Surprising Rookie In An Uneventful Start
Written by: Calvin Lai
In an otherwise mediocre opening season start for the Toronto Maple Leafs, a rookie has unexpectedly gotten a lot of praise by the media and the fans. Through the first four games of the season, the Leafs have gone out of the gate to a middling 2-2-0 record. Stuart Percy, a 21 year old rookie defenseman, however, has played exceptionally. A local boy born just south of Toronto, in Mississauga, has become quite the story throughout the early goings of the NHL season.
Coming into training camp, he was never expected to make the Maple Leafs roster. Stuart Percy was fighting to be the 7th defenseman throughout preseason, but four games into the season, has played like one of the best defenseman on the entire squad. He has transitioned quite quickly in the NHL, although his play last year in the AHL did not foreshadow such a transformation. Percy has logged an average of 21 minutes and 4 seconds of “Total Ice Time”, just slightly below Dion Phaneuf, the #1 defenseman on the Maple Leafs. He has shown the capability to handle big minutes while providing quality play. Randy Carlyle has seen the rookie defenseman’s game and has rewarded him, and Stuart Percy has not disappointed.
Now, it’s not to say his early play indicates he will continue to play like he has, as any young player will run into slumps. However, he has rapidly shown the ability to play at a high level in the best hockey league in the world. His poise, confidence, decision-making and smarts will take him a long way, so who knows, maybe the Maple Leafs finally get lucky and have a rock solid defender for years to come.
Calvin Lai is a hard worker, who is passionate about whatever he does. He is willing to overachieve to become successful and loves a challenge. Calvin has a imaginative mind, and constantly has a variety of ideas floating around in his brain. Calvin loves sports, and follows many of the major sports globally. He cherishes the opportunity to write about what he loves and is so passionate about.
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