Yesterday at practice, I caught up with Nic Dowd to discuss his time with the Kings.
Jewels from the Crown: Coming out of your experience with the Kings, what do you have to work on?
Nic Dowd: Obviously, there’s a lot. I think faceoffs are just as critical as they are down here. And then, missed assignments are more projected up there than they are down here just because you have higher-end guys up there that can make you pay if they get half a step on you or an extra second with the puck.
JFTC: Do you feel like you turned some heads up there? It seemed like you stayed up longer with the team than expected.
ND: Yeah, I mean, going up there, I just planned on trying to stay as long as I possibly could. You take it one day at a time, one game at a time. You never know when your time’s going to be called to be sent back down or stay. I was just talking to my parents and people around me that you really just got to take it one day at the time.
JFTC: Were you surprised you were up for so long?
ND: No. I think my first couple games, I thought I played pretty well and I fit in and I thought I could play in the National Hockey League. It felt good. But at the same time, it was an eye-opener and it was a good experience. I took away a lot from it.
Later, we met Michael Amadio and Spencer Watson both for the first time, which Ontario Reign Insider has already transcribed; highlights included how being North Bay’s captain helped Amadio blossom and which San Jose Shark Watson models his game after. Finally, Assistant Coach Chris Hajt offered some thoughts about the Kings prospects.
JFTC: What are your initial impressions of Amadio and Watson?
Chris Hajt: We’ve had them for a few days…Two guys who can definitely have the puck on their stick, make plays. Good people. You can tell they’re good kids and have good work ethic.