"My path has been a little bit different," said Rodewald after an on-ice session at this week's Sens Development Camp. "I wasn't drafted and I wasn't signed out of Junior so the opportunity to join that squad was a big deal for me."
Unfortunately, as fast as opportunities are given in this sport, they can disappear.
The 6' 2" right winger was knocked out of the tournament in the first 10 minutes of the first game after being struck with a shot and suffering the "lowest of all lower body injuries" (read between the lines on that one). His chance to showcase his skills to the Sens brass had hit a bit of a speedbump and he found himself starting the season with the team's ECHL affiliate.
"I knew that I wanted to work my way up from Wichita to Binghamton as fast as I could so I just worked my hardest to get back up there." said Rodewald. "I had developed my game a lot over the summer and hadn't had a chance to show that yet so I really felt like I was ready to take that next step and become a full-time player in the AHL."
8 points in his first 6 games in Wichita and just like that Rodewald got the call-up he was looking for.
"Binghamton was struggling early in the season so I had a bit of an advantage coming in with confidence from my short time with Wichita," Rodewald recalled about his transition to the AHL last season. "I just stuck to playing my game and focusing on the things that had worked for me in the ECHL. Thankfully, everything just seemed to click."
Rodewald amassed an impressive 18 goals in 66 games with the B-Sens, good for the 4th highest total on the team. In what was ultimately a disappointing season for Binghamton in the standings, Rodewald was able to parlay his success on the ice into a two-year contract with the Belleville Senators.
"It's nice knowing that I have a little bit of job security and that this organization wanted to make a commitment to me," he said of his new AHL deal. "But this isn't one of those things where I'm taking my foot off the gas pedal. I want to show them that they made the right choice and that I can take the next step."
And that about catches us up to this week.