RARE TALENT, OPPORTUNITY
With this chance given to him becasue of the pandemic, Wisdom, 18, is playing at a level beyond his years
He’s just 18 years old, a puppy in professional hockey years, and he has been living in Allentown, away from his native Toronto, while playing for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
But Zayde Wisdom has played at a level closer to the NHL than the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for ages 16-21, where he would be today if not for the coronavirus pandemic that led to a temporary shutdown, sending its players scattering.
Wisdom, a fourth-round draft pick the Philadelphia Flyers traded up to select last year, wound up being promoted prematurely to Lehigh Valley, where he has more than settled in comfortably.
Following Wednesday’s 6-2 loss to the Hershey Bears, the right winger led the team in goals (seven) and points (11), his most recent coming on a deflected shot in that game.
Wisdom is only 5-foot-11 but solidly built at 195 pounds. He’s an excellent skater who grinds in the corners for loose pucks and has quick hands for passing, shooting and deflecting. Though not the greatest puck handler, he’s almost always in the right position, and he can add a dangerous dimension to any team’s offense.
But none of that technical mumbo jumbo means as much as Wisdom’s journey to this point and how his background made him the player and the person he is today.
Wisdom is a survivor. A survivor of a difficult birth in which the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck, choking him.
A survivor of poverty growing up in Toronto while being raised by his mother and grandmother. He also thrives.
Thrives as a great teammate. Thrives as a Black player in an almost all-white sport.
Thrives as someone who has worked for everything he has received because he grew up in poverty, knowing no other way.
His mother, Mairri McConnell, remains his inspiration. She worked around the clock at multiple jobs to make sure he and his little brother, Zaccharya, would have a chance for a better life after their father, Anief
Wisdom, split from the family when Zayde was 5.
She succeeded.
“She was always the main person I looked up to every day of my life,” Wisdom said. “I would wake up and see her work and pushing and hustling for everything she got.”
Anief has since reentered his sons’ lives, putting Zayde in an even happier place. But his mom clearly had the most influence.
“Who knows? Maybe I would have [still] been here if my mom acted a little bit differently or if I looked up to a different person,” Wisdom said. “But her hustling and everything she worked for and watching her work for everything she has definitely helped a lot, and it brings me to where I am today.”
Where exactly Wisdom is remains a bit of a mystery.
When the OHL starts up again, he expects to head back to Canada for more seasoning.
On the other hand, the Flyers aren’t exactly flourishing with the crew they have in Philly now. They are in a downward spiral in which they’ve lost 10 of their last 14 games to fall to 15-13-4.
All Phantoms coach Scott Gordon knows is that he’s not saying what he might know.
“I’ve been doing this too long to speculate when somebody is going to get to the NHL,” he said. “Every player is different. Every player by position has what’s in front of them that they don’t control, how they continue to progress in their careers.
“And so like I tell the players, ‘You all have your own race, and your objective is to win that race and there’s no timetable on it.’ Everybody’s different. Some guys are here for three years, four years; some guys are here for a month. I can’t really give you an answer, unfortunately.”
Whenever Wisdom does make it to the NHL, he will use the larger paychecks to pay it forward with his mother and improve the quality of her life.
“That’s definitely on the list of things to get done,” he said.
In the meantime, Wisdom continues to learn and contribute.
“He has a big role with us,” Gordon said. “He plays on the power play [and] plays with two pretty good offensive players. He’s fit in well. It’s a credit to his work ethic and attention to detail.
“He’s shown even at the age of 18 that he’s probably one of the strongest guys on our team on the puck, and I’ve been really, really pleased with the way he’s played.”
Although Wisdom’s statistics indicate he’s taken everything in stride since his promotion to the AHL, he admitted that it’s still a major adjustment.
“Everything’s different, if I’m being completely honest, than juniors,” he said. “You’re playing against men at this point. You’re playing against guys who are playing to feed their families ... how much more fast it is, how much more physical it is, how much smarter it is, how much quicker you have to think — everything’s different.
“It took a few weeks to kind of get used to it, but I have a great group of guys around me, great leadership that Gordo selected. And they’ve been nothing but helpful to the young guys, especially me. And I couldn’t be more thankful for the guys we’ve got.”
Wisdom lives with teammate Tyson Foerster in a downtown apartment that’s within walking distance of the PPL Center. They don’t have a car because they don’t need one.
As comfortable as the arrangement is, it won’t last much longer.
Whatever direction Wisdom goes, he understands the AHL experience he’s getting at such a young age is priceless.
“It definitely brings up the confidence being able to be here and play pro and be this close to reaching the big leagues and my dreams,” he said. “But at the same time, I’ve got to keep a humble mind and remember that I’m here because of COVID and I probably still would have been in the OHL this year if COVID didn’t happen.
“And I kind of just try to keep focused and try and do my thing here before I start worrying about what I’m going to be doing up in the NHL.”