Anaheim Ducks: Troy Terry Nets His First NHL Goal

In the wake of their losing streak and injuries, the Anaheim Ducks made the decision to call up Troy Terry from San Diego. Today, he experienced a moment he will never forget.

The dream of any young aspiring hockey player usually starts on the day of the draft. In 2015, Troy Terry‘s journey to the NHL began when the Anaheim Ducks drafted him in the fifth round of the NHL Entry Draft.

Since being drafted, Terry has taken significant strides to improve and hone his hockey skills. He has gone from a fifth-round draft pick to one of the Anaheim Ducks most promising prospects. Recently, he found himself ranked 13th in Corey Pronman’s mid-season rankings among high-end NHL prospects.

Then, last season, after an amazing year with the University of Denver, Terry finally signed his first NHL contract. The Anaheim Ducks offered him a 3-year entry level contract shortly after the University of Denver was eliminated from the NCAA tournament.

Immediately, he was propelled into the NHL. Although he only played two games with the Anaheim Ducks during their 2017-18 season, watching him in action inspired hope in all of us about the future of the organization.

Early Season NHL Woes Lead to AHL Stardom

Terry had a very successful training camp prior to the start of the season. This earned him a spot on the Anaheim Ducks roster alongside fellow prospects Max Comtois, Sam Steel, Isac Lundestrom, Marcus Pettersson, and Keifer Sherwood.

Ducks Nation had high hopes for the 21-year-old forward, and we all felt a sense of excitement when he started on the first line alongside Ryan Getzlaf and Rickard Rakell during the season opener against the San Jose Sharks.

His smooth skating and phenomenal shot were foreseen as something that would be a very valuable asset to the Anaheim Ducks. He is responsible both offensively and defensively, a skill that would have been useful after the Ducks woes the prior season. Terry’s ability to remain composed under pressure was a skill that many of us came to admire, an added bonus to the skill set he already has.

However, he struggled significantly during the six games he spent with the Ducks early in the season. Whether it was nerves or lack of confidence, I cannot be sure. While we knew that his presence in the lineup would be beneficial in the long run, his performance earned him a C during our early season grades.

While he wasn’t playing awful, he struggled to find chemistry with his linemates. Although he was responsible for the beautiful five-hole shoot out goal against Jimmy Howard during the home opener against Detroit, he didn’t contribute much else to the team.

The decision was then made to send him down to the AHL to play with the San Diego Gulls. The young forward needed a little more seasoning before he took on more responsibility at an NHL level.
In an article written by Steve Brown (AHL on the Beat), Troy Terry was quoted as saying:

"“I wasn’t playing bad hockey when I was (in Anaheim), I just wasn’t playing at the level I know I can play at. A big part of my game is producing and I was starting to get frustrated and starting to change who I was. So that’s kind of why I am here, just to find myself again and get the confidence back as a player and that was something I was excited for.”"

I think we can all relate to Troy Terry at some capacity. Sometimes you lose yourself, and it’s easy to get wrapped up in the difficult circumstances. However, it didn’t take him long to find himself again down in San Diego, and thank goodness for that!

As an avid follower of both the Anaheim Ducks and the San Diego Gulls, it has been a joy to watch him perform in the AHL. He found his scoring touch again in his first game, and he ended up scoring 3 goals with an additional 4 assists in his first four AHL games.

He has since appeared in 32 games with the San Diego Gulls and has produced 37 points (16g, 21a.) He has been leading the flock, tied for first in points with Sam Carrick. Carrick has also been called up in the wake of Ondrej Kase‘s upper body injury and I’m excited to watch him play.

The Call Up from San Diego

During Tuesday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings, both Jakob Silfverberg and Ryan Kesler landed themselves on injured reserve. Having Silfverberg out of the lineup was another major blow to the team in the midst of their losing streak.

However, although it is never fun to see a player get injured, Ryan Kesler’s injury will finally give him a chance to sit back for a few weeks and get some much needed and necessary R&R. Plus, this would allow for the Ducks to bring in some youth.

After the game in Detroit, Bob Murray made the decision to shake up the roster. He made three consecutive trades in one day. Although not all of them were significant, they were quite head-scratching. Nevertheless, the one bright spot in the midst of several trades was the news that Troy Terry and Max Jones had received a call-up.

Along with Terry, Jones has also found his niche in the AHL. Currently, the dedicated 20-year-old forward has 24 points (12g, 12a) in 32 games. This is good enough to find him fourth in points among his AHL teammates. The thought that both Terry and Jones were making their way into the lineup allowed us to breathe a little easier.

They slotted into the Anaheim Ducks line up on Thursday against the Minnesota Wild. For the first time in 12 games, the Ducks won. Coincidence? I think not.

"“We just all came together. Anytime you lose that many games in a row it’s going to test everyone’s character. We were able to win and I think we all came together and finally said, “enough is enough.”” –John Gibson, Post Game Interview with Jill Painter Lopez (Fox Sports West)"

Although I do agree, the team probably came to the point where they said: “enough is enough.” However, I wholeheartedly believe that the addition of Troy Terry, Max Jones, and yes, even Derek Grant, is what the team needed to finally band together and pull off a win.

Devin Shore has also looked decent since he traded in his Dallas Stars jersey for an Anaheim Ducks sweater.

A Moment Troy Terry Will Never Forget

In his first game back, Troy Terry exuded much more confidence than he had at the beginning of the season. As the Ducks took center ice for their Saturday matinee against the New Jersey Devils, they were looking for a back to back win. Little did Terry know, he would be a huge part of it.

Marcus Johansson roofed a backhand past John Gibson early in the first, opening the scoring for New Jersey. However, Daniel Sprong answered back just minutes later when he pounced on a loose puck near the front of the net and snapped it past MacKenzie Blackwood.

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With the game tied at 1-1, Nathan Bastian was sent to the sin bin for delay of game. The Anaheim Ducks made the right call when they sent Troy Terry out on the power play unit. A little over a minute into the power play and Terry experienced a moment he will never forget.

After Hampus Lindholm received the puck on a pass from Daniel Sprong, he seized the moment and set up Troy Terry for a goal. Terry exhibited patience as he measured the goaltender before he buried a beautiful wrister into the net for his first NHL goal at 10:38 of the opening period. The Anaheim Ducks now had a 2-1 lead.

He didn’t stop showing off his skills there. Early in the third period, he recorded his second NHL point. The Ducks had finally shifted the game to the right end of the ice, Terry got to the puck quickly. Picking his head up he showcased his confidence as he fed the puck to Derek Grant.

Grant ripped it home with a flawless snapshot, top corner over the glove of Blackwood. This goal would end up being the one that won it for the Anaheim Ducks. With another superb play from Terry, the Ducks clinched their second win in a row.

While he may have struggled at the beginning of the season, developing his talent in the AHL has done wonders for 21-year-old Troy Terry. Although he’s only played in the last two games, it looks as though he is shaping up to be a pretty phenomenal NHL player.

Congratulations on your first NHL goal Troy! It is much deserved and long overdue!

Now that Troy Terry has scored his first NHL goal, we’re just waiting on Max Jones! With his incredible on-ice skills, he’s bound to put one in the back of the net soon!