A former Yorkton Terrier has been making some big waves in his first full American Hockey League (AHL) season so far.
Springside’s Chad Nehring, 28, currently leads the New York Rangers’ AHL-affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack in scoring heading into the AHL all-star break.
The former Yorkton Terrier star has 15 goals and 16 assists for 31 points over 45 games and credits his impressive 2015/16 season to the fact that he was able to gain considerable experience from a midseason call up last year; a call up that saw him go from the ECHL’s Greenville Road Warriors to the AHL’s Wolf Pack. “I came into this year having learned a lot of new stuff from last year and I feel like I got a lot of good experience going on a nice playoff run last year here,” said Nehring, who played in 53 regular season games and 15 playoff games for the Wolf Pack, tallying a total of six goals and nine assists along the way.
Nehring added that the deep playoff run in his first AHL experience was key to this season’s hot start. “The playoffs were a whole new level and the start of this year, it’s almost like you’re taking a step back in the level of play when compared to the conference finals, so that helped me and was the biggest part in a smooth transition going into the start of this year.”
Last season Nehring’s role with Hartford was primarily as a depth centreman, taking faceoffs and killing penalties while playing with a defensive mindset.
That’s how he started this season as well, before a combination of luck and hard work allowed him to show his offensive abilities. “At the start of the year you get put in spot and I was still in the fourth line role where I was last year,” said Nehring, continuing, “Once I started to feel pretty confident in the league I got a little more of an opportunity and started putting more pucks in the net.
“When that happens you get more opportunities and it’s been rolling pretty well right now.”
Nehring says that that is how it’s been in all of his hockey seasons, from the SJHL’s Yorkton Terriers thru to the Wolf Pack today. “Every league, once I got experience, I started putting up numbers.”
Undrafted, Nehring feels that the way he has made it to the AHL has been through hard work and determination; something instilled upon him from an early age. “I’ve always been one that prided myself on hard work and dedication and that comes from my parents and brother and sister,” offered Nehring, who spent four years at Lake Superior State (CCHA, NCAA D-I) before spending five seasons in minor pro leagues such as the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) and Central Hockey League (CHL), playing on teams such as the Idaho Steelheads, Arizona Sundogs, Las Vegas Wranglers and Greenville Road Warriors. “They have always helped me out, supported me and made sure that I worked hard. They helped out lots, from taking me to games as a kid or walking over the hill in Springside to skate every day with me.”
While Nehring says he is happy with the way things are going in his first full AHL campaign, he admits that he’s not satisfied with it.
Instead, the 5’11”, 200-pound Nehring has set yet another goal: the NHL.
And he’s already on the radar. “The biggest thing is that when you get an invite to the main camp for the New York Rangers that means eyes are on you,” said Nehring. “Going to that to start this season, that was my first NHL camp and it was pretty exciting but also eye-opening seeing that you’re now involved in this situation and organization.
“It’s going to take some time to get there of course, but getting myself better every day is the priority so that if injuries or something like that happens I’ll be ready.”
