No one expected Maggio to repeat his final junior season, where he scored 54 goals, scored 111 points and took home the OHL and MVP titles, in the AHL, but the Bridgeport coaching staff wants to see him ease up and finish his game. . That message was evident in the second half of last season, as he recorded 19 points in Bridgeport’s last 31 games.
“They were always representing me with easy play,” said Maggio. “I play with older guys, things that may have worked for the younger ones won’t work here, but I still have that skill, to simplify my game and test hard, I’m a guy who likes to play with a lot of players. speed. I like to think I have a good car for me, and I use that engine to go into the corner and create turns, create an upset for myself.”
Maggio feels more prepared for the grind of the AHL schedule, which includes three-on-three, where teams play three games in three days (and sometimes it’s shortened to two and a half days if Sunday is the game). Kowalsky recalled a conversation with Maggio from his rookie year about how big the jump to pro was, but noted how his mind has continued to mature.
“It’s a man’s league,” Kowalsky said of the AHL. “A lot of these guys haven’t faced that adversity, their grind, and that’s what the American League is for… I think he’s learned, obviously by bringing that. [adversity] up a lot and prepared for the summer. He can take what he’s learned, and every year he looks to take another step.”
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