Brett Connolly said all the right things Wednesday night.
The 19-year-old Prince George hockey product spoke of dreams coming true and hard work ahead after Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman announced Tuesday he was keeping Connolly with the NHL club for the 2011-2012 season.
"It's a pretty cool feeling, it's definitely something to be proud of and it's exciting," said Connolly.
Connolly, the Prince George Cougars' star forward who was drafted sixth overall by the Lightning in 2010, had played nine NHL regular season games with the Florida franchise, which then had to choose whether to keep him in the pro ranks after the tenth game or send him back to the Cats.
The decision to retain Connolly means he now begins his NHL career and a three-year, $2.7 million contract.
Connolly's teen ascension to hockey's highest level stemmed, in part, from a meeting he had with Yzerman, one of his hockey idols, shortly after the 2010 draft.
"In my mind, I thought I was doing a good job and realistically I wasn't," said Connolly.
"Right after the world juniors I went down to Tampa and I had a meeting with Mr. Yzerman and pretty much it didn't go as well I thought it was going to go. It was kind of just an eyeopener for me that if I kept doing the things that I was doing there was no way that I would be in this position right now."
Yzerman didn't believe Connolly was ready to compete at the NHL level. Connolly came back to Prince George, threw himself into training and posted 73 points (46 goals) in 59 games for the Cats in the 2010-2011 season. He then left Prince George and spent the offseason training intensively in Toronto.
"I took [Yzerman's words] to heart," said Connolly. "I worked on my strength, conditioning, my skating and everything just fell into place.
"For me, I had more experience, my skating was way better, my fitness was better, I felt I could keep up and then some with the veteran guys and I wasn't getting knocked off the puck like I was in the first year."
Connolly's second tilt at the NHL has also meant roles with some of hockey's most dangerous offensive players. He's shared time Steve Stamkos and Martin St Louis as well as Vincent Lecavalier.
"During exhibition I found some success and I felt comfortable playing with those guys," said Connolly. "It kind of told me I could be there and keep up."
That moment became official for a kid who played hockey in Prince George when Yzerman took him aside after the Lightning's 4-3 win against the Sabres Thursday.
"He took me in the room and just said I've earned it," said Connolly. "He said the hard work is not finished, it's going to get harder. He expects a lot out of me and that's good. When he's talking you be quiet and listen and take in what he's got to say because he's one of the best players to ever play the game. It's nice to hear that from him."
-- Venis, Citizen staff
