It’s been a trying season for the Newfoundland Growlers.
COVID19 has been an issue on both sides of the border and remains so to a lesser degree.
The implementation of NHL taxi squads resulted in a shortage of players down the hockey chain.
So much so that Newfoundland had to sign local players on PTO contracts and dress defenseman Riley McCourt as a forward to make up numbers.
Toronto’s ECHL affiliate endured a rough eleven game span from December 31, 2021, winning just two of eleven games and scoring just 29 goals in the process.
Despite enduring a season of fluctuating fortunes to date, a feel-good story has been that of a lesser-known rookie forward.
Orrin Centazzo was named in a nine-player signing release and many would have overlooked his inclusion.
In normal circumstances, his ice-time and role would have been limited due to the resources Toronto plough into their organisation. Many players, including those on AHL contracts, are filtered down the system to Newfoundland and would naturally take precedence over those on ECHL deals.
The Marwayne, Alberta native played his junior hockey in the Western Hockey League.
His 260 game career was split between the Everett Silvertips and Kamloops Blazers, having been traded.
The left-winger recorded 184 points, including 84 goals and 100 assists during his WHL career but would go undrafted.
The 21-year-old had a penchant for scoring during his junior days and he’s carried that into his first professional campaign.
In just thirty games, the diminutive forward, listed at 5’8”, has helped himself to seventeen goals.
With thirty-one points in total, Centazzo is third in team scoring for the Growlers.
Amongst all ECHL players to have played 30+ games the forward is ranked 17th in points-per-game average.
The rookie has even found time to record his first professional hat-trick.
He was named ECHL rookie of the week (January 17-23) after scoring the aforementioned hat-trick, tallying a further two goals and a pair of assists for eight points.
The left-handed shot might well have forced Toronto to cast eyes on him for the future but for now, he’s an integral part of a Newfoundland team looking to reclaim a championship.
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