FRIDAY FEATURE: Headrick 'Happy To Be In The AHL' After Unique Path To Pro Hockey

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WILKES-BARRE, Pa - When defenseman Owen Headrick made his Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins debut on January 7 against Hartford, it marked his 10th career game in the American Hockey League (AHL) - though the Penguins are the fourth AHL team he has suited up for in a game in his pro career to date.

You would also be hard pressed to find a more unique path to pro hockey than Headrick's.

He's certainly had to move around to make it work.

"Yeah, I've definitely had a different journey than most guys," Headrick said of his unique path to pro hockey, adding, "But it's been fun. I've got to meet a lot of great people along the way, and a lot of people have helped me out throughout my career. So, I wouldn't change a thing."

The Garden River, Ontario native grew up playing in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL) before heading to Lake Superior State (NCAA) as an 18-year-old - recording 27 points (seven goals, 20 assists) across two seasons of collegiate hockey.

Headrick then went to the CHL, joining the OHL's Erie Otters in time for their stretch run toward the Memorial Cup during the 2016-17 season. An alternate captain for the Otters the following season, he tallied 13 goals and added 33 assists for 46 points in 64 OHL games.

Following a four-game stint in the ECHL with the Wheeling Nailers in the spring of the 2017-18 season, Headrick enrolled at the University of Prince Edward Island and skated in four seasons of Canadian collegiate hockey (USports) before making his AHL debut with the Syracuse Crunch at the tail end of the 2021-22 season.

The right-handed shooting defenseman signed an AHL contract with the Texas Stars prior to the 2022-23 season, but only ended up appearing in one AHL game this past season.

Instead, Headrick was making a name for himself in the ECHL with the Idaho Steelheads - recording nearly a point-per-game as a defenseman with 54 points (15 goals, 39 assists) in 61 games to go along with a plus-35 rating in the plus/minus column.

That breakout season afforded Headrick the chance - on an AHL contract - to break into the AHL full-time this fall with the league's lone franchise operating without an NHL partner in the Chicago Wolves.

After registering one assist in five games with the Wolves, and finding himself regularly out of the lineup as a healthy scratch, Headrick was traded to the AHL Penguins (along with forward Peter Abbandonato) in exchange for future considerations.

"Obviously, you know, the first couple of weeks after being traded, it's a different feeling. That's a first for me," Headrick said of his reaction to be traded, adding that his Penguins teammates have been very weolcoming since he arrived. "So now I've been with the guys for a couple months here. I'm a lot more comfortable with them. And, you know, I got some good buddies on the team. So it just makes you feel good coming to the rink every day."

With the Penguins this season, Headrick has spent some time with their ECHL affiliate in Wheeling - where his pro hockey career technically began in 2017-18 - recording five points in five games and quickly earning a call up to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

He's had to be patient in getting in the lineup on a veteran-laden Penguins blue-line, but the overabundance of veterans on the Penguins' roster has also allowed Headrick to begin getting more consistent playing time due to the AHL's veteran rule limiting teams to six veteran skaters in their game night lineup.

According to Penguins head coach JD Forrest, Headrick is making the most of his ice time with the Penguins since being inserted into the lineup in January.

"He has been good for us when we've put him in the lineup. [He's] a pretty smart...'heady' player - I got the name in there," Forrest quipped, when asked about Headrick's skill set.

While it seems that a new defensemen is joining the AHL Penguins from Pittsburgh on a weekly basis, with John Ludvig and Ryan Shea the latest reassigned during the NHL's All-Star break, Headrick has been able to make his minutes count - culminating into his first career AHL goal in his third game in a Penguins' uniform back on January 21 against Springfield.

"Yeah, I was super excited, honestly," Headrick told InsideAHLHockey.com following that game. "It feels like I haven't scored in a while, but, I mean, it was great to get that first one."

it ended up being an important goal late in the first period, helping the Penguins overcome an early 1-0 deficit and shift momentum into their favor leading them to a 2-1 win.

While his ice time may be limited in the short term with Ludvig and Shea loaned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton during the NHL's All-Star break, Headrick has put forth a good first impression with the AHL Penguins coaching staff that will go a long way in the second half of the season.

"I mean, I'm just trying to go to the rink every day and work hard," Headrick said of his approach and mindset toward the second half of the season, adding, "I know we have a lot of guys back here, and we have a lot of good veteran players. So yeah, I'm just I'm just trying to bide my time and just come to the rink with a smile on my face."

"I mean, I'm playing in the AHL right now, so I'm pretty happy."

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