College Hockey PROSPECTive

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By Bob Miller   CHP Managing Editor

Nic Kerdiles has made his mark every step along the path of his hockey career.

From his formative days in youth hockey in California to his successful stint with the National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Kerdiles has carved a path that suggests success when he moves on to a college stint with Wisconsin in the WCHA and eventually the new Big Ten Hockey Conference.

Kerdiles is trying not to get ahead of himself. But, in the back of his mind, he knows all signs point to his selection high in the 2012 NHL Draft in Pittsburgh in June, suggesting the strong likelihood at a great shot at a successful pro career.

“I am very nervous and excited for my family for the upcoming draft because it is something that we have all been waiting for in my short hockey career,” began Kerdiles in a recent talk with College Hockey Prospective. “I try not to think to much about it during the season because I don’t want it to affect my game play and my teams. I would be lying if I said I never think about it, but I do try to keep it in the back of my head and look forward to the Under 18 World Championships in April. Once that is done, I can start focusing more on the draft.”

Starting with his 65-goal performance in 68 games in his final season with the LA Selects midget minor team in 2009-10 and continuing with his 20-goal performance in 40 games in his initial season with the NTDP in Ann Arbor, Kerdiles has had obvious success in keeping his focus on the ice.

“Nic has an excellent combination of strength and speed that will be a large part of his success at Wisconsin and afterwards in pro hockey,” said Danton Cole, head coach of the Under-18 NTDP team.  “The work he has put in on and off the ice here at the NTDP has been outstanding.  He has the puck skills to be a top line player and has worked very hard at being a solid defensive center.”

“He has the skill, but he plays both ends of the rink,” Wisconsin assistant coach Gary Shuchuk told madison.com when the national team visited his future college home in Madison earlier in 2012. “The biggest thing is he plays 200 feet. That’s perfect”

Wisconsin head coach Mike Eaves  concurred with that assessment when Kerdiles signed his national letter of intent with the Badgers last November.

“He’s a big forward with great feet, a good first step and is really good in the corners,” Eaves said. “For his age group, he’s one of the top players in the country.”Not one to rest on those laurels, Kerdiles has continued his solid play in the current ’11-’12 season with the USA Under-18 squad, chipping in 14 goals among his 29 points through 40 games.

Kerdiles talked with College Hockey Prospective recently about his game and his college decision.

On his self-analysis of his game:

“I think that my strengths are my speed, size, puck protection, and the two-way game I play. I like to drive wide with speed when entering the zone, lower my inside shoulder, and drive the far post. I also like to get my shot off as much as I can because I think that I have a good sense for finding the back of the net. My puck protection is something I use a lot in the corners and try to make it hard on my opponents on getting me off the puck. My quickness and speed both relate to my ability to protect the puck well in tough areas and also when going wide with speed around opponents.”

On what he needs to improve to keep progressing:

“I have been working hard this year on improving my defensive play because I feel that, as a center, it is essential for me to be able to play on both ends of the ice. I pride myself on not letting the opponent score. I think that learning to play on both sides of the puck has vastly helped me shape my game into a strong style. I also work to improve my skill-work everyday on the ice and off the ice upstairs in our weight room’s shooting room.”

On his college choice:

“When it came to choosing a school for me, it was a very easy decision because of Wisconsin’s interest and first class facilities and coaching staff. However, other schools like Michigan, Denver, North Dakota, and a couple others made my decision interesting because of all the top schools I had the option to chose from.”

On Wisconsin: (Editor’s note: I couldn’t resist use of the fight song title here)

“Wisconsin has a rich history with their hockey program and have been very successful in not only there long history, but the current past few years. Their coaching staff is lead by an iconic coach in Mike Eaves who has not only had an amazing history in playing, but also in coaching. He is helped by two very experienced coaches in Gary Shuchuk and Bill Butters. Wisconsin’s facilities, from school to the rink, are first class and I have never experienced such a neat campus with the two surrounding lakes around Madison. The Kohl Center is one of the nicest college hockey rinks and one of the biggest that can hold an NHL fan base. I loved the atmosphere in Madison when I went to go visit twice. Everybody is so nice with each other, and it’s all about the Badgers and Packers in Wisconsin. I can’t wait to get there in June.”

On his major influences along the way:

“First and foremost, my family has been my biggest influence in my hockey career because of how supportive they have been with my hockey. They have dedicated not only time, but also finances. Hockey in California is very expensive and my parents have had to sacrifice a lot of their own things in order for me to keep playing hockey. My two sisters have also had to sacrifice a lot because of my hockey and I am very thankful for them. My youth hockey coach, Louis Pacella, has also helped shape my game today and is a big reason why I am where I am today. He made me a stronger hockey player physically and also has taught me how to be mentally tough and how to deal with adversity.”

On the effectiveness of the NTDP:

“The NTDP has developed me into a much bigger and stronger hockey player both physically and mentally. We spend countless hours in the weight room after long practices, getting stronger and quicker, and I think that if i went anywhere else, I would not be in the strong physical shape I am today. The NTDP also stresses on the mental aspect of the game and as players we do a lot of work off the ice with our “psych coach”. We implement certain new techniques off the ice to help with our mental side of the game. I feel that I would not have developed as well as i have so far if I chose any other route with hockey.”

On donning the red, white and blue:

“Putting on the USA jersey is something that is very hard to describe because of how powerful it is. I am honored every day to throw the USA crest over my head, and I make sure to never take advantage of the opportunity I have to honor my country. I think that the international tournaments are the games that really hit us hard with how lucky and fortunate we are to wear the sweater and compete against the other countries top players. The true heroes that represent our country are overseas fighting for our country and we make sure that we do all we can on the ice to honor them. The risks they take are so dangerous, and the least we can do is win games for them. Once again I am honored, appreciative, and thankful for the opportunity I have been given.”