Corcoran provides versatility to Spits
Draft pick has excelled in his rookie season both on the blue line and up front
Rookie Connor Corcoran has proven to be a tremendous value pick for the Windsor Spitfires.
With no first-round pick in the 2016 OHL Draft, the Spitfires made Corcoran the team’s top selection with the 21st pick overall.
A forward throughout his minor hockey career, Corcoran was converted to defence in his final season of minor midget and that’s where the Spitfires hoped he would play with the club.
“He really doesn’t have a foundation as a defenceman because he played most of last year and his whole career as a forward,” Spitfires head coach Rocky Thompson said. “We wanted to build that foundation.”
The club did, but due to injuries and suspensions Corcoran has been pressed into action far more often than the club anticipated with a veteran-laden roster, bouncing around from forward to defence.
“I was just taking it day-by-day, but I’m glad with what time I’m getting,” the 16-year-old Corcoran said.
The Spitfires were down to five defencemen at one point and Corcoran was seeing as much as 15 minutes of ice time a game. With six veterans healthy Thursday, Corcoran was shifted back to forward with Thompson saying he’s earned the time.
“I think it’s a great pick,” Thompson said of the club’s selection of Corcoran. “He was forced to step up and did a great job under the circumstances.”
The 6-foot-1, 177-pound Corcoran has now played in 49 of 57 games. With defenceman Logan Stanley out with a knee injury and forward Cristiano DiGiacinto suspended, he’s likely to continue to see time down the stretch.
“I’m getting used to both and wherever they need me I’m fine,” said Corcoran, who had four goals and eight points going into Thursday’s game. “I like (defence), but I like forward as much. I think it really helped me a lot. As long as I’m playing, I’m happy.”
KELLY STEPS DOWN
Former Spitfires head coach and general manager Mike Kelly announced Wednesday he is stepping down as vice-president and general manager of the Guelph Storm in May when his contract expires.
Kelly, who wants to spend more time with his family, is in his second stint with the Storm and was with the Spitfires from 1999-2005.
HEALTHY SCRATCH
With Gabriel Vilardi back after missing a game, Hayden McCool back after a seven-game absence and Daniel Robertson returning to the lineup after being sidelined for nine games, Thompson had the rare opportunity to make someone a healthy scratch in his lineup on Thursday.
Rookie Tyler Angle, the club’s sixth-round pick in the 2016 OHL Draft, sat out Thursday’s game.