Andrew’s future bright as NHL prospect
A son of a former Trinity High School quarterback, Tyler Andrew is listed in the NHL Central Scouting rankings report.
The curious looks have followed Tyler Andrew for years.
They were there when Andrew was the tallest kid in his class at school. They were there when he told his father – a former Trinity High School quarterback – that football wasn’t in his future athletic plans. They were there when he was an ice hockey fanatic living in sun-baked Virginia. And they were there when, instead of playing some school-sponsored sport or in the local youth baseball league, Andrew was spending weekends commuting to and from Canada and other northern cities to play in amateur hockey tournaments.
“When I was in school, it was always a question mark to my friends. I was always going places on the weekend and not playing on school sports teams like they were,” said Andrew, who was born in Washington and has lived in Washington County, Hampton, Va., and Bethel Park.
“Playing hockey has been a nice experience for me. It has allowed me to branch out.”
These days, the curious looks still follow Andrew, and they’re being cast by NHL scouts who try to figure out how the 18-year-old Andrew, a 6-6, 205-pound forward for the Topeka RoadRunners, a junior team in the North American Hockey League, could fit into a professional team’s future.
Andrew was listed on the NHL Central Scouting mid-term rankings report, which was released in January. He was rated the No. 207 draft-eligible skater in North America. He could be selected in the NHL Entry Draft in June.
“I would be unbelievably happy if that would happen, but I’m trying not to get my hopes up too much,” Andrew said.
That’s because Andrew is rather busy these days as Topeka opened the NAHL’s Robertson Cup playoffs last night. He helped the Roadrunners to a second-place finish in the six-team South Division by scoring 20 goals (four game-winners) and registering 43 points. He has been a fixture on the Roadrunners’ special teams.
In February, Andrew participated in the NAHL Top Prospects Tournament in Michigan, which is designed to be a showcase for NHL scouts. Andrew’s size makes him a prototypical power forward, but Andrew says there is more to his game than banging in front of the net with opposing defensemen. He has shown speed, quick hands and a scoring touch. When scouts and coaches talk about Andrew, they always use the word “potential.”
“Tyler’s work ethic and upside are tremendous,” said Topeka coach Scott Langer. “We have put a lot of responsibility on him, and he has embraced every bit of it. Tyler has big future.”
Whether that future includes being drafted this year or not, Andrew still has many options for his career. He has committed to playing in 2014 for Ferris State, an NCAA Division I program in Michigan that has produced many NHL players, such as the Penguins’ Chris Kunitz. Next season, Andrew has the option of returning to Topeka or playing in the United States Hockey League, which is another junior league. Andrew will be eligible for the USHL draft in May.
“Tyler wanted to get a Division I scholarship and he committed to Ferris State in December,” said Scott Andrew, Tyler’s father. “He was really excited about that. His focus right now is to help his team in the playoffs.”
It should come as no surprise that Tyler Andrew has found athletic success. He comes from an athletic family. In addition to his father’s football background, Tyler’s mother, the former Vicki Brogdon, was a basketball player at Wash High. Tyler’s grandfather, Jarrett Brogdon, is the former lacrosse coach at Bethel Park High School.
However, nobody in the family has a hockey background.
After living in Washington County – Paris and Washington – for his first five years, Andrew’s family moved to the Hampton, Va., area, which is where he began playing hockey.
“He tried every sport there is when he was little. He played basketball, football, baseball, swimming, taekwondo, soccer, lacrosse,” Scott Andrew said. “He got hooked on hockey. It started with roller hockey. Then somebody suggested he try ice hockey,”
It’s not easy to find ice rinks in Virginia, but the Andrews did. Tyler played for the Hampton Roads Whalers, a Squirt B team. After returning eight years ago to Western Pennsylvania and Bethel Park – where he played lacrosse through his junior year of high school – it was easier for Andrew to find ice time and competitive teams and leagues. He played for the Pittsburgh Hornets and Pittsburgh Junior Penguins. It was with these travel teams that Andrew’s size, soft hands and skating ability began attracting attention.
If Andrew eventually makes it to the NHL, he would become the second player born in Washington to play in hockey’s top league. The first was George Parros of the Florida Panthers, who won a Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007.
“(Tyler) has a solid future in hockey ahead of him,” Langer said.