Graham will be one of the leaders of a defense
that will include promising freshmen Michael Ratchuk
and Ryan Turek.
Key Statistics: Numbers
don’t tell the story for Graham, who had just
12 points in 45 games last season and 10 goals and 27
assists in 127 career games.
What He Does: Graham is the quintessential
defensive defenseman, and unlike some of those players
– who hope a 40-point season is right around the
corner – he takes pride in that designation. “I
haven’t scored 40 points since maybe I was 16,”
he said. “You have to embrace a label like ‘defensive
defenseman.’ There are other guys who are going
to score the goals.”
The Bigger Picture: The
Spartans know they can count on Graham’s play
in their zone. They’ll lean even more on his intangibles,
like leadership, in 2006-07. Some very talented freshmen
and sophomores will wear the Green and White this winter,
which means Michigan State will need strong upperclassmen
in order to build upon last season’s success.
Graham will wear an ‘A’ this year –
in fact, five Spartans will have a letter on their sweater,
enough to ice an entire power-play unit. While there
is strength in numbers, quality beats quantity when
it comes to leadership, which makes Graham’s off-the-ice
contributions that much more significant.
Michigan State assistant coach
Tom Newton on Graham: "The new game is
right up his alley. He moves well, and his mobility
can help him get out of trouble easily. He defends very
well, and takes great pride in stopping the puck, making
smart outlet passes, killing penalties and blocking
shots.”
