Apr 9, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; The Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks and the Providence College Friars line up for the national anthem before the semifinal game in the men’s Frozen Four college ice hockey tournament at TD Garden in Boston. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
When 20-year old junior hockey veteran Jordan Maletta hits the ice at Boston Bruins Rookie Camp Sept. 10, he’ll get his Rocky Balboa moment as just one of two undrafted or unsigned B’s prospects who were invited on a tryout basis to show management what they can do.
Maletta may have long odds to earn a contract as he competes with 23 other Bruins rookies – multiple first round picks, NCAA and European stars among them – but he brings great size, penalty killing ability and a hard shot to go with steadily improving offensive play. He also brings a welcoming locker room presence that could be critical assets for a young and revamped B’s squad and prospect pool. He has the type of sometimes overlooked traits that certainly wouldn’t go unnoticed or under appreciated by defensive-minded coach Claude Julien.
The 6’3”, 216-pound right shot Ontario native was highly touted out of Midget AAA in 2011 after putting up 33 goals and 59 points in 48 games for his hometown St. Catharines Falcons and was selected 13th overall in the first round Priority Selection Ontario Hockey League draft by the Windsor Spitfires. According to the OHL at the time, Maletta was praised for possessing “a ton of physical tools” and the “potential to be a dominant player”, with a long, smooth stride giving him some top end speed and the ability to get into scoring areas.
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But he didn’t set the OHL on fire, and was traded to Niagara amid his second straight disappointing 20-point season in 2012-2013. From there, things began to take a noticeable upswing with Maletta doubling his point total to 40 in his first full season with the IceDogs in 2013-2014. Last year, he doubled his goal output from 12 to 24 while raising his points to 52 over 68 games. He added six goals and nine points in 11 playoff games and earned a leadership role, becoming the team’s assistant captain.
Puck Prose
“He’s tremendously important for us,” Niagara assistant coach Billy Burke told The St. Catharines Standard in late February. “He’s one of the guys that does it all. He has an impact on every part of the game. He’s a great guy in the room and is easy to talk to. When he helps out the young guys he does it in a nice manner, which can be very helpful.”
Maletta, a center, led Niagara’s top PK unit with teammate Mitch Fitzmorris, where both were known to make the often necessary physical sacrifices to complete the kill. “We both block shots and get the puck out and we’re not scared to use our bodies to help the team win. It’s definitely not as glamorous as scoring goals, but if you don’t kill penalties it’s hard to win games,” Maletta told The Standard. “The team notices, the real hockey people notice, so that’s the most important thing. It’s awesome. Last year, I blocked a shot and broke my hand and everyone was going nuts. I was out for a couple of months, but it was worth it. It feels good after a good PK or blocking a shot when the whole bench gets up and the fans cheer.”
Maletta’s words bring to mind former Bruin Gregory Campbell’s efforts on the penalty kill, including one in particular during the 2013 playoffs against Pittsburgh when he broke his leg while going down to block an Evgeni Malkin slapshot on a Penguins powerplay but continued to kill the penalty for nearly a minute while in obvious pain. He earned a standing ovation after he finally made it to the bench.
“If you don’t kill penalties it’s hard to win games. It feels good after a good PK or blocking a shot when the whole bench gets up and the fans cheer.” – Jordan Maletta
In addition to killing penalties, Maletta handles other Julien-endearing aspects of the game well such as faceoffs and has become a plus player finishing at +7 last year after improving in that category for three straight seasons. After not tearing up the OHL coming in as a high pick, he also finally began to hit the back of the net with Niagara. “He’s quietly finding his goal scoring touch,” Burke said. “When he gets his shot off, it can be as heavy as anyone in the league. His commitment to defense is so important. You can’t have every guy trying to score 40 goals, otherwise it will be a basketball game every night. His two-way game is incredible for us. As he gets older and more confident, he’s able to use his shot and his vision. He’s got good skill so he’s able to contribute on offense without cheating at all.”
After setting career highs in goals and points, Maletta may be hitting his stride while bringing a great attitude to contribute anywhere that helps his team win. “No matter how happy you are after the PK, there’s nothing that compares to scoring a goal,” he added. “You’re so happy. It doesn’t matter who scores as long as your line scores and the team scores. I’ve been getting some points and hopefully I can keep it going.”
Maletta is further not afraid to use his size or mix it up, as evidenced by his 10 OHL fights and 223 PIMs over 246 games. That includes a bout with fellow Bruins rookie camp attendee and gritty defensive prospect Max Iafrate in a November 2012 game between Windsor and Kitchener.
After not being drafted by the NHL and working his way from the expectations of a high OHL pick into becoming his own player, Boston’s invitation to a pro camp is probably an opportunity of a lifetime and a chance for a dream come true for Maletta.