– something he and his shot
are quite comfortable with.
“My shot is something I
use as a weapon,” the former
captain of the Brandon Wheat
Kings said. “Offence has never
been a problem for me. I’ve
always needed to spend more
time focusing on the defensive
side of things. The biggest thing
for me right now is just my
technique down low, finishing
guys and stopping them low
in our zone. For myself, I try
to play an offensive role and
get up the ice as much as I can,
and if I continue to improve
in putting those two together
I think I should be alright.”
Growing up in rural
Manitoba, the 2013 first
rounder spent a lot of time
at the local rink – upon
encouragement from his father.
“As a kid my dad had me and
my brothers at the rink as much
as he could,” the 23-year-old
said. “I’m not going to lie, but
he had a little key that we could
use to go in there whenever we
want – whenever there was free
ice. I spent a lot of hours there
in the winter just shooting
around and working on my
skills. The part I remember
the most was just how much
fun I had doing all that.”
David Pulock – Ryan’s father,
who used to coach Ryan as
a child – insists that it was
all of the extra ice-time at
the local rink that turned his
son into the hard-shooting
player that he is today.
“We ran the kitchen at
the community centre,”
David P ulock said. “It just so
happened the rink was almost
always unoccupied, so Ryan
and his brothers would be out
on that ice all day long. Other
times I would remember the
opposing teams’ coaches say to
me, ‘Can you please tell Ryan no
1 8 | G AME ON | PL AYOF F EDITION 2018
slap shots today? We want our
goalie to last the full game this
time.’ Ryan always responded
well. He agreed every time
and held the shot back.”
For the kid who won
multiple hardest shot
competitions in the triple
digits with the Wheaties,
it was nothing new for the
then 21-year-old to come in
to Islanders camp in 2015
and win yet another skills
competition with a 105 mile-
per-hour sizzler. Although
now playing professionally
in the NHL, Pulock knows
exactly to whom he owes
much of the credit.
“Playing in Brandon was
huge,” he said. “I definitely
liked playing at the rink in
Grandview as a kid, but I
always found it cool whenever
we would go out on the road
to play a game at the Keystone
Centre in Brandon. And then
to be able to play out my full
junior career there in Brandon
was really special. Kelly
McCrimmon was instrumental
in my hockey career; going to
Brandon as a 16-year-old, I
didn’t think I even had a shot
at making the team. But after
a good camp, Kelly really gave
me a chance, and I was able to
succeed there. Kelly and the
Wheat Kings have been big
stepping stones into my career
in getting me here today.”
With 18 points in 42 games
so far in 2017-18, Pulock has
been a steady contributor
statistically. However, he may
never experience another
game like the one he played
on Saturday, Jan. 20.
In collecting a goal and four
assists during the game in
Chicago, the Gandview native
became only the eighth rookie
defenseman in NHL history
(and the first rookie Islander
defenseman) to record a
five-point night – bumping up
his career-high an additional
three points in the process.
His individual effort went a
long way ensuring a 7-3 road
victory over the Blackhawks
– something that the Isles
hadn’t done since 2009.
“Sometimes when you’re hot
they go in, and that’s definitely
a good feeling,” Pulock said
following his milestone
performance. “As an offensive
guy, those kinds of games are
always fun. I’m sure at times
the coaches aren’t too happy,
but we came out on top and it
was a big win for our team.”
Big wins are exactly what the
hit-and-miss Islanders will need
going forward, if they want any
shot at the Stanley Cup Playoffs
this spring. And for Pulock, it
all goes back to the basics.
“We just need to continue
building off of all the right
things we do,” he reflected. “By
tightening things up defen-
sively while still contributing
offensively, I hope to help this
team win hockey games and
really gives us a shot at it this
year. It’s going to be a good
stretch run; we are in a tough
division, but we have a good
team here, so I think it will be a
really good finish.” ❍