Saginaw Spirit's Tye Felhaber focused on 'little things': Making The Jump

Tye Felhaber is eager to show he is well worth the risk — and the brief wait — for the Saginaw Spirit.

The 16-year-old centre was one of the last OHL first-round selections to commit, signing with the Spirit in August, but the pivot from Pembroke, Ont., has offered some early promise, scoring a goal in an exhibition win over Sault Ste. Marie last week. Felhaber, who had the blink-you-missed-it acceleration to go end-to-end during his minor hockey days, is out to expand his all-around game.

"The pace of this league is fun, I'm definitely getting more comfortable with each and every game," Felhaber says. "I want to get better in all areas. I think I'm doing all the little things right.

"The points will come in time. I just want to get better in the physical aspects of the game, getting stronger and winning physical battles. Just being comfortable with the speed."

Felhaber had all the open ice he could ever want during his childhood since his father, Joey, made an outdoor rink every winter in Pembroke. Now 5-foot-11 and 182 pounds, he's hoping to show that he can off-set his puck skills by being able to tee up his teammates for scoring opportunities, too.

"If you have speed that's the main thing at  the next level; all the guys are fast," says Felhaber, who got a taste of junior puck with his hometown Pembroke Lumber Kings at the tailend of last season. "You have to be able see the entire ice and make plays and get to open areas."

1. Which player(s) at the next level do you watch closely?

"I love the skills that Pavel Datsyuk has. I try to rely on my hands as much as possible. He was probably my favourite player growing up and I always watch what he's doing because he's a centreman as well. Also, Matt Duchene."

2. Who is one person whom you cannot wait to face in OHL?

"Probably Will Bitten [the Plymouth Whalers' first-rounder]. I've been playing against him all the way up. It's always been a battle between him and I. We're buddies off the ice and we'll see how we go throiugh at the next level."

3. Apart from your parents (Joey and Michelle Felhaber), who is one person who had a really great influence on you?

"Probably my coach in major bantam and minor midget, Brent Carty, who coached me with the Ottawa Valley Titans. He really tried to get me ready. He knew I had some talent and really wanted to work with me at getting better not just on the ice, but off the ice as well. I owe him and that whole coaching staff a lot of credit."

4. What other sports did you play and how did they foster your growth as a hockey player?

"I played a bit of soccer and that just opened my eyes. It's just pushing the ball forward, just like pushing the puck forward. I played golf. I don't know if it helped me as a hockey player but it helped me balance the two, have some leisure time, not always think hockey-hockey-hockey. Baseball, maybe with the hands a bit from swinging the bat."

5. The NHL15 game was just released; which team do you like play with?

"I just got the game now, I'll probably use the L.A. Kings. I'm just trying to set it up now, actually."

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