Tony Granato on LA Kings Prospect Alex Turcotte: “He Plays Every Game Like it’s Game 7 of the Stanley Cup”
- Updated: November 14, 2019
Photo credit: Kevin Light/Getty Images
Last season, quite a few fans of the Los Angeles Kings saw a silver lining in their team’s futility on the ice. The #LoseforHughes hashtag became quite the trend on social media, referring to can’t-miss prospect Jack Hughes, who could have been drafted by the Kings had they won the draft lottery.
Unfortunately for the Kings and their fans, they did not win said lottery. In fact, the silver-and-black had to settle with a disappointing fifth spot despite finishing the 2018-19 NHL campaign next-to-last overall. Of course, when draft day came and went, said disappointment tapered off, losing its synonymy with their draft ranking.
With their pick, the Kings drafted Alex Turcotte, a product of the U.S. Under-18 team.
Photo credit: NHL.com
Blessed with an impeccable skating prowess to go in hand with solid offensive and defensive games, the 18-year-old is now one of the most significant pieces to a promising Kings future. Now, after three years with the U.S. National team, Turcotte’s collegiate career has kicked off, playing for the University of Wisconsin.
While playing at a school that has produced many bona fide NHLers — including Ryan Suter, Joe Pavelski and Kyle Turris — it could be argued that Turcotte is at an advantage as his new head coach is former King, Tony Granato.
I recently spoke with Granato, who filled me in on how he’s enjoying coaching Turcotte thus far, what he’s been bringing to Wisconsin’s early success and how the silver-and-black connection between the two has come into play. From Granato’s enviable vantage point, though, there is something particular that stands out about his new centerman.
“He’s competitive,” Granato began. “He’s got tremendous offensive skill and instincts but it’s really his passion for the game and how hard he plays it. He’s relentless and he plays every game like it’s Game 7 of the Stanley Cup.”
Photo credit: Lawrence Iles/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The latter statement is quite the compliment for the young Turcotte, especially coming from someone of Granato’s pedigree. Said compliment does not go undeserved, however, as Turcotte, in just eight games thus far, has six goals and six assists for the Badgers.
Being just a handful of games into his collegiate career, though, it is fair to say that we haven’t seen everything from Turcotte just yet. You can, however, be sure that there is a lot more to come for the Kings prospect. Granato continued, telling me what he and his staff hope to see from the Island Lake, IL, native this season.
“Just continuing his growth,” added Granato. “He’s certainly on track to be ready to play in the NHL soon.”
Standing at 5-foot-11, it can be argued that size is not necessarily on Turcotte’s side. Nevertheless, Granato, a fellow Illinois native, admitted that he’s been giving Turcotte some new challenges and it’s been so far, so good thanks mostly to the youngster’s fiery competitiveness.
“Each and every weekend, there’s going to be new challenges and new opponents,” Granato said. “Like, last week versus Penn State, they added 6-foot-5 guys chasing him down the rink, so he’s going to have to face that and understand that’s part of who he is. I thought he handled it well. He didn’t get a whole lot of production but he [responded to the challenges] like crazy and he’ll find ways to deal with that because of his competitiveness, to be able to handle that and understand it.”
Photo courtesy of LAKingsInsider.com
Of the many positives that Turcotte does bring to the table, this writer gave Granato the unenviable task of choosing just one of his rookie’s most promising traits.
“Coachable,” a matter-of-fact Granato answered. “Tremendously energized kid that loves the game of hockey. Fortunately for the last three years since he’s committed [to the University of Wisconsin], I’ve had a chance to build that relationship up and he’s authentic and he is what he is, his work ethic and passion for the game.”
Then, the Badgers coach said something about Turcotte that deeply impressed this writer, an avid hockey historian.
“He’s studying the history of the game and knowing about the game shows how much pride he has [for hockey] and he’s a pleasure to coach.”
Of course, with all of this being said, this writer admittedly would be remiss had he not broached the subject of the Kings connection between player and coach. I asked Granato if the Kings connection was brought up between him and Turcotte.
“Yes, many times,” said Granato. “Much of the [Kings] staff and management are my former teammates and I’ve told him how much he’ll enjoy being a part of that group, how wonderful they are and what it’s like to play in L.A. such as the fan support. So, we’ve shared a lot of stories.”
Photo credit: Winslow Townson, Associated Press
Those supporting the Kings may have been underwhelmed seeing their team fall short of the Jack Hughes sweepstakes, if you will. Of course, those who are familiar with the Los Angeles Kings know that, regardless of how they fare on the ice, the franchise is far too rich in integrity to lose to draft a player, regardless of their potential.
Say what you will about the luck of the draw for the Kings but having the fifth spot in last June’s draft resulted in the club choosing another can’t-miss prospect in Alex Turcotte.
He may not have been the consensus number-one entering last year’s draft but Alex Turcotte nonetheless possesses a ceiling to be referred to as the golden piece, if you will, of a rebuilding team such as the Kings are.
It was just over a decade ago when Kings fans witnessed years of struggling from their club before celebrating their championship aspirations soon after.
No one can guarantee whether the silver-and-black are poised for the same fate this time around, but as long as Alex Turcotte is part of their future, fans of the Los Angeles Kings, especially those sorely missing the success of 2012 and 2014, can rest assured that in due time, their team will be making a new name for themselves in the contender spectrum.
Turcotte and the 5-5 Badgers are back to work this weekend as they host the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame on Friday and Saturday night.
Related Posts
One Comment
About Ryan Cowley
Liza Ramirez
November 14, 2019 at 11:27 am
I love reading your stories, so thank you. Alex sounds promising and will look forward to his progress in the future. GO KINGS GO! 💜🏒