Chris Pelosi has given up on his hopes of being drafted by an NHL team.
A detour from his planned path forced the Sioux Falls Stampede to rethink their plans in the early stages of the 2022-23 season.
Chris Pelosi has abandoned his dreams of being drafted by an NHL team.
In the early stages of the 2022-23 season, the Sioux Falls Stampede were forced to rethink their plans due to a detour from his planned path.
In the 2021 USHL Phase I Draft, the Muskegon Lumberjacks selected the 18-year-old. During training camp last year, Pelosi made a strong push to make the team. Unfortunately, he did not make the Opening Night roster and was assigned to the North American Hockey League (NAHL) Janesville Jets to begin the season.
Pelosi viewed the opportunity as a blessing in disguise. In a league known for developing gritty players, he was able to hone in on his tenacity, an attribute he modeled after his childhood.
Chris Pelosi has given up on his hopes of being drafted by an NHL team.
The Sioux Falls Stampede were forced to rethink their plans in the early stages of the 2022-23 season due to a detour from his planned path.
The Muskegon Lumberjacks selected the 18-year-old in the 2021 USHL Phase I Draft. Pelosi made a strong push to make the team during training camp last year. Unfortunately, he did not make the Opening Night roster and was assigned to the Janesville Jets of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) to begin the season.
Pelosi saw the opportunity as a gift in disguise. He was able to hone in on his tenacity, an attribute he modeled after his childhood, in a league known for developing gritty players.
Having grown up idolizing a pillar in the Boston sports scene and then being drafted by the Bruins, it was indeed a dream come true for Pelosi.
“The Bruins really liked how I played, and they mentioned that I fit their playing style perfectly,” he said. “I couldn’t be more excited to be picked by them.”
Following the draft, Pelosi attended the Bruins Development Camp in early July, where he had the opportunity to get to know one of his future Stampede teammates Beckett Hendrickson. The former NTDP forward, who the Bruins picked up one round after Pelosi with the 124th overall pick last June, was selected by Sioux Falls in the 2023 USHL Phase II Draft.
The Bruins’ weeklong camp provided Pelosi with an opportunity to fine-tune his skills and receive feedback from the Bruins’ player development staff. He also noticed the young talent level on display, which was a motivating factor heading into his second USHL season.
Back in New Jersey in the offseason, Pelosi was at his home rink daily, shooting pucks and working with the training staff there to set himself up for a big 2023-24.
While the new season is still in its infancy, Pelosi looks like a man on a mission. Consistency has been the main takeaway in his game thus far. He has seven goals and 19 points in 12 games and registered points in all but three contests.
The Quinnipiac commit is already over halfway to his goal total from last season. A contributing factor is Pelosi has been focused on shooting the puck more in his second USHL campaign. Through 12 games, he has 45 shots on net, compared to 78 shots in 43 games last year, an increase of nearly two shots on goal per game.
“This year, I told myself, ‘If you want to make plays, score goals, and all that type of stuff, you have to shoot the puck more.’ That’s what I’m working on, a shot-first mentality,” he said.
That mentality earned Pelosi his first USHL Forward of the Week honors after potting goals in three consecutive games in mid-October.
The young forward credits his linemates for being able to claim the award. Hendrickson and Pelosi have carried over their chemistry formed at Bruins Development Camp.
Along with Tyler Borgula, who took home the forward of the week award in early October, the trio has complemented each other’s games perfectly, working on the ice with the same mindset.
“Get in there, get in the dirty areas of the ice, get the puck, and good things will come out of it,” Pelosi said of his line’s approach.
The trio have Sioux Falls in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race. It’s still early, but Pelosi and the Stampede look like a team that could make some noise this season.
Going into the year, Pelosi was dead set on helping the Herd make the postseason for the first time since claiming their third Clark Cup championship in 2019. He also wants to be a point-per-game player.
Leave a Reply