Robak on track for an NHL call-up
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 01/11/2011 (5268 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Colby Robak packed a little differently for his second season of professional hockey than for his first.
After spending his rookie year in the state of New York with the Rochester Americans, the Florida Panthers prospect relocated to Texas this season when the National Hockey League club made the San Antonio Rampage their new farm team.
“I definitely packed a lot more shorts than jeans, that’s for sure,” said the former Brandon Wheat Kings defenceman, who added the climate is one of few adjustments he’s had to make due to the move.
“This is getting into their winter and they’re all wearing jeans and stuff and we’re still in shorts, like it’s summer time. But around the rink, everything kinda stays the same in the dressing room and what-not.”
Canadian hockey players may stick out like sore thumbs around San Antonio — “We all have accents, apparently,” Robak muses — but the Gilbert Plains native has done a pretty good job of fitting in on the ice.
Eight games into the American Hockey League season, Robak has two goals and two assists to go along with a plus/minus of +4. The plus-minus figure is particularly notable considering Robak had solid offensive numbers as a rookie, with seven goals and 17 assists in 76 games, but finished on the negative side of the ledger at -12.
“I came down here with some confidence and so far the numbers are where I’d like to see them, so hopefully they can stay that way,” he said.
Another key number is 226, as in the 6-foot-3 Robak’s weight in pounds when he checked into training camp with the Panthers.
The Panthers want Robak to play more physically and make better use of his size, something that has been a knock on him for years. Florida’s second-round pick (46th overall) in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Robak said he’s been working on that dimension of his game.
“I’ve taken what they told me to do and I’ve been working it into my game,” he said. “I’m not trying to get too comfortable here. My goal is to play in the NHL as soon possible and hopefully use this season as a stepping stone to make a good impression and maybe finish the year in Florida. We’ll see.”
In the meantime, Robak is warming up to life in San Antonio at the same time the city is warming up to the Rampage in the absence of their beloved Spurs. The Rampage normally share the AT&T Center with the Spurs, but have the place to themselves for now due to
the National Basketball Association lockout.
“Attendance has been they say considerably better since the NBA lockout,” said Robak, whose team is averaging 6,829 fans per game so far this season — up more than 400 from their club record 2010-11 attendance. “It is South Texas though, so it’s kinda hard to sell a winter sport here, but attendance has been good … and hopefully it stays like that.”
» rhenders@brandonsun.com