Advertisement

NHL draft tracker: Jesse Graham, Niagara IceDogs

When the Niagara IceDogs come to town, Jesse Graham stands out like a smart car in a parking lot full of SUVs.

The Eastern Conference regular-season champs have a big defence corps tailored to the cosy confines of their arena, with mobile redwoods on skates in NHL first-rounders Dougie Hamilton (6-foot-4, 193 pounds), Jamie Oleksiak (6-7, 252), not to mention Shayne Rover (6-3, 220). Then there's Graham, who deals daily with questions of whether he can play at the next level with his small frame, but gets by on his agility and his wits. The Toronto native is listed at 5-foot-11 and 160 pounds, but he's been integral to the IceDogs' success for nearly two seasons.

"You see various guys in the NHL who play the position and are smaller," says Graham, who was 119th on NHL Central Scouting's midterm North American rankings. "You just use them as an example and try to mould your game to how they play. I think I have really good feet, so I can use my feet to get me out of trouble and tough situations."

While playing for the IceDogs is a bit like the rising tide which raises all boats, Graham has tallied 40 points (4G-36A) and is plus-23, which are very respectable for a second-year defender. The former No. 4 overall choice in the OHL priority selection draft has also improved at getting point shots through to the net with more zip on them. He also figures to have a lot of playoff experience under his belt by draft day, since Niagara is favoured to at least reach the OHL final. Graham played on the club's top pairing alongside Hamilton last season when the team went to the Eastern Conference final. This season, they've been split up as coach Marty Willamson had aimed to develop three solid tandems.

"Obviously, when Jesse goes into the corner, he's an undersized guy but his feet are so good and he's fearless," Willamson says. "His inner toughness is as tough as any 6-foot-4 or 6-foot-5 guy's. He's kept his game simpler. Before he tended to bob and weave so much, we couldn't read his mind and tell what he was doing. He's simplified his game, he's smooth and he's got that speed to buy time before he makes a good pass out of the zone."

The IceDogs are outfitted with t-shirts emblazoned, "5/27/12: Why Not Us?" referred to the MasterCard Memorial Cup. An extended playoff run could give Graham the exposure he needs to show he's worth a mid-round choice in June.

"I'm looking forward to the opportunity there," he says.

1. As a youngster on a team with so many NHL draft picks (12), how has having to learn to fit in with older players helped you?

"We've got a good group of older guys and they're all leaders in the room. It's been great for me and last year too, just learning from them. Last year, I had Tim Billingsley here as one of the older defencemen. This year, Strome and Oleksiak have set a good example for me."

2. Which NHL defencemen do you study closely?

"My favourite player is probably [Chicago Blackhawks star] Duncan Keith. I like the way he plays, a solid two-way game on the back end. I like Dan Boyle [of the San Jose Sharks] as well. He's someone who can bring that offence from the back end."

3. Outside of family, who has had the greatest influence on you in hockey?

"My next-door neighbour, Bernie Sigrist, who plays pro hockey in Europe. He's always been there with advice for me, like a big brother."

4. Tell us, out of the 19-year-olds and overagers on the IceDogs, who's going to grow the nastiest playoff beard? And whose will barely come in?

"[Steven] Shipley's is going to be embarrassing." (As in nonexistent?) "Yeah, it's going to be bad. I'd say Freddie Hamilton's is going to be come in pretty thick."

5. What is the worst movie you have ever watched on the team bus?

"There's been some pretty bad movies this year. I think Easy A was the worst."

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Contact him at neatesager@yahoo.ca and follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.