ECHL: An Interview With Newfoundland Growlers All-Star Johnny Tychonick

For every team in the North Division, there is one road trip that everyone dreads, and that’s the trip up to St Johns, Newfoundland, because of how much travel is involved to get there, but for the Growler’s All-Star Defenceman, he absolutely loves playing in Newfoundland and loves the amount of travel that the team does every year, “So much fun, it’s the most fun hockey I’ve ever played in my entire life since last year, and this year the people I’ve met I’ve built these lifelong relationships, and it’s a different place they got their own language, It’s home now, it’s nothing short of unbelievable, and traveling is the best part hanging out with the guys it’s a treat and collecting Air Canada miles every time you fly so it’s perfect” said Tychonick when asked about what it’s like playing in Newfoundland. The former Ottawa Senators Draft pick has played in 42 games with the Growlers, putting up seven goals and 31 assists for 38 points after spending two years at the University of North Dakota and three years at the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

Newfoundland has always been a team that has been at the top of the North Division, and this year, they’ve had trouble finding themselves in their usual spot as right now, they currently sit second in the North, but Trois-Rivieres Lions, Worcester Railers, and Norfolk Admirals are all within two points of the Growlers at the moment, “It’s been up and down; we’re second behind Adironda; we’rere still finding our way obviously, there’s a lot of adjustment that comes with a lot of guys being in their first-year pro and just playing a 72-game season compared to a college season or in the CHL is just a little bit different, but now I feel like everyone is finding their stride and finding their game and getting up for every single game compared to playing 40 games a year now you’re playing 72, I think it’s a little bit of an adjustment, but I think people are getting their footing and taking off and letting their play do the talking and I’m really impressed with everything we’ve been through as a team so far, it will just help us later on in the year” said the 23-year-old defenceman.

When you look at the Newfoundland Growler’s roster, they have a lot of guys who are on AHL deals with the Toronto Marlies, and it just shows how Toronto develops their prospects,”Ya, I think Toronto does a great job in the process of starting us in the ECHL and then advancing up and up; you see, a guy like Bobby McMann, who’s now with the Leafs, started with the Growlers a couple of years ago, you see other guys who have started down there move up they do a good job of the development part of it, everyone needs to develop, it’s hard to step right into the NHL unless your special special, so I think the development part is unbelievable and everyone wants to move up and it’s just about finding footing when guys are up when the lineup is a little smaller that it probably should be with guys getting called up and stuff but we do a great job dealing with it, the coaching staff does a great job dealing with it, at the end of the day it’s about playing hockey and putting that stuff aside,” said Tychonick

The Growlers were recently in the news as with a lot of guys battling illnesses, the Growlers would sign Shorsey star Teddy Ryan Jr to a contract as he would play on January 14th vs. Adirondack Thunder and ended up dropping the gloves the Zach Walker. I asked Tychonick what he thought of the signing, “It was unbelievable; I’ve been talking to a lot of guys, and said it was so much fun with him being there, and they loved every moment with him. Hopefully, I’ll be able to meet him once I get back to Newfoundland because he seems like a great guy.” Ryan was released by the team the team on Monday