The Team | Jasinsky Books Longer Stay in D.C. | ||||
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YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (September 16, 2009) – The road to the NHL may go through Youngstown, but for Ryan Jasinsky it has taken a lengthy detour through Washington, D.C. Normally, that’d be a recipe for nothing but traditional Beltway gridlock; however, the Phantoms' prospective power forward is more than happy to negotiate District traffic – on the ice, that is.
After an eyebrow-raising performance at Washington Capitals rookie camp Sept. 6-11 that concluded with a pair of fights during a game against Philadelphia Flyers prospects, the Caps' brass invited Ja
 sinsky to extend his stay at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Va., into the opening stages of formal training camp.Needless to say, Jasinsky’s deliberation time was rather short.
“[Capitals head coach] Bruce Boudreau called me into his office and asked me if I’d like to stick around,” Jasinsky said. “I couldn’t say too much because I was so pumped up. Bruce said I really impressed them and did my job, and they wanted to reward me.”
The Capitals’ hands-on coaching staff, led by Boudreau, has a tremendous reputation for teaching, something Jasinsky has gotten a close look at this week.
“The whole staff does a great job making you feel comfortable,” he said. “They all know me and call me by my nickname [Jazz] even though there’s a lot of us here.”
As an official part of the Capitals’ extensive training camp roster, the Phantoms’ 6-3, 215-pounder was placed on Team C as the team was split into three practice squads for a series of scrimmages and drills this week. For Jasinsky, that means skating alongside NHL 30-goal defenseman Mike Green and competing against Team A’s superstar lynchpin, two-time defending league MVP Alex Ovechkin.
“It’s just unreal,” said Jasinsky about sharing an ice sheet with players he’s seen only on TV before this week. “Those guys are just in a different league out there. The passing and puckhandling is so much crisper than anything I’ve seen before.”
“A couple of times on Tuesday I got put out against Ovechkin and [gifted center Nicklas] Backstrom. My strategy was to get the puck as quick as I could, dump it in and go for a [line] change.”
Obviously, the Phantoms are thrilled by Jasinsky’s grabbing the attention of the decision makers in the Caps’ front office and Boudreau, the 2008 Jack Adams Trophy winner for NHL coach of the year.
“We picked [Ryan] up because we thought he had pro attributes and the ability to make it to the NHL,” said Phantoms Head Coach/General Manager Bob Mainhardt. “He’s obviously demonstrated that in Washington.”
At the same time, Youngstown’s braintrust is eager to see the Richmond, Va.-area native skating at the Covelli Centre sometime soon.
“We’re looking forward to getting him back in our lineup and sending him along to the NHL next year,” Mainhardt added.
As of now, Jasinsky is scheduled to remain in camp with his designated squad while the rest of the Capitals travel to Buffalo Thursday for their preseason opener against the Sabres. Washington is scheduled to travel to Chicago Saturday and return home to the Verizon Center Monday for the return matchup with Buffalo.
“They told me they’d try to get me into at least one [preseason game],” said Jasinsky, who is being kept temporarily unaware of Washington’s future plans for him.
“I’m just taking it day-to-day and trying to make an even better impression than I already have.”
The Youngstown Phantoms are a Member Club of the United States Hockey League (USHL), America’s only Tier I hockey league and premier developer of National Hockey League talent with more than 100 alumni on current NHL rosters.
Visit www.youngstownphantoms.com or call the Front Office at 330.747.PUCK(7825) for more information on the Phantoms organization. The Youngstown Phantoms are owned by the B.J. Alan Company (Phantom Fireworks), located in Youngstown, Ohio.
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