November 21, 2011
Forcing the issue
Offensive-minded Jr. Sabres forward Poturalski is making people at higher levels take notice
by Gene Morris/Correspondent
There’s no denying the type of game that Andrew Poturalski plays. The 5-foot-10, 180-pound forward out of Amherst, N.Y., has brought his high-powered offensive game to the Buffalo Jr. Sabres of the OJHL.
“He’s a jump-on-my-back, let’s-go-on-the-offensive zone type of kid,” is how Jr. Sabres head coach Grant Ledyard described him. “He attacks the other team; he’s relentless that way. It’s just constant; he gets the puck and he’s going to attack the other team, and it’s going to be a long night if he finds a weakness in one of these guys and he’s out there on the ice against him.”
For all the attacking he does on the ice, Poturalski doesn’t usually draw tons of attention to himself for anything except his game.
“He’s not a look-at-me-type of kid,” Ledyard said. “There’s not a lot of complaining going on and there’s not a lot of politicking. It’s just let’s go play.”
Playing the last three years at Nichols School in Buffalo, Poturalski has elevated his game enough to get selected to the preliminary ranking of North American skaters for the 2012 draft by NHL Central Scouting. It’s an accomplishment that means a lot to Poturalski, but not as much as continuing to develop his game for the next level.
“It feels good and it’s a good accomplishment, but there’s a lot of hard work left to be done,” he said. “It doesn’t mean much really because there are a lot of kids on there. But I thought it was good to be on there out of high school last year and this year will be a good test for me.”
Poturalski led the league Nichols plays in – the Conference of Independent Schools Athletic Association (CISAA) - in scoring during the regular season and scored five goals – including the overtime game-winner – in the CISAA championship game.
It was that pedigree that led Poturalski to be selected by the Sioux City Musketeers of the USHL as a 16-year old in the futures draft. But instead of playing in the USHL this year, Poturalski has instead suited up for the Jr. Sabres, something that delighted Ledyard and Sabres general manager Michael Peca.
“At the Jr. Sabres program we feel lucky to have a few of these high level kids playing with us,” Ledyard said. “The USHL, they didn’t have room for these kids this year and that’s what we’re here for as a program, to develop these kids until they’re ready to go to school, ready to go to the USHL, ready to sign a pro contract, whatever it is.”
Poturalski said he intends to play next year with Cedar Rapids of the USHL before embarking on a college career at the University of New Hampshire. He got off to a great start with the Sabres, scoring 10 goals to go along with 15 assists in the team’s first 14 games.
“He’s respectful and works well with his teammates,” Ledyard said. “Our program is set up exactly for kids like Andrew.”
It’s the way he works that makes Ledyard think Poturalski will develop into the type of player capable of “making waves” at the next level.
“He’s not one of these guys that are going to settle for being in the middle of the pack; that’s just not an option for him,” Ledyard said. “Let’s say he gets to the University of New Hampshire in his freshman year and they’re trying to push him to the side because there’s guy ahead of him – well, there’s a good chance that he’s going to push so hard he’s either going to get himself ahead and earn that ice time or he’s going to piss a few people off. He’s going to make waves in all the right areas.”
Both Ledyard and Poturalski himself admit that the forward needs to work on his game away from the puck and in the defensive zone, but Poturalski has shown at each level he’s played at that he can get the job done. Next year will be the USHL and then the NCAA. The future is bright for the 17-year old.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if his stride lengthens out a little bit and he gets a little bit stronger – I’d like to see him have two solid years at New Hampshire and take it from there,” Ledyard said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he signed a pro contract early out of the University of New Hampshire.”
For now though Poturalski is focused on improving his game and taking it to defenseman in the OJHL.
“He’s a joy to coach -- he’s always here and he has a ball with his teammates,” Ledyard said. “He’s kind of a throwback; he just wants to play.”
Gene Morris can be reached at feedback@nyhockeyjournal.com.
