College Hockey; Mischler already an
old hand on ice
John Connolly. Boston Herald Dec. 19, 1998
Think of Northeastern sophomore winger Graig Mischler as the Jerry Rice of college hockey.
Good hands?
Indeed, and Huskies fans were treated to a display of his skill in the home opener when Mischler delivered a nifty setup feed to center Bobby Davis, leading to a 2-0 win over Colgate. Mischler later posted a four-point night (three assists) in NU's 5-4 overtime upset at Boston College in late November.
"I guess my role on the team is that I'm a playmaker," said Mischler. "I play with my hands and my mind, my skill. I think I have pretty good hands.
"I try and play 2-on-1 hockey," he added. "I'm not one of the fastest guys out there, so I try and use my hockey sense."
He'll get another chance tomorrow when the Huskies (4-10-1) play at Princeton.
Mischler grew up in Holrbook, N.Y., about 30 minutes from teh New York Islanders' home at Nassau Coliseum. Because the level of high school hockey in the area was not quite up to top standards, Mischler transferred from Sachem High to the Canterbury (Mass.) School for his junior and senior years.
At Canterbury, where Mischler also played tennis - further honing his adept touch - the hockey team captured the New England Prep School Athletic Conference Division 1 championship his senior season.
The blue-ribbon talent that has passed through that league includes Hockey East players like Boston University forward Nick Gillis, former BU star Tom Poti of the Edmonton Oilers, and former BC star Bobby Allen.
Mischler was lightly recruited by Clarkson and Providence before arriving at NU. His rapid improvement prompted the Vancouver Canucks to select him in the eigth round of last year's NHL entry draft.
"I guess being as thin as I am, everyone jumped off the bandwagon," said the 6-foot-3, 187-pound Mischler.
He has added 15 pounds sine last season.
"The only expectations I have of myself is to do the best I can," he said.
"Coach (Bruce) Crowder has given me the opportunity. He's given me the chance to play hockey at this level," he added.
Mischler began skating at age 9 and sharpened his hand-eye coordination playing "deck hockey", a type of floor hockey in which puck control is critical.
Now he's strutting his stuff on a different floor.
"I love this rink," Mischler said of Matthews Arena. "I think this is the best arena in the country. The ice is nice and clean and soft. It doesn't slow up a lot."
Crowder knows he has a diamond in the rough, a player he expects has only begun to reach his potential.
"He's a real good competitive kid and likes to learn," he said. "I think he got a big boost getting drafted this year. He's now got himself another goal to shoot for. He has great ice presence. He sees the ice well. That's one of the things we noticed when we recruited him. You can't teach those things. He's only going to get better, too. It's just a matter of time."
