Gormley off to hot start
Published Thursday November 19th, 2009
Wildcats' defenceman angles for spot on top scoring list
It's the one-third mark of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League regular season and Brandon Gormley is halfway to joining elite company.
At his current pace, the Moncton Wildcats defenceman will finish among the top 15 single season scorers in team history when it comes to players who are ages 16-17. There's an excellent chance he'll get 17 points in the final 46 games to make this happen.
Furthermore, only 10 players who are ages 16-17 have managed a 50-point season in Wildcats history. Gormley has a chance to become the 11th to accomplish this feat, including only the second defenceman.
"That would be a real honour for sure if it happens," said the 17-year-old native of Murray River, P.E.I.
"I don't really look at the stats too much and get caught up in that. I just try to go out, play my type of game and do whatever I can to help the team win."
Moncton, 12-7-1-2, is third in the Atlantic Division and two points ahead of the fourth-place Prince Edward Island Rocket, 11-8-1-2.
The Wildcats and Rocket will clash tomorrow at 7 p.m. at the Moncton Coliseum. It will only be the third game in 22 days for the Wildcats, including their first home outing since a 5-2 loss to the Quebec Remparts on Oct. 29.
Gormley is Moncton's fourth leading scorer with 16 points, including five goals, in 22 games. He's quickly closing in on the 27 points that he managed as a rookie last season.
He's not purely an offensive or defensive defenceman. He came advertised as a solid all-around blueliner when he was selected first overall in the 2008 QMJHL draft and that's exactly what he's been.
Gormley is a top four defenceman for Moncton, logging lots of ice time at even strength, the power play and penalty kill. His skills are put into context when compared to the team's all-time best offensive players in his age range.
Here's the Wildcats top 15 scorers for players ages 16-17:
* 1. Steve Bernier (age 17, 101 points in 2002-03)
* 2. Simon Laliberte (age 17, 88 points in 1997-98)
* 3. Pierre Dagenais (age 17, 68 points in 1995-96)
* 4. Brad Marchand (age 17, 66 points in 2005-06)
* 5. Steve Bernier (age 16, 59 points in 2001-02)
* 6. James Sanford (age 17, 58 points in 2001-02)
* 7. Sebastien Roger (age 17, 55 points in 1995-96)
* 8. Mirko Murovic (age 17, 54 points in 1998-99)
* 9. Martins Karsums (age 17, 53 points in 2003-04)
* 10. Simon Laliberte (age 16, 51 points in 1996-97)
* 11. Mark Barberio (age 17, 46 points in 2007-08)
* 12. Randy Cameron (age 17, 39 points in 2006-07)
* 13. Marc-Andre Labelle (age 17, 35 points in 2006-07)
* 14. Vincent Dionne (age 17, 34 points in 1996-97)
* 15. Karl Gagne (age 17, 33 points in 2001-02)
Gormley would be the third defenceman on this list along with Sanford and Barberio. Gormley is currently on pace for 49 points this season, something that would move him into 11th place on this list.
Gormley, 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, is a projected first-round pick in the 2010 National Hockey League draft. He doesn't do anything to pull you out of your seat, but he plays a strong all-around game and makes very few mistakes.
He's one of four Moncton players who suited up for Team QMJHL, which played the Russians twice this week in the 2009 Subway Canada-Russia Super Series. He's on Hockey Canada's radar as a candidate to play for the country at the 2010 World Junior Hockey Championship.
This was Gormley's fourth international hockey experience. He played twice for Team Atlantic at the world under-17 championship and also helped Canada capture gold at this summer's Memorial of Ivan Hlinka Tournament, a world under-18 event.
"I think he's been outstanding since coming into the league," said Moncton head coach Danny Flynn. "He's very unassuming, very quiet, but he has a quiet confidence about himself. When he arrived here, you wouldn't have known whether he was the first overall pick or a 12th round pick.
"He came in quietly and went about his business. For a young player, he's got really good feet and really good hockey sense. His poise with the puck is something you don't often see in defencemen his age. He's a smart defenceman who's solid in both the defensive and offensive aspects of the game."
Gormley will surely get invited to the 2010 Canadian Hockey League Top Prospects Game on Jan. 20 in Windsor, Ont. It's a showcase of the top 40 prospects from the QMJHL, Ontario Hockey League and Western Hockey League for the 2010 NHL draft.
"I try not to think about the NHL draft too much," he said. "The draft is still a long way away so you've got to put that aside and focus on playing well. I've got to focus on playing my type of game and just doing the things that got me here.
"I don't put extra pressure on myself knowing that it's my draft year. As a hockey player, I think you always have people watching you and everyone's going to have their opinion on how you play."
Moncton is on a three-game losing streak, the club's biggest slump this season. Its last outing was a 2-1 road loss last Friday to the Halifax Mooseheads, who are last overall in the league.
"We've got to get off to better starts in games. I think we've got to do a better job of making sure we're prepared to come out with our best effort,'' said Gormley when asked about what's gone wrong for the Wildcats lately.
"I think what it comes down to is we've been getting outworked lately so that has to change. Nobody's too happy right now, but we can't do anything about what's already happened. All we can do is look ahead."
Gormley wants to be part of the solution in helping the Wildcats get back on track.
"I'm playing alright, but I think I have more to offer," he said. "We all do. There's always room for improvement and trying to bring your game to a higher level.
"Strength is the big thing I'm trying to improve. I'm working on my overall game and trying to improve in every area. You've got to get better at everything if you're going to move on to the pros some day."
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