Sam Ruopp was sticking close to his phone last June, waiting for a call that never came.
The 18-year-old Prince George Cougars defenceman knew he was one of the better blueliners on his team and his name was on NHL Central Scouting's list of draft-rated players. But it turned out no NHL team called out his name that weekend at the draft in Philadelphia.
Back home in Zehner, Sask., just northeast of Regina, Ruopp was understandably disappointed. It had only been three years since his older brother Harrison was picked by the Phoenix Coyotes in the third round of the 2011 draft and the younger Ruopp thought maybe he'd end up an NHL draft pick as well.
It didn't happen, and Ruopp has put that behind him and is going about his business trying to prove to those pro scouts he merits a second look.
"I was pretty devastated but I'm using that as motivation and it's pushing me to maybe go harder," said Ruopp, whose Cougars are in Spokane tonight to take on the Chiefs (7:05 p.m., CIRX 94.3 FM).
"I want to prove I deserve to be there. I find I have more confidence on the ice this year, I'm bigger and faster and that buys me a bit more time."
The six-foot-four, 179-pound Ruopp is a strong skater who rarely gets caught out of position and he chooses his spots wisely when he goes in deep to join the rush. He did that in the game Saturday against Kelowna when it was still scoreless in the second period, jamming the net to follow up on teammate Chase Witala's shot, and was rewarded with his first goal of the season.
"Sam's a big-bodied guy and his attention to detail in his own end is outstanding and he's a guy we lean on each night to make sure our battle level and compete level is up," said Cougars assistant coach Mike Hengen.
"He has the ability to stand up for himself and his teammates and block a lot of shots, so guys like Sam can soak up a lot of minutes. His older brother, for anyone who has watched him in the American Hockey League, is a tough customer and a very good hockey player and I'm sure it's paid off for Sam. He has a junkyard dog mentality and he embraces it and enjoys it."
Ruopp is the youngest of three boys in his family. He grew up working hard on the family's grain farm, where he developed his strength and learned how to fend off his older brothers, Harrison and Brayden. His experience in brotherly battles shows up every so often when he drops his gloves. He's one tough customer.
Ruopp scored five times as a rookie last season, two more than Harrison tallied in his entire four-year career with Prince Albert. But Harrison's toughness and solid defensive skills are what the pros liked and he's now in the AHL with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, one step away from the NHL.
"Without them, I wouldn't be where I am today," said Ruopp. "Harrison has been through all of it so I just go to him for advice. It keeps me motivated because that's where I want to be."
The Cougars (2-3-0-0) finish off the weekend Sunday in Vancouver against the Giants. After two one-sided losses to Kelowna, the Cougars scored a convincing 5-3 win Tuesday at home over Swift Current.
"We got back to simple hockey against Swift and played to our structure and I like where we're at right now," said Ruopp, who's been paired with rookie Shane Collins. "One thing we've been working on is the penalty kill, just getting in lanes and blocking shots and clearing guys in front of the net."
On Friday the Cougars acquired 17-year-old right winger Cal Babych in a trade from the Calgary Hitmen in exchange for a seventh-round pick in the 2017 bantam draft. The native of North Vancouver had three assists in a game last weekend against Lethbridge, his only WHL regular-season game this year. In 41 games last year for the Hitmen, Babych picked up three goals and six points.
