In case you haven't heard, New York Rangers prospect and current Boston College Eagle, Chris Kreider, earned MVP honors at this year's Beanpot as his two goals helped BC defeat Northeastern 7-6 and repeat as Beanpot Champions this past Monday night.
In the 48ish hours since then, there has been a lot of buzz about his pro potential and I've gotten several emails asking me when I think he'll sign on the dotted line. Before anyone goes crazy and starts fitting him into the Rangers linechart for the playoffs, let's review some things.
First, take a gander at
this article I wrote about Kreider over the summer and if you really have time to kill, here's some
bonus video footage from that interview.
If you're being lazy and didn't click on the link, here's the pertinent parts of the article:
On playing with the US Men's National Team at the World Championships in Germany:
"The D-corps I was going up against were 6-5, built and mobile and I was scared to even look at them. I was almost scared at the idea of making it to the next round for fear we'd have to play Russia who had pretty much their entire Olympic team there," he said. "I've got Ovechkin's poster up in my room...I'm not ready to play that guy!"
On what he learned from that experience:
"What I learned is that I'm not ready...at all and I was ready to go back to school and I was ready to get back in the gym and ready to just keep working, especially on my hands." he said. "If there was one thing that I figured out that I had, it was my skating ability and my size, but I still don't know how to use my size the best that I can and I could still definitely get faster and take off at the right times, but the skill side of it needs so much work it's not even funny. I couldn't tell you how much I learned from those guys and what I took away from that experience."
On going back to BC for his sophomore season instead of signing with the Rangers:
"When I was at Worlds, I remember this one conversation I had with some of the guys and they were telling me, 'Dude, stay in college as long as you can...I wish I was still there...there's no rush to become a pro', " he explained. "Yes, it's an amazing lifestyle and you're blessed, but you don't get your college career back and they wanted to make sure I enjoyed the experience while I could. That's when I realized that not only am I not ready to play at that level like I want to, but I'm not ready to give up the social experience of college either. It's not even up for debate."
Now, I know that this was six months ago, but in talking with him this past weekend, his feelings on turning pro haven't changed. In fact, I joked about when I'd see him on Broadway and he didn't hesitate in his reply of "In three years" for even a second.
Is he able to make the jump to the NHL? I don't see why not. He has developed into your prototypical power forward who can play both ends of the ice. He's a workhorse with smooth moves and a sweet shot. His dedication to succeed is a sight to be seen and is displayed best by the passion and intensity he shows when he's on the ice. You only have to check out the
highlights of Monday's game to catch a glimpse of it. There is no question in my mind that he is a future NHL star and 18 teams will be wondering why in the world they didn't pick this guy before the Rangers got him with the 19th selection of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.
Problem is, Kreider doesn't want to just make the NHL, he wants to make an impact on the NHL and I don't think he'll make the jump until he's in a good position to do just that. In his mind, if he waits to turn pro, he'll be in a better position to be an integral part of an NHL team, a difference maker, someone who can show you what he's capable of every single night instead of a prospect plugged into the lineup who only shows flashes of brilliance every now and then. He knows there will be adjustments that will need to be made at the next level, but there's a difference between developing in the NHL and adjusting to it. He doesn't want to make the jump without learning everything there is to learn at the college level and there's still more for him to learn and for him to accomplish at BC and he knows it.
Some of you might make the argument that even if he didn't make it at the NHL level right away, he'd develop better/faster in the AHL. While that's debatable, that's not how Kreider thinks. Every decision he and his family has made in regards to his hockey career has always put Chris, the person, before Chris, the hockey player, and Chris, the person, loves college and everything the college life has to offer. He is literally in no rush to leave, especially if it's to play anywhere other than the NHL while he still has eligibility left at BC.
And then there are some of you who might make the argument that he'd make beaucoup bucks if he turned pro and that you don't know any 20-year-old who wouldn't jump at the chance to make that kind of money. To that, I will simply say that you don't know Chris. He is driven by the desire to succeed, not by money, and with two IIHF World Junior Championship medals, one National Championship ring and the potential for another one this year, you can't argue that he's wasting his time by staying in school especially at a program like Boston College. I guarantee you that visions of back-to-back-to-back-to back National Championships have danced in his head.
While I could continue to fuel this debate, the bottom line is this. Would I be surprised to see Kreider go pro at the end of the season or even later in the summer? No, he's talented enough and determined enough to find success at that level relatively quickly. Would I be surprised to see him stay all four years at BC? Absolutely not. He knows what he wants and if it's to stay in school, that's where he'll be, ready to take on new leadership roles, set different personal goals and continue to be an example to the incoming freshmen of what it takes to win and make sure they're as hungry to find success and win a National Championship as he is.
Julie
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@JulieRobenhymer
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