May 30, 2011
Shouldering the load
Tough Hitmen winger Orzetti hasn’t let serious injury set back his NHL draft chances
by Kirk Luedeke/NYHJ Writer
Charles Orzetti
Charles Orzetti is back from an injury that cost him the 2009-10 season and could parlay his success with the EJHL’s Jersey Hitmen into selection at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft next month.
The 19-year-old winger from Wyckoff, N.J., is a 6-foot-4, 215-pound Yale University recruit for 2012. He played 29 games for the Hitmen this season, scoring 10 goals and 22 points, and had 42 penalty minutes.
“I think the easiest characterization people have told me, at least the college coaches at Yale, is that I’m a power forward,” Orzetti told New York Hockey Journal at the conclusion of the Hitmen’s season. “I use my size for that style of play. I like being physical and using my body, too. I can protect the puck down low. I can hit and I like getting good, hard shots off on net.”
Just being able to take the ice again after suffering a shoulder injury in the fall of 2009 was an important step to getting his development back on track.
“It was the second week of (Hitmen) training camp and there was a freak accident,” Orzetti said, of the mishap that forced him to miss an entire year of action and cost him a shot at being picked in the 2010 NHL draft. “I was reaching for a puck and was pushed into the boards. It wasn’t a big hit, but more of a shove. I fell awkwardly and dislocated my shoulder.”
Orzetti recalled spending a few agonizing hours with his shoulder out of its socket before it was reset, but the ordeal was far from over. Had it been just a dislocation, he could have made a relatively quick recovery. Unfortunately, he suffered a torn labrum that required surgery to repair and meant months before being cleared for contact and hockey.
He had the work done at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City by Dr. David W. Altchek, an award-winning orthopedic surgeon. By all accounts, the good doctor did a masterful job at getting the young power forward back to playing his crash-and-bang style, one with some offensive flourish.
“Everything is fine now,” said Orzetti. “I was in very good hands with HSS (and the subsequent rehab).”
When asked about what he needs to improve on this most in his game, Orzetti gets to the point.
“I have to work on my foot speed,” he said. “Big guys have to put more time into that than other people. It’s about improving the speed, quickness and agility so that I can play at a higher level when everyone is bigger, faster, stronger and more skilled.”
Before going to the EJHL, Orzetti spent three years at the Delbarton School, where he won two New Jersey state titles in 2008 and 2009 alongside NHL draft picks Alex Velischek (Kinnelon, N.J.) and Kenny Agostino (Morristown, N.J.). His Green Wave teammates also included Matt Killian (Basking Ridge, N.J.) who will be a fellow Yalie.
“I was on the team as a freshman and left as an assistant captain after my junior year,” he said. “I loved Delbarton and had a great three years on the team.”
Scouts describe Orzetti as a raw project, but with considerable potential given his size, physicality and character.
“He’s not flashy, but Orzetti is a load to handle when he drives to the net,” said an NHL scout from an Eastern Conference team recently. “Like most players his size, he’s a little slow out of the gate, but when he gets a good bit of steam going, look out, because he’s a strong kid and very tough to knock off stride.”
The scout said he was not concerned about the shoulder injury, noting that the way Orzetti relishes contact is a strong sign that he’s back to 100 percent. However, he did say that the winger’s puck skills and overall awareness could improve.
“He’s got one of those big, hard, heavy shots and he gets it off pretty quick,” the scout said. “But he’s still a work in progress. On the right teams with some good coaching and development, he could be a player, eventually.”
Orzetti’s play attracted the notice of the U.S. National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Mich., which brought Orzetti in to play some games after Thanksgiving as an injury replacement during a swing through northern New England. In a Nov. 27 game against Bowdoin, he registered an assist, and earned the respect of his coaches for his work ethic and intensity.
“I’m really appreciative of the opportunity to play for the Under-18 Team,” he said. “It opened my eyes to the different levels of competition out there, and having the chance to go up against college players was a great experience.”
Orzetti is an avowed New Jersey Devils supporter who follows the team closely. He lists Ilya Kovalchuk and Patrik Elias among the players he most enjoys watching. He respects Kovalchuk for his explosiveness and pure skill, while admiring Elias for his loyalty and consistency with the Devils organization. He also feels a connection to Elias, a native of the Czech Republic, because he once lived there as child when his dad’s job took the family to Eastern Europe.
“I was in first and second grades,” he said. “We lived about 20 minutes outside of downtown Prague for two years, and I still have the great memories of those times we spent there.”
Orzetti comes from a family of high achievers and a disciplined upbringing. His father, Ed, is a West Point graduate who flew scout helicopters for the U.S. Army before leaving the armed forces for the civilian sector.
Older brother Michael, graduates from the U.S. Naval Academy this month and will be commissioned a second lieutenant of Marines. The elder Orzetti will join the force after he completes graduate school at Georgetown University later this fall. In addition to that impressive resume, he is also the Naval Academy’s Class of 2011 president.
Not to be outdone, younger sister Nicole is a senior student athlete and standout lacrosse player at Immaculate Heart Academy in Washington Township, N.J.
Orzetti credits his family for all the support he’s gotten over the years, citing his mother, Charlene, and her father -- his “Pops,” Joe Irving -- as major influences on his success as a person and hockey player.
Although his hockey destination for the 2011-12 season is still to be determined, Orzetti says that he’s keeping his pre-Yale options open and that any decision about where he’ll compete will be made as a family.
“I’m not closing any doors; I can say that much,” he said.
Given his prodigious physical gifts and promise, Orzetti will have a lot of open gateways to choose from.
Kirk Luedeke can be reached at feedback@nyhockeyjournal.com.
NYHJ’S TOP FIVE
1. Shane Prince, LW Ottawa 67’s (OHL)
5-11, 185 pounds Spencerport, N.Y.
Prince and his Ottawa 67’s suffered a hugely disappointing first-round sweep in the OHL playoffs last month after a great individual and team regular season
2. Adam Clendening, D Boston University
5-11, 187 pounds Wheatfield, N.Y.
Still one of the top puck-moving defensemen available in the 2011 draft class; he should be a solid second-round pick at the very least.
3. Rob O’Gara, D Milton Academy
6-3, 185 pounds Nesconset, N.Y.
Strong, steady, intelligent defender will be one of the real draft values in this group and is one of three Yale recruits in the NYHJ top five with Matt Killian and Charles Orzetti.
4. Matt Killian, D Delbarton School
6-2, 190 pounds Basking Ridge, N.J.
Solid citizen has a chance to step out of New Jersey high school shadow and prove himself in ECAC Hockey next season.
5. Charles Orzetti, LW N.J. Hitmen (EJHL)
6-4, 215 pounds Wyckoff, N.J.
-- KIRK LUEDEKE
