The Adirondack Thunder are coming off their first season in which they didn’t qualify for the Kelly Cup Playoffs. This of course being the case despite hitting the ice for 63 games last season. For my next edition of Adirondack Thunder New Comers, we sat down with centreman Nick Hutchison, who made his ECHL debut in Adirondack’s last game last season.
The Skates Tie The Hutchison Family Together
The Hutchison family has multiple ties to hockey and they start with Nick, who plays in the ECHL and his sister, Cailey, who plays in the NWHL with the Metropolitan Riveters. Nick began skating at the young age of four-years-old. “I didn’t really like it at first,” said Hutchison, but mentions that his love for the New York Rangers helped him start to enjoy the game more. His sister Cailey just finished her rookie season in the National Women’s Hockey League.
“It’s awesome how there’s three of us now with Connor playing at Division I (UVM), and hopefully he can have a good career there and play pro just like Cailey and myself, and obviously I’m really proud of them, and obviously coming from Long Island, New York there, aren’t many families that have three kids who played Division I hockey,” said Hutchison. He also said that as the oldest, he tries to help them out whenever or wherever they need it.
It comes as no surprise that everyone is trying to grow the game of hockey, and when asked about the topic, Nick said, “It’s something special. You want everyone to be able to play hockey, whether it be race, age, sex, etc.”
College And ECHL Debut
Prior to joining the Thunder, Nick spent four years playing at Canisius College in the NCAA. During those four years, Nick recorded 60 goals along with 53 assists for 113 points. He did so in 140 games. “I loved my four years at Canisius, and obviously it’s a very special place for me, and I loved being in the city of Buffalo. In his senior year, Nick was one of 79 players to be nominated for the Hobey Baker Award, which is the most prestigious award in college hockey. “It had to do a lot with my teammates and the coaching staff believing in me and allowing me to grow throughout my four years,” Hutchison said.
It didn’t take Nick long to get on the scoreboard in Adirondack, as in his first game with the Thunder, he’d pick up a goal along with an assist. When asked about it, Nick replied with a big smile and said, “It’s obviously a nice thing to get your first pro goal out of the way right away. It’s something nice and it gives me more confidence moving forward.” It also didn’t take Nick long to get noticed outside the arena. “When I first got there just walking through town and at restaurants, people knew who I was and where I came from,” laughed Hutchison.
At Canisius, Hutchison was a huge goal scorer and was always in the top five when it came to point production. However, the Thunder have guys like Mike Szmatuala and Matt Salhany, who have proven they can light the lamp on a consistent basis, which may take some pressure off of Nick. “I think it’s huge, we have a lot of guys who can put the puck in the back of the net and we have three lines who can put the puck in the net and take a lot of pressure off a lot of guys,” Hutchison said.
New And Improved Thunder Team
When asked what it’s gonna be like to hit the ice for game action for the first time in 10 months, he mentioned that a lot of people are currently headed into unchartered territory. “It’s been the longest time ever that we are gonna have off, it’s a little different seeing that we normally get our three-four months in of Summer training then you’re ready to get back on the ice,” Hutchison said. He mentioned that he’s been able to skate a few times a week and get to the gym as well.
When asked about the pressure on the team after being in a spot to miss the playoffs last year, Hutchison said, “Obviously we were on the bubble last year, and even in the one game I played, I sensed the urgency and the amount of the pressure that was on the team.” He mentions that the new additions, along with the returners, will put them in a spot to be at the top of the North Division. When asked what the return is going to be like for players, Nick said, “I’m ready to take a hit and give a hit.”