Ryan Poehling, comfortable and composed

MONTREAL - Watching Ryan Poehling interact with the media and the fans in Montreal, you'd think that he's been doing it his whole life.

It's hard to believe that the 18-year-old centerman was drafted just one month ago, going 25th overall in Chicago.
"Even when I got drafted, the amount of tweets and Instagram posts I got… I was just drafted and instantly I'm a celebrity. I think that's special. It just gives me more of a reason to play better for them," confided Poehling, who was impressed to learn that the Canadiens had been playing in front of sold-out Bell Centre crowds since 2004.

Poehling hails from Minnesota. Given the state's tremendous hockey culture, landing with the Canadiens was a perfect fit. Interestingly enough, his collegiate uniform at St. Cloud State also bears a striking resemblance to that of the Canadiens.
Beyond just readying Poehling for a career sporting bleu-blanc-rouge, his freshman year with the Huskies also helped to prepare him for the crowds and ambiance he'll likely experience in the pros.
"That's what I've always wanted. It's cool to have a town that is so involved in the hockey world. Coming from high school and college, where you have a community to play for, that's so big to me. I enjoy going to class on a Friday and having a kid say, 'Hey, good luck tonight!' I enjoy that conversation," shared Poehling.
Playing for something bigger than himself helps push Poehling to give everything he's got on the ice.
"I enjoyed being in Lakeville, where I could play for my peers. It gave me everything growing up, so it was good to give back to them with that state championship. Heading to college, you still have that community of players. That's another reason I went the college route early," he explained.
Standing 6-foot-2 and weighing in at 189 pounds, Poehling is just as skilled on his skates as he is in front of the cameras. When development camp wrapped up in early July, Canadiens director of player personnel Martin Lapointe said that he was absolutely certain that Poehling will play in the NHL one day.
That was obviously music to the Canadiens' most recent first-rounder's ears.
"It's special, especially coming from a guy like Mr. Lapointe. The guy has been there, done that, and to hear that from a guy with that prestigious a resume is something special to me," mentioned Poehling.

He'll still have to be patient, of course, because his NHL debut is likely still years away. Admittedly, Poehling believes he still has some developing to do.
"I don't say it as a cushion. It's just reality. I'm a big body, but I have to build into that body. When you're playing in the NHL, those guys are fully developed, not just on the ice, but off the ice as well. Those guys are big and strong. That's a part of the game I have to work on. That's why I always say one, maybe two years," shared the Lakeville, MN native.
Last summer, Poehling pushed himself harder than ever. He wanted to head to college one year early, and with his school's blessing he completed his final year in just three months.
"I had to take an extra course my junior year. I had seven courses, and I had to go to school from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. every day. I did my whole senior year in three months in the summer, four days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., so it was a lot of work. But, I knew that it would be something I could handle," explained Poehling.
He also wanted to make the jump to the NCAA ranks to have the opportunity to play at St. Cloud with his 20-year-old twin brothers, Jack and Nick. The trio has already enjoyed their fair share of success together.
"Being 17 in a college environment isn't the easiest thing to handle. Having them as role models who could show me the ropes was good. I always admired them. I wouldn't be here without them. When they were 10 years old, I was eight and we would play street hockey. I had to compete even harder to play at their level. That competitive side became natural for me. My brothers pushed me without even knowing it, so I'm very grateful for that," said Poehling.
When they're not in the gym or on the ice, the Poehling brothers can be found on the links together in the offseason. Friendly matches turn competitive quickly.
"I can't say [I'm the best golfer], so I'm going to say it's Jack. We play basketball and tennis together, too," said Poehling, who is also a big country music and Luke Bryan fan.
Poehling will head back to campus in the fall to continue his education both in the classroom and on the ice. Armed with the lessons he learned at development camp, he's well aware of what he'll have to focus on to transition to the next level.
"I have to work on getting stronger and making it a part of my game. That will make things easier," concluded Poehling.