Experience at Camp Paying Off for Rangers' Gettinger

Rangers goaltending prospect Brandon Halverson would often joke last season that his Sault Ste. Marie teammate Tim Gettinger would wind up alongside him in New York with the Rangers after the 2016 NHL Draft.
"Me and Halvy were best friends on the team last year," Gettinger told NYRangers.com in a recent phone interview. "He was always kidding that I was going to come to New York and get drafted by [the Rangers]. At the time we would just chuckle about it. When I actually got drafted there he sent me a text saying 'I told you so.'"

That day in June was the first of a busy summer for the 18-year-old, whom the Rangers selected in the fifth round, 141st overall in Buffalo. From there it was prospect camp, the Traverse City Prospect Tournament and a stint in Rangers main camp, all of which opened his eyes to what was expected of him in the coming years.
"It was definitely a great experience for my first camp," Gettinger said. "It was eye-opening to see all the different players, playing against guys that I watched growing up. It was obviously a dream come true to be drafted by New York. Overall, it was a great experience."
From there, Gettinger returned to the Greyhounds and the Ontario Hockey League. After a somewhat slow start, Gettinger has been playing solid hockey over the last few weeks, beginning with a hat trick against Saginaw on Nov. 11.
Since then, both he and the Greyhounds have been on a tear, with Gettinger registering six goals and five assists for 11 points in his last eight games, all of which were SSM victories.
"I felt at the beginning of the season the puck wasn't going in," Gettinger said. "I was hitting posts but I still felt I was playing good hockey. Lately our whole team has been (playing well). We've won eight games in a row and lately my line that I've been playing on has had good chemistry and we're making plays and the production is starting to come."
Overall, the North Olmstead, OH-native has 11 goals and nine assists for 20 points in 26 games. But it isn't all about the points, as Gettinger said he prides himself on being a two-way forward who can hold his own in all three zones.
"I like to see myself as a 200-foot player," Gettinger stated. "Obviously I can score. I'm a bit of a big body so I like using my size. I like playing with the puck, but at the same time, the defensive part of my game is strong. I like playing in the D-zone, blocking shots and killing penalties. I try and be a full 200-foot player."
Saying he's a 'bit of a big body' is a bit of an understatement. The left-winger stands 6-foot-6 and weighs in at 217 pounds and at 18, there's some room to grow.
While he said he likes to utilize that size, he does it intelligently with just two minor penalties this season.
"I think it's just about being smart," Gettinger said. "Obviously there's times you're going to get away with calls and what not but I think it's just about being smart. If you're going to finish a check, keep your stick down, keep your arms down and what not. I'm still playing a physical game, playing down low, but it's just being smart and not taking penalties."

Rangers Amateur Scout Rich Brown praised Gettinger's blend of size, skill and hockey sense.
"He possesses a combination of excellent size, skating ability, hands and two-way sense," Brown said. "He makes effective use of his size and reach to protect the puck and he is a presence in front of the net on the power play. He understands the game defensively and is an intelligent penalty killer."
Gettinger is now a third of the way through the season with the Greyhounds, but he's still looking back on what he learned last summer with the Rangers. He said as a veteran on SSM, he's a player that his teammates look to for advice, especially those going through the jitters of their draft year.
"We're a younger team obviously and this is my third year now, so being one of the older guys on the team, the guys know that I'm always one you can talk to," Gettinger said. "There's definitely guys that like to talk to me or come to talk to me about the experience I went through last summer."
Those experiences left a lasting impression on Gettinger thus far with the Greyhounds.
"I just saw being in New York in the NHL, I saw the work they put in and what it takes to be an NHL player," Gettinger recalled. "I looked at that and I saw what it takes and I took it back to Sault Ste. Marie. (I am) using that to help not just myself but other players on my team, to show what it takes to become an NHL player.