RALEIGH, N.C. – Whether he’s skating on the ice or just walking to his stall in the Carolina Hurricanes dressing room, Jeff Skinner moves quietly and smoothly into his spot.
He’s so unassuming you never really notice that he’s there, but you will find him easily once he flashes that boyish smile that sets him apart from everyone else in the room.
The 21 year-old forward came into the National Hockey League (NHL) as an 18 year-old, first-round draft pick during the 2010-2011 season.
He had a quite a first year winning the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie and even got the opportunity to play in the All-Star game hosted in Raleigh that season.
Back then, he was the only ‘special player’ on the Hurricanes roster – a young up-and-comer who had talent and skill beyond most his age and who the franchise expected would do special things.
For the most part, he’s continued to achieve and keep his playing style and form true to his abilities, ranking in the team’s top three in overall scoring with the exception of 2012-2013 season when he slipped to fifth.
During this current season, Skinner is no longer the only special player in the room as recent Carolina first-round draft picks, forward Elias Lindholm (2013) and defenseman Ryan Murphy (2011), have each played considerable games and minutes with the team.
Being the youngest members of the team – Skinner (21), Murphy (20), and Lindholm (19) – the three have formed a strong bond and understandably so.
All of a sudden Skinner has become the ‘elder statesman’ of the trio and has helped the other two when they’ve asked him for help.
When he was asked about Murphy and Lindholm regarding their transition into becoming NHL pros, Skinner spoke candidly on what he saw of his similarly-aged teammates.
“Based on my experience, these guys have high-end skill,” he said.
“They both spent time in the minors this year just for a little bit of time. When you have that high-end skill, I think it sort of elevates your game. For me, watching them, they play the game at another level than kids their age. It’s easier for them to make the adjustment and make the jump just because they think the game on a different level.”
While all three have taken slightly different paths to end up as regulars on the Hurricanes roster, they are each maturing on a similar pace as young hockey players.
Skinner sees each of their paths as helpful to each, but understands that there’s a reason why players like Lindholm and Murphy have spent considerable time in the NHL during their rookie seasons.
“I think Lindy has had the advantage of playing pro in Sweden. And Murph, I played with him in Kitchener. He came into Kitchener in his first year and he was a step ahead of kids his age.”
That’s what I’ve noticed in those two guys,” Skinner continued.
“They have that high-end skill, they think the game at a different level and that sort of allows them to succeed at this level.”
As he assumes the leadership role, Skinner rightly acknowledged the mentors he had when he first started with the Hurricanes.
“When I was coming into the league, I had Brandon Sutter, and I lived with Petey (Justin Peters). Those kinds of guys helped me along,” Skinner said.
“For me to be on the other end of it, I think you just try to pass on as much as you can throughout the years. It’s not too much more (in time playing) for them from me, but since I’ve been here a couple more years, I think it’s easier for them to know what I did in a certain situation. Maybe it doesn’t work for them, maybe it works for them, but you gather as much information from everyone in the locker room. For those guys being young guys coming into the league, I was sort of in a similar situation as them, I think it’s easier.”
In helping to ease his younger teammates’ transition into becoming full-time NHLer’s, Skinner is still as much a student as he is a teacher.
‘Even for me, when I watch them, I can learn what I did and maybe if I could have done it a little bit differently, we can learn from each other,” Skinner said.
“It helps you grow as people and as players. I think you learn and pick up things as you go along. You have to be always growing and learning.”
The effort in teaching and learning from one another doesn’t go unappreciated by Murphy.
“I live with Skins,” Murphy said.
“He keeps me focused, he makes sure I’m getting the appropriate rest, I’m eating right and stuff like that. He’s a good roommate, he’s a good teammate. With his NHL experience, that’s definitely a huge value to me.”
As young as he is, a glimpse into how Skinner works to improve his game and his teammates’, both on and off the ice, goes a long way into showing how special the future could be for the Hurricanes.