Terrance getting used to life as a pro

It has been an eventful last few months for Carey Terrance.

On February 14, while he was still captain of the Ontario Hockey League’s Erie Otters, the player from Akwesasne suffered a scary injury after he fell into the boards, necessitating a hospital stay and ending his Junior career.

Less than two months later, he signed his three-year, entry-level contract with the team that drafted him 59th overall in 2023, the Anaheim Ducks.

A little more than two months after that, on June 13, the Ducks traded him back east to New York, in a move to get better now by acquiring longtime Rangers’ forward Chris Kreider.

Since then, he’s recovered from his injury, gone through a full National Hockey League (NHL) training camp, and played more than a dozen games for the Rangers’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack.

That’s a lot of life to live for someone who turned 20 in May.

Terrance said that he has tried to keep himself grounded by making the most of the chance he’s gotten to be a professional.

“You get to come to the rink every day and play the sport that you love. It’s every kid’s dream to play pro, to play against all these teams and all these players,” said Terrance.

He has played in all 15 of the Wolf Pack’s games so far this year, only one of 10 players to do so. While he only has two goals, he has found a consistent role as a forward that can provide energy and defense.

Terrance is the youngest player on the roster for Hartford, a change of pace after being one of the oldest in Erie in his last OHL year.

“It’s a lot different. You’re playing against men,” said Terrance.

“It’s been awesome, being a young guy again.”

He’s trying to make the most of his opportunities to learn and develop by asking a lot of questions.

“It’s the biggest thing, especially your first year pro. You don’t want to be a quiet guy around the room, you want to get as much information as possible,” said Terrance.

His head coach, Grant Potulny, said that he’s been improving rapidly in the AHL.

“It’s a hard league for young players, and especially young players that play centre. I think he’s done a very nice job finding his own way,” said Potulny, who is in his second season behind the bench in Hartford after seven seasons as head coach of the Northern Michigan Wildcats.

In the AHL, finding consistent linemates is difficult, as the roster is constantly in flux.

But one player that has emerged as a regular alongside Terrance has been Adam Sykora, a 21-year-old Slovakian left winger who was selected in the second round, 63rd overall by the Rangers in 2022.

Although he is barely a year older than Terrance, Sykora already has more than 150 games of experience in the AHL.

“I feel like mine and Sicky (Sykora)’s games, we really complement each other,” said Terrance, specifically mentioning their speed, forechecking ability, and the energy they bring to the lineup.

“I love playing with him. We cover each other well.”

Potulny agreed that they had good chemistry, and that being effective at the sort of things they do in the AHL is what will lead to potential success in the NHL.

“There’s a lot of value to what they bring. It’s not everybody that is going to score all the time, so at the NHL level, how are you going to be effective?” said Potulny.

“You can turn a game around with three, four, or five good shifts in a row on a forecheck. And I think those guys are instrumental in that.”

Moving back east has meant being closer to home, meaning some friends and family have been able to see him live, like his father, who was there on October 22 when Terrance scored his first goal in the AHL against the Springfield Thunderbirds at home.

“It’s just an honour to play in front of all the people you know, friends and family, even people that I may not know that like to come watch,” said Terrance.

That includes Kahnawake’s Lou Ann Stacey, who was born in New York and has had her father’s Rangers fandom pass down to her.

She was in attendance for the Wolf Pack’s 4-2 loss on November 7 against the Rocket in Laval, along with others from Kahnawake. The Haudenosaunee flag could be seen in Place Bell during the game as a show of support to Terrance.

“I’m happy watching some of our own Aboriginal players make it to those levels, to show young people that they can do it with hard work. There are so many barriers for our athletes in sport. This is a little bit uplifting,” said Stacey.

Even though she is a very big fan of the player Terrance was traded for, she is excited about the prospect of having Terrance eventually make the team.

“I like Chris Kreider, don’t get me wrong, but having Carey play for New York, it made it that much easier to let go of Chris Kreider,” said Stacey.

The Rangers are hoping for many of their younger players to make an impact on the team soon as their core of forwards ages out.

While Terrance is still a little bit away from that, Stacey said having good young bottom six forwards is very important for good teams, too.

“You can’t have all the same kind of players. That’s my belief in hockey,” said Stacey.

She identified the centre position as one of need for the Rangers, with three of the team’s four regular centres all older than 30.

“Centerman have been a weak spot for the Rangers for a number of years,” said Stacey.

“I know that’s one area that’s been a little bit weak. So, for me, I think the coaching staff will see something that they like from him.”

So far, that has been Potulny, but Terrance was also able to play under newly-hired Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan during the preseason.

“What he preached a lot was that little details matter, and that’s what I took away from it,” said Terrance of his limited experience playing under the two-time Stanley Cup champion. “Here in Hartford, I’m focusing on the little stuff every day and just having fun.”

[email protected]