While on a Professional Try-Out Contract in mid-December with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Inside The Rink had the opportunity to sit down with defenseman Chris Ortiz from the Wheeling Nailers.
Before turning professional, Ortiz played five seasons in the QMJHL. He played in 207 games for Baie-Comeau Drakkar and tallied 16 goals and 89 assists over that game span. He earned the “A” during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 seasons. In the 2020-2021 season, He was traded to Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, dressed in 24 games, and netted four goals and 20 assists.
Ortiz started playing professional hockey in the 2021-2022 season when he signed a contract with the Wheeling Nailers. During his rookie season, Ortiz played in 54 games with Wheeling and tallied 12 goals with 26 assists. He earned a recall during that season to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton; Ortiz dressed in eight games and netted one goal and one assist. During the 2022-2023 season, He dressed in 44 games for the Nailers and tallied four goals and 28 assists. During 15 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton that season, he earned three assists. For the entirety of the 2023-2024 season, Ortiz played for the Trois-Rivières Lions. He played 69 games for the Lions and gathered four goals and 33 assists.
Thus far in the 2024-2025 season, Ortiz has played 28 games for Wheeling and has two goals with 25 assists. He has dressed in one game for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton with no points totaled. Going from the QMJHL, like Ortiz, right into professional hockey, there is a bit of an adjustment to handle. “It’s obviously bigger, guys; I’d say the speed and just the physicality. We are playing against like older people, stronger people, so being overage in the Q[MJHL], and being like one of like the most mature one, and now I have to take on being the young one, so it’s a bit of an adjustment.”
Playing in a physical league like the ECHL, with the occasional recalls to the AHL, it is a long season for the mind and body. Ortiz talks about what he does to keep his mind in the game throughout the regular season and post-season play. “With injuries, you gotta take care of yourself and take care of your body. It’s a long season, lots of games, so just taking care of your body, get your mind to it and it’s best part of the year.”
When you play defense on any team, you have to be ready for the opposing teams that are skilled defensively, possibly more than your own team. “Obviously, there are good players, so you need to stop them from moving, you know? Stop the play; that’s the hardest part here.”
More often times than not, during games, teams face penalty kills. A penalty kill occurs when a team is shorthanded due to another player on the same team receiving a penalty. Elements of a good penalty kill are clearing the zone, good stick work, and the goaltender. Ortiz weighed in on what makes a good penalty kill from a player’s POV: “Blocking shots and just outworking their powerplay.”
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