CRANBERRY, Pa. -- It's a different sport, obviously, but Kevin Colbert always says that he likes to see how a prospect looks in uniform, how he carries himself in full football equipment.
While that might seem superficial, it can be a pretty useful tool in assessing where a player is in his development.
Much the same could be applied to Liam Gorman.
The Penguins' sixth-round draft pick checked into last week's development camp at 6-3 and 194 pounds. By no means is that small for anyone, let alone a high school senior-to-be, but it's also evident that Gorman is still a work in progress. In his team-issued black-and-gold Penguins gear, the 18-year-old sort of resembled a German shepherd puppy with oversized paws. You know the dog is going to grow to be a lot bigger and stronger. And when it does? Look out.
It was also fairly evident why the Penguins took a flier on Gorman, who was not ranked by NHL Central Scouting. When he stepped on the ice at the Lemieux Sports Complex for last Friday night's 3-on-3 tournament, you could see the raw makings of a future power forward. Gorman is strong in the corners and uses his size and reach extremely well to protect the puck, fend off opponents and drive to the net.
"I could definitely improve my quick step just from getting point A to point B," he was telling me. "I'm good when I get going, but just that quick step is something I can work on."
A few days earlier he was saying that he played like Evgeni Malkin, which might seem a bit lofty, but he's certainly been groomed in the game. His father, Sean Gorman, was a 12th-round draft pick of the hometown Boston Bruins in 1987. The defensive defenseman spent four years in the minors following a standout career at Princeton.
Hockey is all the Gormans know, the son says.
"Ever since I was born," Liam was telling me. "My dad played hockey. All growing up, he’s been a big influence on my life. Always been that way in my family."
Liam is slated to attend D-I powerhouse Boston University in the fall of 2019. He was recruited to BU, the alma mater of Mike Sullivan and Clark Donatelli, by David Quinn, who was since named the coach of the New York Rangers in April.
In the meantime, he still has another year at St. Sebastian's, an all-boys prep school in Needham, Mass. St. Sebastian's has helped produce Brian Boyle, Noah Hanifin, Rick DiPietro, Noah Welch and Mike Grier, most notably. Gorman's teammate Riley Hughes was also selected in last month's draft, going in the seventh round to the Rangers.
"It's just a great spot," Gorman says of St. Sebastian's. "Even when I was little I knew I wanted to go there. It's always been a hockey hot spot. The community and the camaraderie there is something else."
Grier, who played over 1,000 NHL games between 1996 and 2011 as a power forward, serves as the Arrows' assistant coach on Sean McCann's staff. The 43-year-old Grier has been another large influence on Gorman.
"Mike's awesome," McCann told DKPittsburghSports.com. "He's been tremendous on working on the little things, some of the thought processes and details. Really helped Liam out."
One of the areas where Grier has worked with Gorman is in working the puck out of the corners and getting his shot off. According to McCann, Gorman possesses a strong snap shot with a quick release that he's been able to get off effectively against competition in the Independent School League.
The ISL is a step below the USHL; it's younger and more offensive. In 30 games with St. Sebastian's last season, Gorman produced 17 goals and 16 assists in 30 games, to rank third on the Arrows.
But it's what Gorman does at BU that will be a better barometer of how far he can go. The Terriers' new coach is Albie O'Connell, another St. Sebastian's alum. But McCann believes that Gorman could be NHL-ready in three years.
"There is huge upside for him going to BU," said McCann. "It's going to be a huge opportunity for him."
