If you hear “Swagger Like Us” by T.I., Kayne West and Lil Wayne in the Adirondack Thunder dressing room at all this weekend you can think Jarrod Gourley.
Jarrod Gourley at 23 years of age, at first year pro, is already turning heads within the New Jersey Devils organization.
At 6’2, 212; the Calgary, AB native is off to an impressive start to his first professional season with four points in six games, with an additional plus six.
Perhaps one reason why Gourley has settled in so quickly is his familiarity with the area and understanding the way Adirondack Thunder hockey is built.
“I got to dip my toes in the water at the end of last season, I fell in love with the area, the fans, the rink, just everything, it’s a top notch organization, it’s my first year pro and I couldn’t imagine for a better place for me personally”.
Gourley before being assigned to Adirondack from the New Jersey brass this past season was able to experience all three levels of the Devils organization from prospect and rookie camp this past summer and then got to experience a bit of AHL camp with the Utica Comets late September, early October getting into both pre-season games for the Comets before starting his first year pro with the Thunder.
“Last year was so quick, that I learned that there’s a lot more games, you get a lot more reps with a lot less rest than college hockey so I kinda tailored my summer towards that kinda thing and made sure that I was going to be ready for the long grueling season”.
Gourley has quickly made a name for himself in the ECHL and around the Thunder fan-base alongside the New Jersey Devils with eyes on the former Sun-Devils and UConn product. He’s earned himself top twenty on the leadership board in points in the league under the defenseman category, tied for third with three others in Adirondack with four points but leading his team in the backend in the point department.
With Jeff Taylor out with an injury and the team unclear when he’ll return to the lineup, Gourley will be making an impact on this Thunder club even if the additions of Brandon Fehd, Matt Stief and Wayne Letourneau. The blue line and defensive core knows their role in playing the defense that head coach Pete MacArthur expects them to play without any hiccups heading into the weekend.
Gourley earned himself his first multi point game of his career during the Thunder’s home-opener on October 29th with an assist on the opening goal and then scoring the goal to eventually tie the game in the opening frame. Ever since then the pedal has been pushed to the floor for the offensive defenseman.
When it comes to Gourley’s game so far this season, the defenseman calls it some “good hockey”.
“I like the team, it’s a slower start, then what I would’ve liked but I think collectively we’re starting to do better and I think individual players like myself are doing better as the team does better so now that we’re full steam ahead I think I am playing some good hockey, as well as the team so it’s a good feeling”.
Head Coach Pete MacArthur has stated that the record will take care of it’s self with Adirondack starting out 1-4-1-0, but one big positive so far coming out of the Thunder’s season is the fact that they have scored eight of their 17 goals in the first period.
“That’s a lot to credit the veteran presence in our dressing room, a young guy like me there’s a few of us that are rookies, that easily could’ve pressed the panic button after the first four games, but it’s pro hockey, there’s so many more games and it’s a long season and we got reminded that by the veteran players, but yeah we were a cool, calm and collective group going into Trois-Rivières last weekend and the results showed for themselves”.
Gourley referring to the three out of four points picked up last weekend on the road.
“Aside from the gear, the intensity is still there, his leadership abilities are still there, it’s a lot of similar attributes from the player Pete to Coach Pete to be honest with you”.
When I said Gourley about his massive puck touches and chances on the backend of things, if he considered moving to forward yet this season, his response: “No, i’m far away I think from that” he said with a laugh across the table.
“It’s never crossed my mind, at all to be honest with you” as he continued to keep laughing.
When it comes to trying and dethroning a great Worcester team this weekend, Gourley has said “Not much has to change from this past weekend”.
“Mentality wise not too much as to be changed, we didn’t lose any faith in ourselves, going into last weekend, compared to going into this weekend, so if anything we have a bit more swagger going into the weekend, we know that the Railers are a good team and we want to beat them bad as much as they want to keep that streak going, so we cleaned up a few things going into the weekend”
Adirondack hosts the Worcester Railers on Friday and Saturday night at 7:00pm. Pregame show with Rob Lippolis will be around 6:50 ish on Hits 95.9 and on the Hits 95.9 app.