I wrote about freshman forward Troy Terry for Colorado Rubber Hockey Magazine over the summer after the NHL Entry Draft. Below is an expanded version of what appeared in print.

One of the youngest players in the draft, Troy Terry (Highlands Ranch, 1997) continued his meteoric rise from the Littleton Hawks to the Colorado Thunderbirds, landing at the U.S. National Team Development Program’s (USNTDP) U18 team for the 2014-15 season before the Anaheim Ducks selected him in the fifth round (148th overall).

“Troy is a tremendously skilled and extremely intelligent hockey player,” said Angelo Ricci, the Thunderbirds’ director of hockey operations. “He is a young man that has not even come close to reaching his potential as a player.”

Terry said the past year was a lot to take in, but the 5-foot-11, 160-pounder made the most of every opportunity he received at the USNTDP.

“A year ago I was finishing my U16 season, and now I just got back from an NHL development camp – everything happened really fast,” said Terry, who got a head start on college by taking summer classes at DU. “It was hard to come in (to the NTDP) and get playing time, but it worked out. It was an awesome experience, and playing in Colorado prepared me well.”

Terry’s transition to the NTDP halfway through the two-year program caught the attention of Ducks Director of Professional/Amateur Scouting Martin Madden.

“He came in … as a 17-year-old. That’s a tight-knit group, and the first year is huge. Troy had to come in and fit in as an outsider and earn the trust of his teammates and his coach,” Madden told the Ducks’ official website. “As the season progressed, his responsibilities increased and he continued to grow physically as well. He’s really a smart kid.”

The Ducks (and DU) also added a first-line citizen, according to Hawks Hockey Director Brian TenEyck.

“Not only was he very difficult to stop as a young player, he was a great leader on and off the ice,” TenEyck said. “He comes from a great family and is always very respectful. He’s the type of player you want representing your team.”