Nate Robinson - Grand Rapids Griffins - American Hockey League [AHL] Team Library on MLN Sports Zone

Skeptic Silencer
Grand Rapids center Nate Robinson has been proving cynics wrong at every level, from the juniors to the AHL.

By Dan Hickling
MinorLeagueNews.com

01.15.04 - Grand Rapids, Mich. -- The age-old hockey debate has raged on ever since the first puck was dropped.

What do you do with a guy like Nate Robinson?

"He's so small, and he'll get creamed," argue the detractors of the 5-foot 9-inch, 175-pound center.

"But he's so fast, and he'll get you goals," retort those who have seen Nate play the last two season with the Grand Rapids Griffins.

This is nothing new for Robinson. He has been silencing doubters since his days as a squirt in Toronto.

For each level he climbs, every set of skeptics he quiets seems to be replaced by a new and louder bunch.

If Nate has his way though, by the time his career is over and done with, he will have shut them all up and will have enjoyed a nice run in the big leagues.

"He wants to play in the NHL," said Grand Rapids Head Coach Danton Cole. "He's doing all the right things to give himself a chance."

The 'right things' include producing every step along the way. Look at his four years in juniors with the Belleville Bulls (OHL).

His point production rose steadily each season, topped out by the whopping 110 points (47 goals, 63 assists) he recorded in his last year.

"He has an awful lot of speed," said Cole, "and at the junior level, he was able to use it and beat guys all day."

Yet, despite putting up such eye-popping numbers, he couldn't get a whiff of interest from any of the 30 NHL clubs.

Scouts made many trips up to Belleville to see Robinson's teammates, such as Jonathan Cheechoo (drafted second by San Jose, 1998) and Justin Papineau (third round, St. Louis, 2000).

Robinson aims to make those scouts regret overlooking him.

"I knew how I could play," he said. “I understood the situation at the time. We had a deep lineup at Belleville. (But) my dad was always telling me to be patient, work my way up. That's what I'm doing."

With his junior career over in 2002, Robinson began knocking on doors looking for a tryout.

Answering that knock was the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings, who invited him to camp. No contract. No promises. But at least it was a chance.

"I just went to camp and worked hard," Robinson said. "I went as a free agent, thinking, 'I know what I can do...that there's a reason why I'm here. It made me try even harder. "

Robinson started last season in Toledo (ECHL), and put up 14 points in just nine games, earning himself a battlefield promotion to Grand Rapids.

It's there that the real education began.

With the Griffins, the goals stopped coming and he scored just three times. Nonetheless, the legs kept moving and desire kept burning.

"He's very tenacious, and has some puck sense," said Coach Cole. "I think last year was like a year-long hockey school for him. He's learned to pick his spots."

For Nate, it was simply a matter of adjusting his perspective.

"I learned a lot last year," he said. "It was murky last year. I had high expectations, but I kept forgetting that it was my first year."

Still, while Robinson may have been expecting too much of himself, Cole was trying to give him some proper perspective.

"It's a bigger jump from juniors to the AHL, than from the AHL to the NHL," Cole said. "I firmly believe that. It takes maturity and reading the game. We always have to tell the young guys, 'don't worry about the destination; take care of the journey'."

For Robinson, that means only one thing.

"One of these days," he said, "I will play in the NHL."

Don't bother arguing against it.

Editor's Note: Nate Robinson made his NHL debut with the Detroit Red Wings on Nov. 28 against the New York Islanders. He appeared in five games with the Red Wings, going scoreless while averaging six minutes of ice time, before returning to Grand Rapids on Dec. 9.