Hitmen’s Thrower sure knows how to throw ’em
Rookie impressing club veterans with his willingness to mix it up against older opponents
By Kristen Odland, Calgary Herald October 30, 2012
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Calgary Hitmen rookie defenceman Josh Thrower already has three fights to his credit this season, showing a willingness to mix it up against older players.
Photograph by: Calgary Herald/Files , Calgary Herald
According to Spencer Humphries, watching a 16-year-old drop the gloves in the Western Hockey League isn’t exactly always a thing of beauty.
Making the jump from midget (where no fighting is permitted) to major junior (where fighting is permitted) and the timing of it all can take some getting used to.
“Usually, it’s just a lot of adrenalin going,” said the over-age defenceman, a veteran of 138 games (100 of them with the Calgary Hitmen). “And just throwing them as fast as you can.”
So, you can imagine his surprise — and the Scotiabank Saddledome’s — when rookie blueliner Josh Thrower threw down in Sunday’s eventual 4-1 loss to the visiting Kelowna Rockets for his first fight on home ice and third one of the season. The bout is a 1:15 snippet on Hockeyfights.com against fellow rookie Riley Stadel, a five-foot-10, 175-pounder, and featured a mix of rights and lefts (“My one arm was getting tired,” he noted with a grin after). Home bias aside, Thrower, a sizable six-foot, 194-pound body, was definitely the winner of the card.
“It looked like he was throwing them with intention and connected a couple of times,” Humphries said approvingly. “That’s awesome. You’re nothing but happy for a kid like that. I wouldn’t expect him to stop.
“He’s got a little edge to his game and I think he’ll keep ’em coming.”
Saturday night, however, was a different story.
Unlike Sunday’s fight — a mutual decision — Thrower was asking for it when he laid out Red Deer Rebels centreman Wyatt Johnson by the benches. Marc McCoy, a six-foot-two, 195-pound 18-year-old, immediately took offence and started pummelling Thrower.
But, according to Humphries, the Hitmen rookie was bracing for it.
“It’s good he knows that if you have a hit like that, you’re probably going to get jumped in this league or have to back it up with a fight,” Humphries said. “It’s good he realizes that. If someone jumps him, he’s able to hold his own.”
Truthfully, though, it’s no accident Thrower knows how to, well, throw ’em.
His older brother is notable Saskatoon Blades tough guy Dalton Thrower, a Montreal Canadiens prospect, who has shown him the ways simply by example.
To help prepare him to crack the Hitmen roster, the two worked out together this summer at home in North Vancouver — a habit which Josh has continued this fall.
“Watching him play growing up, I’ve definitely learned quite a bit,” said the younger Thrower, Calgary’s 23rd overall selection from the 2011 WHL bantam draft, who also fought Jackson Houck on the road against the Vancouver Giants. “I’ve learned I have to work hard every single practice. You have to if you want to play in a league like this.”
And, not surprisingly, they also worked on fighting and timing of hits this summer, which explains the rookie’s early confidence in his physical play.
“It’s a bit part of his game,” Thrower continued. “I like to hit and he’s taught me how — when’s the right time, when I shouldn’t.
“It’s a lot different in midget where we weren’t allowed to fight. Coming up to a league like this . . . it’s a lot different.”
Thrower has been a pleasant surprise for the Hitmen early this season, shutting down opposing forwards and already notching his first WHL goal in Calgary’s 5-4 win over Vancouver that featured his first fight of the regular season.
As such, he has been rewarded with valuable minutes, especially last weekend with Washington Capitals draft pick Jaynen Rissling (a notorious fighter that has also shown Thrower the way) sidelined with an injury.
“He’s earned everything he’s got,” said Hitmen associate coach Brent Kisio. “He’s played hard, a guy that’s willing to stick up for his teammates. He has some offensive skill as well.
“He’s looked really good.”
But, as the case with any rookie, there will be times this season when he’ll have to take notes from the press box and adjusting to limited ice-time — especially for a player that’s used to a pile of playing time — is difficult.
Mistakes, too, are inevitable.
“We expect that,” Kisio continued. “Every 16-year-old goes through it. It’s a lot of hockey right now and a younger guy isn’t used to that. Sixteen-year-olds playing against 20-year-olds, it’s big adjustment.
“He seems to be learning. All you want from your 16 year olds is for them to learn.”
kodland@calgaryherald.com
Twitter/KristenOdlandCH
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