Entry-level deal makes Ronning a Ranger
Giants’ top scorer quick to credit Canucks’ Quinn for his success in hockey
Ty Ronning is loyal.
When it came time for a photo of the Vancouver Giants’ sharpshooting right wing signing his threeyear entry-level contract with the New York Rangers, Ronning wanted a picture of Pat Quinn in the shot.
Quinn, who died in 2014, was instrumental in the NHL career of Ty’s father Cliff Ronning. That included bringing Cliff to the Vancouver Canucks in a March 5, 1991 trade with the St. Louis Blues.
Quinn was also a Giants owner, and Ty’s Twitter page has a picture of Quinn and himself at the Pacific Coliseum taken just after the Giants used a first-round pick, 15th overall, in the 2012 WHL bantam draft to secure his rights.
The Rangers announced the Ronning deal Monday. Financial terms were not disclosed. New York had picked the 5-9, 172-pounder from Burnaby in the seventh round of the 2016 NHL entry draft.
The 20-year-old will stick with the Giants for the remainder of the WHL season, and will look to extend the team-record 55 goals he has in the final seven regular season matchups. The Giants qualified for the playoffs over the weekend.
“I wanted Mr. Quinn in the photo because he was not only amazing for the game of hockey, but also because he was an amazing person,” Ronning wrote in a text message. “A role model/grandpa figure to me. I know he’s always looking over me.”
According to two player agents familiar with the situation, the Rangers had until June 1 to sign Ronning or he would have gone back into the draft.
Ronning is tied for second in the WHL in goals with Swift Current Broncos forward Glenn Gawdin, trailing the 61 by Moose Jaw Warriors forward Jayden Halbgewachs.
This is a breakout season for Ronning. He had 56 goals in his two campaigns with the Giants before this one.
Whether he would have been
better off not signing with the Rangers and going back into the draft is up for debate. Ronning maintains he never contemplated that. Consider it further evidence of his loyalty.
“Twenty-nine other teams passed on me. The Rangers were the one
team to believe in me,” he said.
The Canucks had two cracks at Ronning in that seventh round, but opted to take then-Portland Winterhawks centre Rodrigo Abols with the 184th selection and then North Bay Battalion centre Brett McKenzie
with the 194th pick before the Rangers chose Ronning with the 201st.
The 22-year-old Abols, who is playing pro in Sweden, and McKenzie, 20, who is in the OHL with the Owen Sound Attack, have yet to sign with the Canucks.
Seventh-rounders are historically long shots. As of Monday morning, only three picks from the 2013 seventh round had played in an NHL game. Only one from the 2014 draft had done so.
If Ronning beats those odds, rest assured the Canucks’ management will get blasted for it both in the press and on social media.
There’s much for Ronning to do before that happens, of course. At his size, there will be questions about his ability to play in his own zone. Ronning has 22 assists to go with 55 goals, so some may wonder about his total offensive game.
He played 12 games last spring with the Rangers’ AHL affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack after the Giants’ season came to a close, so he should have an idea of what’s in store. He had two goals and three assists in that time.
“I need to focus on strengthening my lower body and build a solid foundation for speed and power,” said Ronning, who put on about 10 pounds last summer and looks more powerful than he did in 201617. “It’s going to be a grind, but I’ll learn to love every minute of it.”
Ronning broke Evander Kane’s 2008-09 Giants record for goals in a season. Kane had 48 that campaign.
With 121 career goals, Ronning is five behind Adam Courchaine (2001-05) for second all-time with the Giants. Brendan Gallagher (2008-12) leads with 136.
The Rangers do have a tie to the Giants in their front office. Mike Barnett is the senior adviser to president Glen Sather. His son J.T. Barnett was a winger with the Giants for 109 regular season games from 2008 to 2010.