MUSKEGON TWP. - Ayden Hartzell is a talented hockey player who has the tools to score a lot of goals.
But it’s impossible to score goals when you’re in the penalty box.
Last year, as a junior, the Reeths-Puffer forward totaled seven goals and eight assists, which were decent enough numbers. He was a contributor on a team that advanced all the way to the Division 1 state semifinals.
Hartzell could have produced more, however, if he hadn’t let his emotions get the best of him so often.
He was whistled for 16 penalties in 25 games and spent 38 minutes in the penalty box. He was effective when he was playing, with a plus-9 rating, meaning that the Rockets outscored opponents by nine goals when he was on the ice.
R-P's Ayden Hartzell
The trouble was that he wasn’t on the ice enough, because he was frequently in the penalty box. And when he was in the penalty box, R-P often had to play shorthanded.
The situation was frustrating for Reeths-Puffer head coach Dustin Langlois, who knew that Hartzell had a ton of offensive talent, but wasn’t getting enough chances to use it.
“His shot is unreal,” Langlois said. “He has a laser first shot, and he can shoot from anywhere. He’s also got a lot of speed, and we’ve been trying to get him to utilize that a lot more.”
As Langlois points out, however, opponents purposefully target and harass talented players, particularly those with thin skin.
“You’re going to get poked and prodded,” the coach said. “Some players handle that better than others. It was just a maturity thing for Ayden. He had to learn how to play the right way, how to play through it.
Hartzell in action against Sparta this season. Photo/Tyler Lirones
“He wants to play at a higher level after high school, and we told him nobody was going to look at a player who is spending all of his time in the penalty box.”
Hartzell has obviously learned his lesson, because he’s playing much differently this year, and producing a lot more.
He has five goals and four assists in only four games, including two in Saturday’s comeback victory over Grand Haven. He is second in total point production on the Rockets’ scoring chart.
Part of the reason for his early success has been the noticeable lack of penalties. Hartzell has only been in the box twice, which is a huge improvement from last season.
Putting the puck in the net, instead of cooling his heels in the box, is making Hartzell’s senior season a lot more enjoyable.
Hartzell leads the rush up the ice against Sparta. Photo/Tyler Lirones
“It feels great,” he said. “It feels way better when you are able to contribute more for your team.”
Hartzell said he was antagonized by opponents a lot last season, and the more he retaliated in anger, the more they did it.
Word got around that he was easy to provoke into a penalty – because he was.
“Just chippy slashes behind the play, stuff like that,” Hartzell said, when asked about what opponents would do. “A lot of the guys on other teams know me, and they know what to do and say to get under my skin. After a few times I would get mad and that would get me going.
“There was a kid on Mona Shores last year who would just slash me on the back of the legs every time he got behind me. That got me mad, so I just turned around and pushed him – and got an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.”
Hartzell looks for a pass. Photo/Tyler Lirones
Hartzell said he always regretted losing his cool and drawing penalties, but the regret always came too late.
“I always felt like I let my team down, and my coaches and my family,” he said. “I finally just realized that if I stay out of the box, it goes much better.”
Hartzell said he corrected his mental approach during the offseason.
“Over the summer I went to some junior camps and really focused on not getting mad and not retaliating,” he said. “I just stayed focused on playing hockey instead of getting people back.”
Hartzell said the more he avoids retaliation this season, the less opponents try to provoke him.
Hartzell (16) and his teammates celebrate a goal. Photo/Tyler Lirones
Instead they’ve been focusing on stopping him defensively, because they’ve noticed that he’s become a real scoring threat.
That strategy does not seem to be working well. Hartzell scored two goals in a recent game against East Kentwood, and two more more on Saturday against Grand Haven, when the Rockets rallied with four goals in the third period to grab a 5-2 win and improve their record to 3-1.
Hartzell and the Rockets will go for victory No. 4 on Wednesday night in a home game against Forest Hills Central at Muskegon’s Trinity Health Arena.
“Between his shot and his speed, it’s tough for anyone to keep up with him,” Coach Langlois said. “He’s a good player when he can stay out of the box, and now he’s priding himself on doing the right things.
“He’s definitely going to be one of our top players, and will play a huge part in our success this year.”