MarliesHQ

When Ryan Hamilton was named captain of the Toronto Marlies at the start of the season, there was very little debate on whether or not he was the right choice. After all, this was a man who was a clear leader on the ice, who played in all situations, and performed well in those situations. In any given year, he was good for a 25-30 goal pace. But that last sentence, as good as it sounds, contains his key flaw of the past few years – pace.

We are, after all talking about a guy who was an obvious leader and scoring talent, would only be that for half the season before succumbing to something that would set it back. Be in the time where he went face first into the glass, acquiring enough stitches to make the average person cringe. Or his knee injuries. Or the time where he had to have an operation done for an irregular heartbeat. It goes without saying, that his body hasn’t exactly been his career’s best friend over the past few seasons. That was my one doubt when it came this year – sure, he may wear the C, and he may be the best person to wear it, but how wise of a choice is it to make if he’s playing only 45 games yet again this season?

I know I wasn’t the only one to think that, and thankfully, he’s spent the year proving a lot of people, both detractors and cautious supporters, wrong. For one, he has a comfortable team lead in goals, with 23 being just one of the career highs he has to his credit this year. Perhaps more impressive is that he’s matched that in assists as well – something that hasn’t happened in his time with Toronto. Usually, the ratio between the two statistics is rather evident – scoring 1.8 goals for every assist in 2009/10, and 1.3 last season. Being able to dish the puck more this year is just one example of many of the growth he’s shown as an all around player.

Like always, he’s been a staple on both sides of the special teams. While not the go-to weapon when up a man or down, its perhaps that that’s made him even more effective. He’s the guy that creeps in on the powerplay, and the one who has the energy to close off the final seconds of a rough penalty kill. It’s an impressive versatility on a team that’s already has plenty of it. That’s without even speaking about his skating ability – he can skate with the best of them, particularly in his acceleration.

And perhaps the best stat out of all of them, is the one that’s the most important – the Marlies have played 65 games this season, and he’s played in every single one of them. The various issues of the past few years, at least at the moment, appear to have gone away and given a chance to really prove himself as a player and a leader, which he has, and then some. It’s clearly caught the eye of the big club, because with the team in need of forwards on emergency recall, Hamilton finally got the nod that he’s been waiting for his whole career – his NHL shot. Granted, due to the nature of the call up, it may not be very long. He could even be back with a C and a Marlies logo on his chest a few days from now. But he can say something that millions have dreamed of but few have been able to accomplish – “I’ve played in the NHL.”

The games he’ll get this year will play a huge part in his future next year. Even at his age, a decent effort can go a long way to making it into the NHL full time. One can argue that the single game that Tim Brent earned in 2009/10 as a “Thank You” from the team was enough to give him more of a look during training camp the next year – he’s been an NHLer ever since. With more extreme examples, Joel Ward, who was a teammate of Hamilton’s with the Houston Areos, was 27 years old when he got his first significant NHL shot, and is currently hin his fourth full season. You never know how these things work out for players.

One things for sure though, whether it’s a weekend, or a sign of things to come, the call up couldn’t have gone to a better person. Hamilton has shown to be an exemplary captain, a fantastic AHL player, and now, a healthy one. The NHL shot was the perfect reward to a great year for him, and one can only hope for the best for him as he lives it out. Hamilton plays his first NHL game tonight as the Leafs take on the New Jersey Devils.

Nazem Kadri was also recalled on an emergency basis. Of course, the Toronto media has already beat up this topic to death, so I wanted to put the focus on Hamilton – who I was writing this piece on before the call up anyway. Kadri has impressed in the past few games, so it’s no shock that he’s back up with the team. Matt Frattin and Clarke MacArthur are the Leafs that are currently out to make this possible.