HOUSTON, Texas – Though he’s just a rookie, Houston Aeros centerman Cody Almond is proving to be a valuable asset as the team navigates an up-and-down season.
Almond’s contributions haven’t come offensively — he’s posted only three points so far. But his talent and hard work are evident with and without the puck. He’s responsible, works hard, and has impressive hockey sense that‘s put on display during every shift.
Photo by Jason Villanueva
Such a temperament is reflective of and meshes well with the personality of the Aeros squad that surrounds him in the locker room. Great character, good talent, hard workers, though few of them have been able to score with any consistency. Injuries have plagued the team through the first half of the season. Almond himself missed the Traverse City prospects tournament and training camp with a banged-up knee, and then broke his wrist just six games into the season. He remained out of action until mid-December. The entire Aeros team has struggled with injuries and call-ups to the point that one of their most reliable defensemen, Brandon Rogers, was moved to center for several weeks in order to put a full forward rotation on the ice each night. In and out, up and down, it hasn’t been a smooth or ideal ride for Almond or his team this season, and yet they keep trying, steadfast in the faith that effort will eventually breed results. “I think the guys have a great understanding of what we are. We’re a really hard working team, we’re pretty well structured, we’re pretty hard to score against, we don’t give up a lot of shots, we don’t score a ton, we spend time in their end,” said coach Kevin Constantine.
Photo by Jason Villanueva
“And is there a touch of frustration when you work hard and don’t score? Sure, but we understand what we are and we just have to live with what we are and we’ve got to go make the best of what we are.” And this patient philosophy seems to fit with Almond, who was drafted by the Minnesota Wild in the fifth round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. “I think I’ve been playing well, but it’s hasn’t been showing in the points area,” Almond said. “I’ve been getting the chances, so I just need to continue to play hard and keep improving and hopefully the points will come and I’ll start to contribute a little bit more.” If Friday’s 6-2 win over Milwaukee is any indication, his scoring contributions may be near. Almond not only earned his second assist of the season, but also scored his first pro goal. It’s clear, however, that any stress Almond feels going from nearly a point-per-game player last season with the WHL Kelowna Rockets to such modest production in the AHL, is unnecessary in the eyes of his head coach. Constantine has coached him in twice in rookie camps and twice in Traverse City and found his development between those years was impressive. “He was okay in his first time in both of those experiences, and really, really good his second. And so I really believe he’s an extremely quick learner and so anything you see now, I would say you can double it within a year,” Constantine said. “He obviously I think would like that timetable to be shorter and it would be if it wasn’t he was so injured.”
Photo by Jason Villanueva
The 6-foot-1, 200-pound rookie and his coach agreed that it’s too early to tell what type of player he’ll end up being. “I’m pretty versatile. I think I can play any role that I was asked to,” Almond said. “My role seems to change every year, so I’m doing the best with the role that I’m given and see where it takes me.” “What I see is a really big strong kid who really has some confidence with the puck and so I think right now, he may become any type of center in the NHL, from a big strong checking center winning draws to maybe a first or second center because he’s pretty gifted offensively,” said Constantine. “I think he’s got unlimited upside. We’re just trying to get him to have some consistency in his play. And everything else, he’ll just grow into as a player. So I think he’s going to be a very good pro, and I’m positive he’s going to play in the NHL.” So while Almond may not know exactly what flavor of player he will mature into, perhaps not being boxed into a role is his greatest asset on a team that thrives on its versatile role players. ————————————— Meanwhile, down the rest of the Aeros bench: The team will send two players to the AHL All Star game later this month. Maxim Noreau, who is at the head of the defenseman class in goals scored and top 3 for points, will go from teammate to foe against goaltender Anton Khudobin, as Noreau will play for Team Canada and Khudobin will be in net for Planet USA. This is the third year in a row that the Aeros have sent a goaltender to the All Star game. Nolan Schaefer and Barry Brust preceded him. Several players have recently returned from extended injuries, including JP Testwuide, Petr Kalus, and Andy Hilbert. Monday night, rookie defenseman JP Testwuide earned his first two points as a pro with an assist and the game winning overtime goal. On the same night, veteran defenseman Ryan Lannon earned his first goal since the 07-08 season he played in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Goaltender Wade Dubielewicz has been away from the team since Christmas to play for Team Canada in the Spengler Cup. The Canadians did not make it to the final and Dubielewicz may return to the team by the weekend. Brust, who had been assigned to ECHL Florida to get playing time after coming back from a long injury, has been up with the Aeros during his absence. Clayton Stoner is the lone Aero who remains with the Minnesota Wild after a couple of months of considerable movement between the parent and farm clubs. Aeros special teams continue a pace set early in the season, with a penalty kill rate that puts them second in the league, but a power play percentage that is 20
th in the league.
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