Soo Greyhounds’ Anthony Salinitri aims to be ‘mentally better’: Making The Jump

Anthony Salinitri has learned to view his draft status in the right light.

In April, the centre became the first Windsor, Ont., native since 2010 to hear his name called during the first round of the Ontario Hockey League. Having that distinction was nice and all, but Salinitri, who begins his first major junior camp this week with the 'Hounds, knows it merely opened a door.

"My dad and my mom [Mara and Mario Salinitri] are huge in keeping me humble and not getting down on myself and just appreciating the opportunity I have," says the 5-foot-9½, 153-pound speedy centre, who played his minor midget season with the Windsor Jr. Spitfires. "The day of the draft they said, 'you reached it; you got your goal of being drafted but now it means nothing. Everything that is behind you is behind you and now you have to work your way up from the bottom again, to the top."

"I play both ends of the ice," adds Salinitri, who was chosen No. 17 overall. "I try to be really responsible in my own end, not get caught cheating. When I get the chance to go I use my speed and I'm creative with the puck. I like to make plays."

Salinitri is on the compact side, but augmented his speed during his minor midget year with elusiveness and a facility for maneuvering with the puck in cozy confines. During new Toronto Maple Leafs assistant GM Kyle Dubas' watch, the Greyhounds have added a number of similarly skilled forwards, such as Carolina Hurricanes prospect Sergey Tolchinsky, late-blooming Arizona Coyotes choice Michael Bunting and sophomore goal scorer Blake Speers. The 'Hounds also had extra chances to scout Salinitri, since they play in the same division as the OHL Spitfires.

Salinitri is willing to pay some dues before stepping into a lead role. In addition to his family influence, he also says it helped that his minor midget coach, Tony Ciampa, had some prior experience coaching an OHL first-round pick. Ciampa also tutored current Ottawa Senators first-rounder Matt Puempel, who was a three-time 30-goal man in the OHL and also hit that milestone as an AHL rookie last winter.

"I definitely have to thank all my coaches, especially Tony Ciampa," says Salinitri. "He jumped on board with us about two years ago and over those two years he taught me a lot. He's been through a lot with other players, like Puempel. He knew what he was doing and I trusted him a lot.

"He guided me through the process — how to stay focused and manage it well."

Salinitri adds that while people might focus on the obvious — his listed height and weight — the biggest adjustment for a 16-year-old OHL rookie takes place from the neck up.

"It's important to get stronger and quicker, but more importantly, I need to adapt to the game and be mentally better."

1. You have to be yourself, but which NHL player(s) do you study closely and try to model your game upon?

"[Chicago Blackhawks captain] Jonathan Toews. I try to model my game after him as much as possible. He's a good leader but, more importantly he plays the style of game that I play. He's a good two-way forward. He's responsible in his own end. But when he gets the puck, he's a dynamic forward who makes things happen."

2. What kind of influence did your older brother David (who plays soccer at the University of Windsor) have on you?

"He was huge. He's seven years older than me so I was always playing with the older boys when I was growing up. He always pushed me to do my best in whatever sport I was playing. Over the years he's always kept me calm and taught me to be strong and keep going even when you've had a bad day."

3. What other sports did you play as a child and how did it help you in hockey?

"I started off in soccer. My dad put me in hockey so I would be more physical in soccer but I ended up loving the game of hockey and went from there. I played till last year, when I was 15. It helped me with my conditioning and even some of the aspects of hockey."

4. Will the fact the man who drafted you to the Soo is now working for the Toronto Maple Leafs have any influence on your NHL rooting loyalties?

"I'm excited for him. Kyle Dubas has been a big part of the process for me. I've been in contact with him still. I wish him luck and hopefully one day I'll be playing for him again."

5. What is your favourite movie and/or TV show?

"Favourite TV show is probably Criminal Minds. Favourite movie, I'd have to say, is The Expendables."

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