By Nicholas Carafa
Photos by Terry Wilson (above) and Aaron Bell (below) / OHL Images
When you face top talent on a nightly basis you have to learn to neutralize the threat. Defenceman Markus Phillips is doing just that in his first year with the Owen Sound Attack, tasked with shutting down skilled opponents like London Knights duo Christian Dvorak and Mitch Marner – both recent NHL draftees who rank first and second, respectively, in OHL scoring.
In his minor midget season with the Toronto Titans, Phillips’ impressive mobility and strength on the power-play garnered him attention from OHL scouts, as well as a spot on Team Kypreos-Graves in the 6th Annual Scotiabank GTHL Top Prospects Game.
After helping the Titans capture the Kraft Cup as regular-season GTHL champions, Phillips was again rewarded for his hard work when the Attack made him the first defenceman chosen in the 2015 OHL draft with the ninth overall selection.
“I don’t know if there’s another 16-year-old defenceman in the league that skates like he does,” said Attack head coach Ryan McGill. “He’s taken some good steps toward developing into a good player and there are some nights where he struggles, but he doesn’t struggle in a way that takes away any confidence.”
McGill understands the pressure of being a young defenceman – he won a Memorial Cup championship with the Medicine Hat Tigers in 1988 before embarking on a professional career in which he suited up in 151 career games with the Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers and Edmonton Oilers.
Phillips has registered three points in 23 games thus far in his OHL career (0-3—3), but the stat line rarely defines a rookie season – especially for a 16-year-old defenseman.
The Toronto native was recognized for his potential and leadership when Hockey Canada chose him to captain Canada Red at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge last month in British Columbia, leading the team to a fourth-place finish. He also captained Team Ontario to a gold medal at the 2015 Canada Winter Games in Prince George, B.C.
Whether he is out west or playing in one of the OHL’s 20 arenas, McGill says Phillips has it in his best interest to be on the ice in every situation against the top players. In order to excel in those opportunities, perfecting his play without the puck must be a top priority.
“So many young guys today aren’t properly taught [playing without the puck] throughout their minor hockey days. When they get [to the OHL], it’s important to make sure they understand how important positioning is to become an efficient player.”
Being a good defenceman means reacting efficiently on split-decision plays as well as maintaining proper body and stick position in static situations when the puck is in the corner. Not as simple is it may seem, according to McGill.
“He has very good offensive instincts,” McGill said. “Right now we’re just trying to teach him how to best use those instincts to his advantage in a game that is very quick compared to where he came from.”
Fine-tuning the minute details in his own zone will translate to Phillips evolving into the type of well-rounded defenceman that every team is eager to have. That’s the hard part.
The easy part is learning to get his shot through from the point and make crisp passes in the neutral zone because he already possesses something that can’t be taught on a white board – an excellent hockey sense.
Sometimes there is too much pressure on 16-year-olds to develop faster than they should. Long-term expectations are often pushed to the forefront, but it comes down to taking advantage of the ice time he’s earning today.
There will be stepping stones difficult to reach along the way, but no one ever said the learning curve was going to be an easy climb.
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