Redmond was an impressive plus-19 as a freshman
defenseman in the CCHA. |
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Key Statistics: As a
freshman, Redmond delivered on expectations that he
had a great offensive upside, leading Ferris State's
defensemen and finishing sixth in his team's scoring
race with 19 points. And while many, including his coaches,
thought he may be suspect in his own end of the ice,
the sophomore-to-be finished tied for second on the
squad with a plus-14 rating.
What He Does: Standing
at 6-1 and 191 pounds, Redmond has adequate size to
play a physical game, but chooses to defend with more
finesse. He takes advantage of excellent stick skills
to strip opponents of the puck. In addition to disarming
opponents’ forwards, Redmond uses this ability
to steal the puck to contribute to the breakout and
offensive game. While many defenders rely on beating
people to loose pucks, Redmond can build offensive momentum
quickly by taking pucks directly from opponents and
clearing them to forwards emerging from their own zone.
The Bigger Picture: One
key to Redmond’s defensive success last season
was good chemistry with defense partner and fellow freshman
Scott Wietecha. While it would be ideal to keep the
two together this coming year, there may be difficulty
in doing so because they’re both right-handed
shots. The pair was able to overcome this obstacle last
year, but there is some concern that if two left-handed
shots are then forced to skate together, they might
struggle in covering the zone. Regardless of who he
plays with, Redmond should enjoy success, and he gets
along well with his teammates and is respected as a
team leader – so much so that he’ll be rewarded
with a 'A' for the '08-'09 season.
Ferris State Coach Bob Daniels
on Redmond: "I see him improving on those
offensive numbers. He's not the kind of kid to have
a sophomore jinx or get full of himself. He'll continue
to push himself and work hard, and won't come in thinking
he's figured it out."
—
James V. Dowd |
