Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Schiestel making his presence felt

The St. Catharines Standard just posted a nice piece on 2007 second round pick, Drew Schiestel.
Schiestel has done a lot of things right in his major junior hockey career and was selected in the second round, 59th overall, by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2007 NHL draft. He attended his first NHL camp last fall. “They like my skating ability and offensive upside but they told me to keep working on my defensive zone awareness,” he said. That’s something he has had to work on his entire junior career. When IceDogs head coach Mario Cicchillo first watched Schiestel skate, the scout beside him said the rearguard was like a runaway train. Not any more. “Since he has gotten here, Drew had a lot better understanding of the game. He has studied the game and worked really hard,” Cicchillo said. This season, Schiestel was a plus 15, in addition to scoring eight goals and 37 points. “In the second half and into the playoffs, I’ve felt like I’ve done a really good job with that hopefully I can keep improving,” he said. His goal is to be an NHL defenceman and Cicchillo believes it’s only a matter of time before that becomes reality. “Within three years, Drew plays in the NHL. As soon as he gets in the habit of reading the game better and making good first passes, the kids going to be good.”
In the game of hockey, nicknames can go either way. Sabre greats like "Tickets" Gare, "Spinner" Spencer, and "King Kong" Korab have come and gone. The current edition of the Sabres has instead kept it simple, opting for Pommer, Millsey, Roysie, and the ridiculous 'Paillesie' that I once heard come out of a Sabre mouth. Enter Schiestel. Your Delta Tau Chi name is....
Schiestel possesses all the tools to be an NHLer, although his nickname — Shitter — may not be ready for airing on Hockey Night in Canada. It’s a handle he has had since his early days of playing AAA travel hockey. “When my hockey buddies say it, they don’t think of its actual meaning. I know it’s all fun and games and it’s just a nickname. Unfortunately it stuck.”
Possessing swift skating ability, it's safe to say that "Shitter" is well on the path to becoming a streaking rearguard in the NHL. Thanks. I'll be here all week.