Jordan Schroeder Talk

[Ossi Vaananen]

He was great tonight, though he should take some lessons from Malholtra in faceoffs. Sadly he was only 1/4 in the dot.

I was really happy with his play, and I've been saying it since last Friday, he's been in Van the whole time and had actually made the team. His passing is unbelievable, I also like this technique he's picked up of placing himself between the opposition and the puck or else stapling the other player's stick against the boards. It's really creative from an undersized player.

[DeNiro]

How was his passing skills like? was it something similar to those of patrick kane (not comparing them)

Similar in the fact that he always makes nice crisp tape to tape passes, and always has his head up looking to make a play.

Kane obviously has elite dangling abilties though. He likes to toy with defenders before he makes his passes.

[Ossi Vaananen]

Good article from the Sun:

VANCOUVER - Jordan Schroeder isn't small unless he plays that way.

“I remember standing in the corner of the rink,” John Schroeder said, describing his son's first hockey practice in Minnesota. “I didn't know much about the game, but I was watching him with other kids and thinking: 'God, he kind of stands out.' Right after the first practice, they said they wanted to move him up a level. The next week, they did the same thing and moved him up again, to eight year olds. All his life, Jordan played against older kids.”

All his life, he played against bigger kids.

Wednesday, Schroeder played against the biggest kids of all.

No one makes it to the National Hockey League by being “small” or weak or intimidated. This is the league that in some stages of its evolution has valued size about all else, and even now rarely considers a player's height less important than his ability to, say, skate.

So it is no small achievement that Jordan Schroeder, five-foot-nine on tippy toes, made his NHL debut in a 3-2 shootout win for the Vancouver Canucks, who drafted him in the first round 3½ years ago and have been waiting patiently for him ever since.

Schroeder had been waiting, too, for an opportunity that finally came with Ryan Kesler's surgery and Andrew Ebbett's failure to impress last weekend.

So it is Schroeder's turn against the Calgary Flames. He looked ready. He should be. He has been waiting his whole life for this.

“I never doubted this,” the 22-year-old said after the morning skate. “I knew it would come if I stayed positive and kept working hard to become a better player. You do realize how hard it is (to make the NHL). But like I've said before, there are different paths for everyone. Some guys jump right in. Some guys have to find what they do best to make it. It could take a year, could take five years. There's a different path everyone takes.”

Schroeder's path has been neither short nor straight.

An offensive whiz from the U.S. under-18 program, Schroeder led his country's world junior team in scoring as a 17-year-old and was at the front of the curve in that program's development of small, fast, skilled players.

As a freshman at the University of Minnesota, Schroeder had 45 points in 35 games and was drafted 22nd by the Canucks in 2009. A year later, it looked like the centre might sprint all the way to the NHL when he had four goals and nine points in 11 games in the American League after leaving school.

But the next season, 2010-11, he managed only 10 goals and 28 points in 61 games for the Manitoba Moose. Schroeder was only slightly better last year, scoring 44 points in 76 AHL games, and seemed to be as much suspect as prospect.

But the Canucks weren't exactly the Cleveland Barons the last two seasons, and Schroeder probably would not have cracked their Presidents' Trophy-winning lineups no matter how many points he piled up in the American League.

Henrik Sedin and Kesler are arguably the NHL's best one-two punch at centre this side of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. And Cody Hodgson, drafted a year before Schroeder, was ahead on the depth chart and like a road block for Schroeder.

Centring Dale Weise and Mason Raymond, who scored, Schroeder logged a sturdy 14:49 of ice time that included a shift in overtime.

He is miles from making it in the NHL, and if he thinks he has arrived he is probably already doomed.

But Schroeder earned this opportunity with an excellent training camp last week, and his NHL debut was a solid one.

His dad and mom, John and Deb, travelled from Minneapolis to see Jordan's first NHL game. They're going to California, too, for the Canucks' three-game trip that starts Friday in Anaheim.

“We wouldn't miss this for nothin',” John said. “I can't really explain the past 22 years – all his hockey career, the ups and downs you go through. All those memories will come together a little bit.

“I like to say it's his dream to play in the NHL, but this is far from his goal, just to play one game. He wants to show that he belongs in the NHL, with his vision and skill and speed. He wasn't given the physical attributes of a six-foot-three, 230-pound body. But that's what made Jordan work that much harder to overcome that issue with all his other attributes.”

John Schroeder's sport was basketball and he knew nothing about hockey until he moved his family to the Twin Cities from the town of Pipestone in the southwest corner of Minnesota. Jordan begged to play hockey like other kids in the suburb of Lakeville.

Jordan skated at the rink and on the frozen pond in his neighbour's backyard. He played hockey in the house, too.

“I spent a lot of time out in the garage,” he said, “shooting pucks, stickhandling around my dog, firing tennis balls at my brother.”

Firing tennis balls at his brother?

“For accuracy,” he smiled.

Little brother Zach survived and is playing college hockey at RPI in Troy, New York. The boys' sister, Elly, is on the Lakeville high school team.

His dad recalls two defining moments for Jordan.

The first was when Jordan was 10 and discovered at a tournament in Edmonton that Canadian boys like Drew Doughty, John Tavares and Steve Stamkos were allowed to do slapshots, which were forbidden at that age in Minnesota leagues.

“The first day we got home, he went out on the driveway and started doing slapshots,” John said. “The first couple just dribbled off his stick. But he stayed out there for five hours straight. He taught himself to do it. That defined his passion for the game and to learn.”

Another revelation came at the state high school championship when Schroeder, an eighth-grader on the senior team, scored five points in a game against local star and future NHLer Matt Niskanen.

“That was a defining moment (for me),” John said. “Like, maybe this kid can play hockey.”

