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After spending nearly all of his juniors profession in Canada, Rodwin Dionicio’s journey will now take him means south of the border. Recent off a season cut up between the Windsor Spitfires and the Saginaw Spirit the place he put up 83 factors in 60 video games, received the Memorial Cup and signed his entry-level contract (ELC), Dionicio (dee-oh-nee-see-oh) is heading to San Diego to play for the Ducks‘ AHL affiliate.
Initially, the plan was for Dionicio to play in Switzerland––the place the New Jersey native grew up––this upcoming season with EHC Biel after he signed a three-year deal with the membership this previous January. However, after Dionicio signed his ELC with the Ducks, he mentioned that “(the Geese and I) had an ideal speak about what’s the plan for us.”
Anaheim now feels comfy sufficient along with his physique of labor that they’ve determined to maintain him shut by as an alternative of getting him play in Europe once more, as he did previous to enjoying within the OHL.
“His physique had utterly modified,” Geese director of participant growth Jim Johnson said to NHL.com’s Jon Paul Morosi. “He was robust and in a position to transfer nicely. He is an excellent skater transferring ahead and has nice offensive instincts. The coaching side is essential — the way you gas your physique, get correct relaxation, have good vitamin. All of that confirmed in his play. Along with his offensively gifted instincts, the sky is the restrict. He must have the identical stage of focus and dedication with out the puck as he does with the puck.”
Derek Lee-The Hockey Information
“It’s not my plan to return dwelling proper now,” Dionicio mentioned. “I’ve been right here (in North America) the final three or 4 years, so it’s not one thing that bothers me. I’m actually excited to take my probability right here and simply work and earn my spot. It’s actually thrilling, it’s been thrilling for the final couple of months.”
Dionicio spent most of his offseason––a brief one due to the Spirit’s run to the Memorial Cup Last––coaching again dwelling with “a pleasant group of three guys that I had (two of them are the New Jersey Devils‘ Timo Meier and the Chicago Blackhawks‘ Philipp Kurashev).” He expressed shock and pleasure about coming to camp having signed his first professional contract and that there is nonetheless extra to work for past that.
“It’s simply actually thrilling that I acquired the prospect to come back right here and current my ability, my perspective, no matter I’ve acquired that they like about me,” he mentioned. “That I can current it and simply attempt my finest and be the most effective that I can via the way in which that I’m right here. Simply actually excited and actually pleased that I can signal my first contract right here. It’s actually thrilling.
“(The Memorial Cup) was quite a lot of ups and downs however it was unreal. For me, it was in all probability essentially the most enjoyable that I’ve had enjoying hockey throughout my total profession to date. It was actually nice, quite a lot of enjoyable. Our workforce was unreal from prime to (backside). It was an unreal time that I had in Saginaw. It was additionally my first time enjoying (within the U.S.), so it was an excellent sniff for me.
“It was rewarding on the finish. Profitable the Memorial Cup was what we wished. Clearly, we wished to go all the way in which with successful the OHL Cup too––we misplaced within the Convention Last––however our group by no means backed down. We all the time battled via it and our group was an excellent group to go to struggle with. We did it and that’s all I can say now, it’s prior to now. An unreal time.”
Dionicio says that he nonetheless needs to enhance his two-way sport. An offensively-minded defenseman, the fifth-round choose’s skating and defensive work have been cited as areas to enhance when he was drafted in 2022.
“All through the entire season, I used to be engaged on my defensive play––stick management, stick hole––and I had an excellent teaching workers that supported me rather well and pushed me to the restrict. Even with the group that’s right here in Anaheim, they arrive out to us and work with us. It’s actually nice. I picked up rather a lot with these skates. I actually respect the work that they put into me as nicely. Simply attempting to get my 200-foot sport in the fitting (path) so I can nonetheless do the issues that I can do and perhaps do them even higher.”
Other than English, Dionicio also speaks Swiss German, German and Spanish. Gulls head coach Matt McIlvane spent almost a decade teaching in each Germany and Austria and whereas he has claimed that “my German has sufficient phrases that I can get by,” Dionicio says that former Staff Germany assistant coach fares fairly nicely at it.
“That helps me out just a little bit as a result of I can discuss to him in German,” Dionicio mentioned. “(The coaches) are nice. They’re actually nice folks. They assist us on the ice, they’re actually dialed in. They know each element that may make you a greater participant and enable you to take the subsequent step. It’s actually thrilling that I can work with coaches like this right here. It’s not one thing that everyone will get and also you simply actually respect this. Actually excited to maintain bettering, it’s an excellent time forward.”
