Nobody was anticipating Maggio to duplicate his remaining junior season, the place he scored 54 objectives, notched 111 factors and took dwelling the OHL scoring title and MVP, within the AHL, however the Bridgeport teaching employees needs to see him simplify and spherical out his recreation. That messaged appeared to take maintain within the second half of final season, as he recorded 19 factors within the remaining 31 video games for Bridgeport.
“They had been simply at all times on me about taking part in easy,” Maggio mentioned. “I am taking part in in opposition to older guys, the stuff that possibly labored in juniors will not work right here, however nonetheless having that creativity, simply simplifying my recreation and for checking arduous, I am a man that likes to play with lots of pace. I prefer to assume that I’ve motor on me, and utilizing that motor to sort of get in on offense and create turnovers, create offense for myself.”
Maggio feels he’s extra ready for the grind of the AHL schedule as properly, together with the three-in-threes, the place groups play three video games in three days (and typically condenses to two-and-a-half days if Sunday is a matinee). Kowalsky recalled a dialog with Maggio from his rookie yr about how a lot of a grind the leap to professional was, however remarked about how his mentally has continued to mature.
“It’s a person’s league,” Kowalsky mentioned of the AHL. “Loads of these guys have not confronted that adversity, the grind of it, and that is what the American League’s for… I feel he is discovered, clearly by bringing that [adversity] up loads and ready over the summer season. He can take what he discovered, and also you search for him annually to take one other step.”
