mentors to younger players, Nelson said the mood is both light and committed to team success sitting next to alternate captain and D-man Gustav (“Goose”) Olafsson and playing alongside similarly NHL-tested Max Lajoie. Head coach Laxdal credits both Bickel and Lajoie for the rising potential of the 2022 third-rounder.
“Ty has maturity as a person,” said Laxdal, who meets regularly with the defensive corps along with Bickel’s daily contact. “It allows him to navigate the waters. Max has done a good job helping him through those waters, really taken him under his wing. It helps him keep Nelly calmer...he’s a big influence on Nelly and that really helps us as coaches.
“He’s not the tallest guy, but he is thick and strong, has good speed and is not afraid to get involved. He’s got a great attitude, searching out info from Stu, very eager to talk. Sometimes you forget he’s a first-year player.”
