Kingston Frontenacs' Reagan O'Grady hopes sacrifice pays off: Making The Jump

Leaving home at an early age put Reagan O'Grady in the fast lane.

The Kingston Frontenacs defenceman was all of 10 when he decided to leave the Lindsay, Ont., home of his parents Brendan and Lisa and live in the big city with his grandfather, Al O'Grady, so he could play in the powerhouse Toronto Marlboros minor hockey organization. At that age, O'Grady was convinced he needed a more competitive environment than what he could get in small-town Ontario; now the 6-foot-1, 187-pounder who's still three months shy of turning 16 has matured into a promising young defender.

It was a lengthy process with my family and I to make the decision," recalls the 15-year-old O'Grady, whom the Frontenacs chose No. 15 overall in the Ontario Hockey League priority selection draft in April. "We had a rule in the Central Ontario Wolves [minor hockey organization] that you couldn't play up from your age group after a certain age and that was about to have a major effect on me.

"I just was not sure I would be able to play in those Sunday games where a lot of people [scouts] are. My parents basically left it up to me, 'if you want to do it, 'we're supportive of whatever you choose.' I moved away and I'm thankful to them and my grandfather that I lived with for the past few years. It wasn't a big switch since I was still living with my family but people thought I was crazy. I thought's that what I needed to do pursue my dream of playing hockey."

O'Grady played his first exhibition game last Friday when Kingston, which was ranked No. 2 in the first Canadian Hockey League top 10 poll of the new season, dropped a 3-2 shootout decision to Ottawa despite a 43-19 edge in shots. Like current Ottawa Senators young defenceman Cody Ceci way back in 2009-10 with the cross-town 67's, O'Grady won't turn 16 until almost halfway through his first season. He's hopeful that not being up for the NHL draft until 2017 can work in his favour.

"Basically I look at this year as a development year to get my feet wet in this new league and try to adapt," O'Grady says. "At the same time, I'm not under the same type of pressure as the guys who only have two years. They have to start playing well right away. I can also look at the guys on my team like [Calgary Flames first-rounder] Sam Bennett and [Los Angeles Kings second-rounder] Roland McKeown who have been to NHL camps. I sit beside Roland in the room and it's been good to see what it he does and how hard they work."

Kingston's prospectus is predicated somewhat on when/if Bennett, the No. 4 overall pick in June, returns from Calgary.

"He can stickhandle his way through a telephone box," O'Grady marvels. "With the little things he does, he can just control a game."

1. How would you describe your game for people who have yet to see you play?

"I have a big body and a long reach, so I like to use that to my advantage and play stick-on-stick and knock pucks loose as much as I can. Make a good first pass and always move my feet and get our transition game going with our forwards. I take a lot of my pride in my own end. Understandably as a young 16-year-old kid in the league you are going to get scored on but hopefully I keep that to a minimum. Plus/minus is a big thing for me."

2. Which NHL defenceman (or -men) do you study closely?

"A young guy like Dougie Hamilton from the Boston Bruins. He's taller guy, just like I am. He makes good first passes. He handles the transition game very well and that's what I want to do at the next level. Whether Sam comes back, we have a strong forward corps this year and our job as a defence is to get the pucks ahead to them and let them do their job.

"[Hamilton] can also do a lot of things, like play a power play or a penalty kill."

3. Aside from family, who are one or two people who have had a profound effect on your career?

"Obviously family was a big part, but I would say my coaches like Paul Coffey [with the Marlboros] and Scott Kerr [with the Vaughan Kings]. I played for Paul in minor bantam and we had a great record, with 72 wins and two losses all year. It was time for me to step back and go to the rink each night and want to compete. Some games it wasn't like that, so I went to a mid-pack team with Scott and the Vaughan Kings. I couldn't say enough good things about that; each night I had to show up and play and that made me a better player.

"I got to go back to Paul this year and he relied on me and played me a ton. Just learning from him as a Hall of Fame defenceman. He showed me tricks, little tips that I can incorporate into my game. Just those two coaches have had a huge influence on me."

4. Who is one new OHL opponent you cannot wait to face for the first time?

"Probably Taylor Raddysh of the Erie Otters. Growing up, I played summer hockey with him every year. I would spend a lot of nights at his house and his parents were always open and I was always welcome to stay there. We got along really well in minor bantam and stayed in contact after I left. He was the first person to call me when Paul said 'we need Reagan back' [for the Marlboros minor midget team]. I just can't wait to play him."

5. What other sports did you play as a youth and how did they help with your personal growth?

"I played lacrosse when I was younger — not at a very high level, it was just a fun thing to do. As I got older I got into golf. My dad is a big golfer and he took me out and I felt a good feel for the game. I think in the summertime it's important for the mental side. Just to get away from the rink and have fun on the golf course and be out with your friends and not have to think about what I'm supposed to be doing for hockey. That kind of thing. I'm a big believer in getting away from the rink, taking advantage of a chance to get some rest."

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.