So far so good.

“After the first few shifts, I relaxed and just started playing,” Jordan said after the game. “I was trying to get used to the pace, used to everything. It was fun. I'm keeping my jersey, but I didn't grab a puck. I'll save that for my first goal.”

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/Jordan+Schroeder+gets+chance+stand+tall/7863371/story.html#ixzz2H5hj9Npr

Sounds like he loves the game.

[canuck_trevor16]

He was great tonight, though he should take some lessons from Malholtra in faceoffs. Sadly he was only 1/4 in the dot.

I was really happy with his play, and I've been saying it since last Friday, he's been in Van the whole time and had actually made the team. His passing is unbelievable, I also like this technique he's picked up of placing himself between the opposition and the puck or else stapling the other player's stick against the boards. It's really creative from an undersized player.

imagine if his wingers could complete the pass and finish the play.......someone like Jensen might be the one......long term I don't think he will a center forever due to his size so he has to convert to the wing and someone who might what Kesler need in term of someone to pass the puck..

[Lonny_Bohonos_14]

Liked what I saw from Schroeder last night. Made some nice passes, looked good on the powerplay, has really good speed, even threw few hits.

Two few things I would have liked to see:

Shoot more - he has a great shot. Needs to use it more.

Drive to the net with the puck. To often he would enter the zone with the puck and peel off to the boards and try to pass the puck. Drive to the net and shoot it!

All in all a good outing. Like what has already been said, he looked like he belonged. Here's hoping he sticks around.

[Boudrias]

The dif between CoHo and Schroeder is 190 pounds vs 175 pounds. That said I thought he played a pretty decent game. He is good enough with the puck to control play in the offensive zone. A few games and he will get more comfortable.

[higgyfan]

Jordon didn't look out of place at all. I liked his speed, passing and hockey IQ. It will be interesting to see how he does against the Ducks. He seems to have good chemistry with Raymond, but could use a guy like Burrows on his right side. I like Weise's energy, but he really isn't much of a goal scorer.

What a bonus for the Nucks if Jordan can play his way onto the team. His play-making skills are much needed on the 2nd line. Unfortunatley, he hasn't done well at wing, so I don't know how that will pan out for him.

[stexx]

his first shift was a very good sign for me. he got a pass at our blueline and instead of firing the puck off the glass and out he turned and fired a one touch pass to raymond who was circling through the middle and the canucks broke out of the zone with speed. to me that was a play that showed he can think the game.

[Erik Karlsson]

his first shift was a very good sign for me. he got a pass at our blueline and instead of firing the puck off the glass and out he turned and fired a one touch pass to raymond who was circling through the middle and the canucks broke out of the zone with speed. to me that was a play that showed he can think the game.

Yeah I noticed that too, I thought the flame behind him was going to take the puck from him actually, and that was going to be the end of his night lol..

[avelanch]

I don't know why jordan thinks he can/should be the net front presence though... got boxed out/manhandled all night. a player of his stature needs to find the empty spaces, not sit in front causing a minor disturbance at best. also, on a couple break ins he looked very promising and i was excited to see him take the play to the net, but instead he stopped or turned around on the half wall and the play stagnated even though he had some guys going to the net or a partial lane that he might be able to exploit. I would have liked to at least see a shot/rebound, or a pass in that situation, not just a stop and set up. Raymond and Weiss are not what I'd call "set up in the o-zone" players...

[*vInTaGe*]

I loved his game. He looked comfortable like a vet and played a good two-way game.

[- PikaBOO -]

...and ebbett was given a chance before schroeder??

[Joel Heyman]

Loved the grit Schroeder showed. I agree though, didn't like him being the screen in front of the net. Weise should have been that guy and Schroeder should be sitting at the half wall or wherever is open.

[stexx]

i watched about 10 wolves games this year, i really never noticed schroeder screening/playing in front like he did last night. was i just not noticing it on the wolves? it seemed very apparent last night. might have just been an unfamiliarity of the 2nd PP unit (where i noticed it most)

[Hyzer]

I'll be willing to say that he is one of the better passers on the team. Beautiful, crisp tape-to-tape passes all game long and plays much bigger than his size. He looks like a stud so far.

[canuck_trevor16]

I think that he is going to be star...........continue to improve and probably one of the best passer in the team after Daniel, henrik, and Kassasin?

[wshdrvvn]

he played really solid. I think insulating him with burrows and raymond would be great for the second line and his developement. I'm looking for him to step out a little more and get some shots off, even as soon as tomorrow night. It's really cool to see him play right now, i've been waiting for his arrival for awhile.

[Joel Heyman]

Also, he looks a lot like Ryan Gosling, just saiyan.

[Millerdraft]

I don't know why jordan thinks he can/should be the net front presence though... got boxed out/manhandled all night. a player of his stature needs to find the empty spaces, not sit in front causing a minor disturbance at best. also, on a couple break ins he looked very promising and i was excited to see him take the play to the net, but instead he stopped or turned around on the half wall and the play stagnated even though he had some guys going to the net or a partial lane that he might be able to exploit. I would have liked to at least see a shot/rebound, or a pass in that situation, not just a stop and set up. Raymond and Weiss are not what I'd call "set up in the o-zone" players...

Stick him on the wing with Booth & Kesler and this will no longer be a problem. Booth has a magnet that pulls him to the net more often than any other player on this team and Kesler is so good along the boards that the only time he'll need help is for give-and-goes which is just a perfect scenario for Schroeder, imo.

[Strawberries]

Also, he looks a lot like Ryan Gosling, just saiyan.

Also, he looks a lot like Ryan Gosling, just saiyan.

He be getting dem hoes

If he was a lil taller