Talking about Nick Porco


By
September 20, 2017

He is skilled and smart and is set up nicely for his rookie season in the Ontario Hockey League as a first-round pick from the 2017 draft. And pardon the pun but Nick Porco is also full of Spirit. Saginaw Spirit, that is.

Porco, who hails from the Ontario side of the International Bridge at Sault Ste. Marie, was taken by Saginaw with the fourth overall pick of the 2017 OHL draft.

And there are those in his hockey corner who have volumes of good words to say when talking about the 6-foot, 170-pound, 2001 birth-year left winger.

Spirit general manager Dave Drinkill, who made the call to take Porco with Saginaw’s first pick at this year’s minor midget draft, told HockeyNewsNorth.com that he liked the speedy forward from the first time he saw him as a bantam-aged player, which was two years ago.

“His coach-ability and dedication to hockey really stand out,” Drinkill began. “Nick is a big building block in this organization’s foundation as we continue to build through the draft.

“We want character players on our team who want to be a part of what we are trying to do in Saginaw and Nick certainly fits what we look for in a player,” added Drinkill, who is now in his third season as the GM in Saginaw and has positioned the Spirit as an OHL team on the rise.

Meanwhile, Troy Smith is Saginaw’s first-year head coach and a former OHL player himself as a steady, dependable defenseman from his days with the erstwhile Detroit/Plymouth Whalers.

The 39-year old Smith, despite his relative youth, has 10-plus seasons of prior experience as a head coach, associate coach and assistant coach in the OHL. And Smith, who carries a good reputation as a development coach, likes what he has — and sees — in Porco.

“The first things about Nick that stand out to me are his work ethic and hockey sense,” Smith told HockeyNewsNorth.com.”He has a unique ability to use his speed as a weapon…as a change of pace to create scoring opportunities.”

Smith said Porco’s character and work ethic are positively noticeable.

“You can just tell how much he loves the game. He comes to the rink with a smile on his face and enjoys working hard to try to get better. He’s mature and focused and he has an infectious personality that has already rubbed off on the rest of the team,” noted Smith, speaking in glowing terms of Porco.

Smith noted that as a 16-year old rookie, the OHL will be a process for Porco.

“I am not a believer in points as the only gauge to seeing a player develop,” Smith pointed out. “What I expect out of a kid like Nick is that he continues to get better and be that much of a better player as his OHL career moves forward and when he eventually leaves us down the road and is ready to turn pro.”

As Saginaw’s first-round pick at the 2017 OHL draft, Porco is the reigning minor midget player-of-the-year in the Greater Toronto Hockey League.

While playing for the minor midget Vaughan Kings in 2016-2017, Porco had 42 goals, 49 assists, 91 points in 65 games, regular season, playoffs and tournaments included. His coach in Vaughan the past two seasons, Beau Moyer, is a big believer in Porco.

“As a player, he was simply a joy to coach,” said Moyer, who now coaches the Powassan Voodoos of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League. “He came to the rink, worked hard and meshed well with his teammates.

“As a person, Nick made all the sacrifices necessary to be a top pick at this year’s OHL draft,” Moyer added. “He was a great teammate and a high character, very low maintenance kid.”

Moyer also chimed in about what to expect from Porco during his rookie OHL season in Saginaw.

“I would have to say expectations for him as a rookie are to develop his 200-foot game and become a solid top nine forward,” Moyer told HockeyNewsNorth.com.

Moyer also noted that the aforementioned Smith is the “perfect coach” for Porco.

“Troy Smith will allow Nick to make plays with the puck in all three zones,” Moyer relayed. “Basically, Nick has two speeds — fast and see you later.”

Moyer had more to say about what he thinks the future holds for Porco.

“His ceiling is very high, his body is not even close to being fully developed. When he’s 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, watch out. With his speed and vision, he’s a pro all day long, in my humble opinion,” Moyer concluded, in his assessment of Porco.

PHOTO: Nick Porco, in action with the Saginaw Spirit.


What you think about “Talking about Nick Porco”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *