Growing up in Texas, Robert Morris forward Brady Ferguson didn’t have as many avenues to playing youth hockey as someone living in a northern state.
He was inspired to play hockey from watching former Anaheim Ducks winger Paul Kariya, a “little guy” like himself, and former Dallas Stars center Mike Modano, who played 40 minutes south of his hometown of Carrollton.
Ferguson never would’ve guessed that, years later, he would be a record-breaking player for a Division I college team.
After a 2016-17 junior campaign that saw him set the season-single Robert Morris record with 58 points, Ferguson moved into third all-time in scoring at RMU this past weekend with two goals and five assists through two games. He now has 141 career points, and is 15 points away from tying the all-time record set by Zac Lynch from 2012-16.
Head coach Derek Schooley believes Ferguson has a chance to become the first player in program history to sign an NHL contract once the season is over — a rare feat for a Texas player. Ferguson went undrafted in the 2017 draft, but was one of 40 players invited to the Penguins’ NHL development camp last June.
“It’s one of those things where you see a kid coming from a non-traditional hockey area, that has some talent that is finally realizing all of the talent he has, the potential he has, he’s reaching that,” Schooley said. “And is there more room to grow? Absolutely. And you get that from guys that are coming from the nontraditional hockey markets to where they can continue to get better and continue to grow and continue to produce. He hasn’t reached his potential yet.”
The NHL has only had nine players from Texas in its history, five of which are currently on a roster. According to a New York Times story published in 2011, Texas has just 4.5 hockey players per 10,000 people per USA Hockey’s state-by-state player registration figures — a figure that ranks 39th overall in the country.
Texas doesn’t have any Division I college teams, and only recently established its own Division II ACHA hockey conference, the Texas Collegiate Hockey Conference, in 2016. The league boasts a number of universities that have notable Division I football teams — TCU, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech.
Ferguson credits the Amarillo Bulls, a Tier II junior ice hockey team in the North American Hockey League, for his development. It was there where he was scouted by the Robert Morris coaching staff, who saw his potential and offered him a scholarship.
“Playing in Amarillo was one of the best decisions of my life,” Ferguson said. “Great coaches there. I think that turned me into a better hockey player and a better person and it kinda led me to this school.”
Ferguson is a “low-key” leader, Schooley said, one who lets his game do the talking. While Ferguson was reluctant to describe his own game, Schooley said he’s one of the most versatile offensive players in the college ranks.
There’s not much for Schooley to say about Ferguson, other than that he has taken more calls from NHL scouts inquiring about him than he has for any other player.
“If you look back, he led the nation in short-handed goals last year,” Schooley said. “He has two short-handed goals this year. He’s able to produce offense from whether you’re on the power play, whether you’re 5-on-5 or on the penalty. I think those are things that guys look at. I think it’s more of just Brady coming in on a daily basis and working extremely hard and trying to be the best hockey player he can be. I don’t think there’s any stories or anecdotes other than what you see is what you get with Brady.”
Omari Sankofa II: osankofa@post-gazette.com and Twitter @omarisankofa
First Published: December 19, 2017, 1:56 p.m.
