Expectations can be the worst thing to happen to a young player.
Boston University sophomore defenseman Ryan Whitney has experienced that firsthand this year, as he’s struggled to regain the form that earned him a spot on the Hockey East All-Rookie team last year and made him the fifth pick in last summer’s National Hockey League draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Whitney has endless potential. His six-foot-four-inch frame gives him a reach that allows him to recover in the occasions where he’s beaten. A smooth-skater, the Scituate native also has a wicked shot that makes him an effective weapon on the Terrier power play.
But until last night, when he scored a goal and added an assist in BU’s 5-0 pasting of Merrimack College, Whitney was sporting a paltry four points and a team worst minus-10 rating. Last night, Whitney did his job brilliantly, playing strong defense as junior goalie Sean Fields pitched what is likely the easiest shutout he’ll ever have.
Whitney a healthy scratch in BU’s 5-3 win over the University of New Hampshire last Thursday has been back and strong in the last two contests, much to the chagrin of Merrimack coach Chris Serino.
‘I was a little disappointed that he wasn’t a healthy scratch tonight,’ Serino said. ‘Those healthy scratches, they don’t pick the right healthy scratches when they play us.
‘He played well.’
Count Whitney’s coach among the people who were happy to see the sophomore looking like last year’s fab frosh.
‘He had a couple problems in the last game we played up at BC and that’s why we benched him,’ Parker said. ‘But he’s come back and played two great games.’
While his coach was happy to see Whitney playing effective upon his return to the lineup, some fans have expressed their doubts, in the form of ‘No More Whitney’ and ‘Go to Pittsburgh’ chants during the New Hampshire game Whitney sat out when the Terriers beat the Wildcats, 5-2. Whitney, while clearly hurt by those sentiments, won’t let them affect him.
‘I’m not worrying about the fans, they can think what they want,’ Whitney said. ‘But every guy in there, we work as a team and we all believe in ourselves, so if the fans don’t believe in one player, it’s not something I’m worrying about.’
One of the biggest factors in his early season slump was a severely sprained ankle suffered in a team handball game that followed a September practice. Whitney was in the lineup against the University of Vermont after missing BU’s first three games. The ill effects were apparent throughout the early portions of the schedule, as his skating appeared more labored and slower, and his offensive game was virtually nonexistent.
Add to that a perfectionist attitude, a shaky sense of confidence and the weight of his new nickname, Ryan ‘Fifth Pick in the NHL Draft’ Whitney, and all the ingredients for the sophomore slump were there.
‘There’s no question that his play earlier in the year had a lot to do with his problems with his confidence,’ Parker said. ‘And his physical problems early in the year had a lot to do with his problems on the ice, and that compounded because he was trying to live up to the expectations and he couldn’t do it. And that just made the problems worse, so he started to get down on himself and down on his situation.’
‘You don’t like to blame other things but I was just having a tough time moving the first half of the year with the injury, and I came back a little too early,’ Whitney said. ‘On occasions, I was trying to impress people and show off that I was a high pick, but lately I haven’t been worrying about it.’
The renewed confidence has come after Whitney’s return from the World Junior Tournament in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he represented the U.S. National Team. With one goal and four assists, he was the leading scorer among U.S. defenseman, and he has returned to BU healthy and ready to contribute again.
‘I went up there and it was the first time my ankle was feeling better,’ Whitney said. ‘It wasn’t painful to skate and went up there and had a real good tournament, and I brought my confidence back here.’
If Whitney’s confidence allows him to play like the freshman who played with former captain Chris Dyment as the Icedogs’ number-one defense tandem and contributed 21 points from the back, his teammates will be satisfied.
‘He’s starting to get his confidence back,’ Fields said. ‘If he’s getting back to his old form, it’s good for the team.’
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