After an opening weekend that saw Maine get blown out 7-0 by Providence, it was easy to assume this would be a long winter in Orono.
However, junior left wing Eduards Tralmaks and his fellow upperclassmen had other ideas. The turnaround started with two lopsided victories over Alaska-Anchorage. That sweep of the Seawolves served as a building block and confidence booster.
“It was a weird start because we played an actual game before an exhibition game. We have a lot of new guys who didn’t know the systems,” said Tralmaks.
“After that weekend, we came together and set out to do big things. It starts with the senior and junior leaders. We started scoring against Alaska-Anchorage and that’s how we’ve gotten more confident,” continued Tralmaks, who scored three of his team-leading seven goals against UAA.
Tralmaks, hailing from Riga, Latvia, is a 6-foot-3 winger who scored 11 goals as a freshman and eight as a sophomore. With much of the season left, it looks as if the former Boston Bandits star will once again reach double digits in goals.
“He’s a physical presence. He’s a prototypical power forward. He’s absolutely terrific below the face-off dots,” said Maine coach Red Gendron. “He’s big and strong and gets to the net. He tips pucks and scores on rebounds. He has a good shot and can score from distance. He has good hands and can make people miss. He has a whole lot of tools in his box.”
Tralmaks didn’t always see himself as a power forward. With the Bandits, he explained he tried to be more of a skill guy. As he transitioned to the USHL with Chicago Steel and then onto Hockey East, he realized what his bread and butter was.
“Over the years, I’ve always tried to be a goal scorer,” Tralmaks said. “In the EHL, I tried to be more of a skilled forward. Now, I see myself as a power forward. I have a big body to be heavy, protect pucks and be a net-front presence.
“I want to be hard to play against, grind it out and score those dirty goals. I want to score goals anyway possible,” he continued.
Although his goal-scoring numbers decreased as a sophomore, other parts of his game made drastic improvements as Tralmaks set out to be a more complete player.
“With each successive year in our program, he’s used his tools more consistently to his benefit,” Gendron said. “He’s sharpened those tools and become a better hockey player.”
While college hockey coaches are paid to win hockey games, a big part of their job is to help develop players who are hoping to move on to pro hockey. According to Tralmaks, the Maine staff has done a great job in that regard.
“Playing in all three zones is the biggest improvement I’ve made,” he said. “I play penalty-kill now. I’ve always wanted to improve my overall game. These three years have been a big transition, but the coaches told me to work on being more of a complete player.”
As a big-bodied power forward, skating hasn’t always come easy for Tralmaks. Although most hockey players want to improve their skating, that part of his game has come a long way over the past three years.
“He’s worked real hard on developing his fitness level and skating ability,” Gendron said. “He’s improved his shot release. He’s learning how to play the game. That comes with maturity and time.”
Tralmaks is a student of the game and watches a lot of video to try to emulate certain NHL players. He mentioned Colorado Avalanche forward Carl Soderberg as a player he’s studied for a while. Other players he looks to pick up tips from are Philadelphia Flyers forward (and former University of New Hampshire star) James van Riemsdyk and Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon, who he said is his favorite player.
After sweeping rival New Hampshire this past weekend at Alfond Arena, the Black Bears are 7-3-2 entering this weekend’s Hockey East series at Northeastern’s Matthews Arena. The euphoric feeling inside the Alfond Arena was truly special for Tralmaks.
“Being on the [Alfond] ice and being in the rink is something different,” he said of the atmosphere inside one of college hockey’s most affable arenas. “It’s something I’ve been looking forward to ever since I committed here. I knew this place could be rocking. I’ll never forget last weekend. It was something from a movie
“I really hope as we move forward and keep playing and winning, more fans will come and see us.”
Coming across the pond to go to college has its downfalls, including that his family has yet to see him play in a Maine sweater.
“It’s sad that they haven’t seen it,” he said. “I really want my family to come over my senior year and see this place buzzing.”
Although there have certainly been challenges, Tralmaks has made the most of his experience at Maine.
“The transition has been really great,” he said. “The coaches and professors have been amazing. They always find a way to help me. There are so many great resources and people who make it almost impossible to fail.”
Despite the unwelcoming winters in Orono, Tralmaks looks back fondly on his first two years at the school and is excited for the rest of his college journey.
“I love it here,” he said. “It’s obviously a little colder than I would want. The students are great and are big hockey fans. I have made so many great friendships above the hockey. I’m looking forward to the next year or so.”
