Criticism from coach helped inspire Ryan Spooner's turnaround
Ryan Spooner has endured his fair share of criticism. While still just a Canadian juniors player, Spooner's coach, Mike Pelino, told him he "didn't deserve to be drafted at all" and was "just a guy looking out for himself."
"I thought he was somebody who could have definitely helped our team and he chose not to," Pelino said of Spooner in an interview with WEEI. "I took it personally, and I took exception to it because I believe in what I’m able to do as a coach.
"It has to be a two-way street. You need a player who’s just as receptive to learn as a coach is receptive to teach."
Spooner's issues with coaches did not end at the junior level. The Ontario native turned pro in 2011, but despite enjoying immediate success in the AHL, Spooner could not translate his scoring prowess into an NHL roster spot. He failed to score a single goal in any of his call-ups with the Bruins in 2012-13 and 2013-14.
In 2014-15, Spooner was given a chance to make the NHL club out of training camp, but he failed to impress coach Claude Julien and claimed he was blocked on the depth chart from making the NHL team. Julien did not take kindly to that idea.
"Maybe that’s why he didn’t make it, if he thought he didn’t have a chance," Julien said at the time. "We give everybody a chance that deserves to be here. I think it’s important that he keeps an open mind. As always, if he’s that good, we’ll make room for him."
Spooner was finally good enough for the team to make room for him in February, and unlike the past two seasons, Spooner actually capitalized on his chances. He scored 18 points in 29 games and was one of the few players on the team who was not problematic down the stretch. The harsh message from his coach seemed to finally sink in, and Spooner was offered a two-year contract by the Bruins on July 1 as a reward for his turnaround.
"I think he expected a lot more of me," Spooner said to Kirk Luedeke of Julien's harsh comments. "I don’t think I was playing up to how I should have been and at the end of the day, he’s going to tell me what things he thinks I should be doing better. I think he just wants me to be the best player I can be and that’s why he called me out.
"In the long run it helped me; I think at the time I felt he was being a little hard on me, but now that I look back on it, he was trying to help and make me a better player and I’m grateful that he did that."
Spooner's work is not done. He is not assured of a spot on the team come October, but given the Bruins' multiple moves in the offseason, there are more openings on the roster for Spooner to grab. Spooner told Luedeke his top focus is working on face-offs, and he said he hopes to be deemed responsible enough to start taking draws in his own zone.
But if Spooner keeps up the type of play he showed he is capable of last spring, he should be just fine, and for once, maybe he will earn praise in training camp instead of criticism.
(h/t Scouting Post, WEEI)
