June is an exciting time of year to be a pro hockey fan with the Stanley Cup, Calder Cup, and Kelly Cup Championships being decided, along with the annual NHL Entry Draft.  The 2015 NHL Entry Draft takes place June 26-27 in Sunrise, Florida, home of the Florida Panthers.  The Panthers have a host of promising young stars such as Aaron Ekblad, Aleksander Barkov, Johnathan Huberdeau, and Nick Bjugstrand, all of which were first round picks.  However, that’s not to take anything away from another promising Panthers draft pick, Vincent Trocheck, who was taken 64^th overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, who has split the past two seasons between the Panthers and their AHL affiliate in San Antonio.   

Before being drafted by the Panthers, Trocheck was a member of the Saginaw Spirit before being traded to the Plymouth Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).  Trocheck had a successful junior career putting up impressive numbers despite not winning a championship. 

“Since I didn’t win any championships in junior, it’s hard to put a specific moment as a highlight.  Every year just got better for me.” 

Trocheck won the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy in 2012-13 as the player with the most points in the OHL, an honor that features previous prominent winners such as John Tavares, Patrick Kane, Corey Perry, Tyler Seguin, and Tyler Toffoli.  Trocheck also won the Red Tilson Trophy in 2012-13 for being the most outstanding player in the OHL.  This year the honor went to Connor McDavid.

After finishing his junior career, Trocheck joined the San Antonio Rampage for the start of his first pro season in 2013-14.  He knew it was going to be a big transition from junior to the pro ranks.  “There’s the extra step in every part of the game whether it comes to speed, size, strength, or intelligence.  Everyone just has a better shot, better hands.  Everything is just a step higher.” 

With 89% of current NHL players first developing in the AHL, Trocheck emphasizes the importance of learning as a player.  “It’s the whole teaching aspect in the AHL.  We had Tom Rowe as our Head Coach in San Antonio and he’s been a great teacher for me by helping me along the way.  He lets me know where I need to improve and what won’t fly in the NHL.  Obviously the experience playing against pro hockey players helps the transition and gets you prepared for the next step to the NHL.”

As AHL players are represented by the Professional Hockey Players’ Association (PHPA), Trocheck appreciates what the union has to offer.  “We have team meetings with the PHPA in San Antonio each year and it helps with everything.  They are just a call away if you need anything as a player.” 

PHPA staff and Player Representatives are currently in the sunshine state with their annual Player Rep meetings underway.

It didn’t take long for Trocheck to make an impression in the Florida Panthers organization.  He had played 54 games for San Antonio, leading the team in goals (16), assists (25), and points (41) at the time he got the call.  “We had practice earlier in the day and I was sitting at home with my roommate Michael Houser.  We were in the apartment when I got the call from our head coach that I was going up.  I got to practice with Florida before I played so that helped with the transition.”

Trocheck made his NHL debut on March 7^th, 2014, against the Buffalo Sabres.  “It’s a dream come true when you’re playing in the NHL.  It was a special night and Florida flew down my family, my grandmother, aunt and uncle which was nice.” 

Seven days later, Trocheck scored his first career NHL goal against the New Jersey Devils.  “Scoring my first was special, I had the biggest smile on my face even if it was an empty netter.  Like the saying goes: they don’t ask how, they ask how many. Getting another goal against Vancouver the next game made it even better.”

Growing up in Pennsylvania, Trocheck’s favourite player was Peter Forsberg but he liked watching his hometown Pittsburgh Penguins with the likes of Jaromir Jagr and Mario Lemieux.  “I wanted to emulate my game after them growing up.” 

This past season was an exciting time when Trocheck joined the Panthers.  He would be playing alongside one of his boyhood idols in Jaromir Jagr.  “It was really weird for a little while. He’s a legend in the NHL and in the sport.  To be able to watch him growing up in Pittsburgh and then 15 years later playing with him and sitting in a stall next to him is extremely surreal.  He’s a great leader and he helped us young guys in Florida a lot.”

This coming season, Trocheck will be pushing for a full-time position with the Panthers.  He was a puck possession monster this past season leading all Panthers in Corsi For and Fenwick For in at least 40 games.  He appeared in 50 games registering 7 goals and 15 assists with a +9 rating.  Trocheck still knows he needs to improve to stay in the NHL.  “Everyone wants to improve aspects of their game.  In particular, I need to work on my defensive aspects and get that extra wow factor on the ice.”

It’s an exciting time to be a Florida Panthers fan with the mix of young stars and veterans.  “Right now we are growing as a team and will be a team to watch out for in a few years.  We have a lot of promising players that will be great for a long time, so it’s important to have guys like Willie Mitchell, Roberto Luongo, and Jaromir Jagr with us along the way.” 

The Panthers leadership core is led by Willie Mitchell who won two Stanley Cups with the Los Angeles Kings in 2012 and 2014.  Trocheck wanted to acknowledge the job that Mitchell has done. “Willie has done an outstanding job with us young guys.  He sticks up for us no matter what and knows when to put us in our place.  He’s one of the best captains that I have ever played for.”

The Florida Panthers have a bright future thanks to the draft and development of players through the AHL.  With the 11^th overall pick in this year’s draft, they hope to add another piece that will make an impact in the future.  “We definitely are an organization to watch out for.”