Ronan Walsh has plenty of connections in the game of hockey.
He just completed his third season playing under his father Michael, the head coach at Proctor Academy, following a similar path to the college level as his older brother. While Reilly skates on the Harvard blue line, led the Hornets with 44 points as a junior and committed to play his college hockey at Vermont last week.
After announcing his decision to join the Catamounts of Hockey East, the 6-foot-3, 195-pound forward joined New England Hockey Journal for the latest Commitment Q&A installment:
How would you describe yourself as a player? Are there NHL players you try to emulate?
I would describe myself as a strong power forward who can play the body and still beat defenders with speed and the ability to finish plays. I try to emulate the game of Mark Stone on Las Vegas. I think that we play a very similar game and I often watch him play on TV as well as clips of him on YouTube.
What made Vermont the right fit for your college career?
I really wanted to make sure I was going to a place that I could not only provide the best hockey experience, but the best overall college experience. I really fell in love with the campus and Burlington and there is not many better places to play than their rink with their fans.
What did you take away and learn most from your conversations with Kevin Sneddon and his coaching staff?
I took away that the program has a very promising future. With the new renovations that are happening at the rink, I think that a lot more kids will see Vermont as a higher-tier school in Hockey East.
You obviously have a unique perspective on the college game as your brother, Reilly, is a defenseman at Harvard. When did you realize you wanted to follow that same path?
It’s really always been a dream for me to play college hockey. I always knew that I would have to really work at it for it to become a reality. There were definitely times where I thought that I wasn’t good enough, but I did a really good job of using that as positive motivation to prove myself wrong.
Off of that, how much has Reilly influenced your career?
To be honest my brother and I developed very differently. I definitely was more of a late bloomer than he was. It was pretty tough after my freshman and sophomore year not putting up the same numbers that he did, until I realized that we had much different styles of play and that I still can make an impact on the game while not necessarily being on the score sheet. Seeing him succeed given basically the same opportunities that I have really helps show myself that I can be equally as successful
What other schools did you consider?
I got some interest from Bentley and Colgate after my sophomore season and more recently I had some interest from Union. I also had some other ECAC schools and a few Hockey East schools.
Was staying close to home important to you in the college decision-making process?
That is another reason why I picked Vermont. It was the perfect length away from home. It is close enough that I can visit home whenever I want, and my parents can come to my games or visit. It is also long enough away that I need to rely on myself completely, which is something that I think is very important in terms of me preparing for life after school.
You just finished your season at Proctor. How do you feel it went?
I thought that it was my most successful season of hockey that I have had. Going from 14 points to 43 points was an incredible leap for me as a player. There were still parts that are disappointing, though. I would have loved to make a deeper run into the playoffs and there was a stretch of I believe four or five games where I wasn’t really playing like myself. With that being said, there still is endless room for improvement for me.
Individually, what areas of your game did you see the most improvement in this year?
Definitely speed and puck skills. This was really the first year I took training in the offseason as seriously as I did, and I definitely saw the results translate into the results that I had.
Your dad, Michael, also coaches Proctor. What is that dynamic like?
I think that I am very lucky that I have him as my coach, and not because he is my dad. He is the most honest to me about what I am doing wrong, how I need to change, and also what I do right and how to do more of that. We also communicate very well to each other. We do a really good job of making sure that I am doing the right things in different games and scenarios. He is definitely the main reason why I am in the position that I am today.
How are you looking to most improve your game before attending Vermont? Have the coaches discussed anything about roles on the team, etc.?
I think that I need to really keep working on the skill side of my game. I think that if I can improve my stickhandling and my agility I can really be a much better player and make my game more complete. Speed is also something that I’ve always had trouble with. I don’t have the best stride, being almost 6-foot-4, so I definitely can work on that. I haven’t really discussed roles on the team with the coaches too much, but I am sure that they will put me wherever I will help the team the most and be the most successful.
What are your main individual goals before entering college? Off that, where do you see yourself and hope to be as a player at this time next year?
My individual goals would be to have no regrets in terms of preparing myself. I want to train the hardest and become the best version of me that I possibly can. I think that I can become a similar version of what I was this past year but much more consistent and overall a better player.
