Laczynski Eager To Begin Pro Career With Phantoms

ALLENTOWN, Pa. - Tanner Laczynski has had to do a lot of waiting, along with being left thinking about what could have been if his senior season at Ohio State hadn't come to a screeching halt as the coronavirus pandemic put hockey - and the world - on hold back in March.

"It was devasting to say the least," Laczynski said during his first media appearance as a member of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms Wednesday.

Returning for one more chance to play for a national title was a big factor in Laczynski's decision to return for his senior season. Graduating from college was his number one priority, but 'the other part of it' was hockey and unfinished business with the Buckeyes' men's hockey team.

"I felt like we had a good team. I wanted to make the tournament and wanted to win a national championship, he recalled of his aspirations last season in the NCAA. "Obviously that hurt more than anything over this pandemic, kind of getting that snipped from us. You work for it every day. But you move on. You gotta move on."

While it's likely he'll make his pro debut with the Phantoms on the road this season, as Lehigh Valley opens the season with four road games before their home opener, that February 20th home game against the Binghamton Devils won't be the first time he's played a game at the PPL Center. He played two games in downtown Allentown during his sophomore season with the Buckeyes - helping them win the 2018 Midwest Regional and advance to the Frozen Four.

"Back then, my biggest thing was I might be playing here one day so I might as well try to make the most of it while I'm playing here now," Laczynski recollected. "It's an awesome experience to go from playing here 2-3 years ago, to now playing here."

Originally in Columbus, Ohio after his season ended, Laczynski took some time off and went on vacation with his fiancé - taking a break and getting away from the game to reset and recharge.

"I put hockey on hold for a little bit and when I got back it was back in to the grind - hockey and training," he explained.

He ended up going to Philadelphia in mid-October to continue his preparations for the upcoming season. Unfortunately for Laczynski, two weeks in to his training there an issue surfaced that required surgery to repair in what the Flyers later termed core muscle surgery.

"That was kind of a setback, but that's alright," Laczynski said. "Injuries happen in this sport. Everyone gets them. I'm feeling better now and looking forward to what's next."

As for how he's recovering, he admitted that after surgery "it kind of took a little bit longer" than he was expecting to get back to it.

"I've been feeling a lot better and I feel like day-by-day I'm getting stronger. I feel like that's a big part of my game, my strength, not much has gone away since surgery but I feel like it's a day by day thing I'm re-gaining that strength."

While he's had to wait a little longer to start his pro career like many incoming first-year players this season, Laczyinski says the wait has just been amping him up even more to get things started.

"I've dreamed about this for a long time and I'm really excited to get this going," he told InsideAHLHockey.com. "There was an 11-month span where the plans kind of got hitched for a little bit, but that just makes me more fire in the belly, more ready to go and more excited about this season."

With the Phantoms officially beginning on-ice training camp sessions with coaches this week, Laczynski told media Wednesday that head coach Scott Gordon has him playing down the middle to begin the season.

"I feel comfortable at center. I've played center and wing in college kind of going back and forth, but for right now it sounds like I'm going to be playing center."

Laczynski might be entering his rookie season at the pro level, but at 23 years old he certainly won't be the youngest player on the Phantoms' roster. In fact, he's older than nine of the 27 players currently on the roster - including 18-year old Zayde Wisdom and 19-year-olds Tyson Foerster and Mason Millman.

"I think that's another kind of struggle for me. I'm coming in here and feel like I'm not that young of a guy," Laczynski said, adding, "And I see guys like Zayde and Tyson and they're 18 and 19 years old and I'm 23 and it's my first year. It's kind of a weird scenario for me, and I'm still trying to get used to it."

While players younger than Laczynski will be getting that first taste of pro hockey at the same time he is, he wasn't too shy to point out the fact that at 23 he's more physically mature and his game is more mature having competed against older players in college the past four years versus a prototypical 20-year old rookie who came from a junior league where he was playing against 16-19 year old kids.

"I think I've set myself up with all my training coming in here. It's going to be different, and going to be a little bit of a struggle maybe first couple games to get in the swing of things because it's been 11 months off, but im looking forward to it," Laczynski said. "If there's some adversity, so be it Just have to get through it. And I'm looking to learn along the way."