Season in Review: Sean Day

Defenseman Sean Day went into his final year of junior hockey with the goal of being a leader for his young teammates both on and off the ice.
"I've always wanted to be a leader on the ice," Day told NYRangers.com after the Kingston Frontenacs' season ended in the Ontario Hockey League's Conference Final to eventual champion Hamilton. "I've never been a good locker room hype man. This year was a little bit different. I was one of four players on the team that had the experience of winning a Memorial Cup. Us four played a big role inside and outside the locker room. I did take a big step in that role, which is huge when you want to move to the next level."

Day was dealt from 2017 Memorial Cup champion Windsor to Kingston midway through the year. Following the trade, the 2016 third-round pick put up the best numbers of his OHL career with 26 points in 23 games, and was utilized in all situations for the Frontenacs after spending last year on a crowded blueline that featured some of the best defensemen in the OHL.
"I was that guy," Day said of being the go-to defenseman on his squad. "I want to be the guy who runs a power play and the penalty kill. Getting the confidence to do that at the junior level always helps."
Day, who missed nearly all of February due to an injury, said his production increased because he was given more freedom to play his style in Kingston, which is focused on his elite-level skating.
"I think the thing [the trade] helped was keeping my confidence and letting me do my thing on the ice," he stated. "I'm going to make mistakes and the management in New York has told me to use my skating and use my skills and make mistakes and learn when and when not to go. Kingston allowed me to do that."
Day, 20, now has his sights set on making the jump to the professional ranks after five years in junior. Making that jump is something all junior players dream about, and for Day, the fact it'll soon be a reality has his excitement through the roof.
"It's a cool moment in life because you've always thought about it," said Day, who had 14 points in 16 postseason games. "I think it's just another step in the right direction. I think the last three years have been kind of like that. Every year I've felt better and better about my game."
Rangers Assistant General Manager Chris Drury said Day is still maturing, but that the skills are evident in Day's game, it's just a matter of putting everything together once the move to pro hockey is made.
"He has a lot of ability and tools that you look for in an NHL defenseman," Drury said. "It's just a matter of how to bring that intensity every single day. With all the abilities and talent he has, if he figures it out, we see a lot of good things happening."
Day understands he has a special set of assets at his disposal that can make him a dangerous player at the next level.
"I'm a big guy who can skate well," he said. "I have good offensive skills. I think if I combine all those things, I'll succeed."
Day, a native of Leuven, Belgium, said he'd take some time off between the end of the season before ramping up his training prior to the Rangers' development camp later this month.
The Rangers' rebuild has many within the organization excited by the opportunities to be had in New York, and Day is no different.
"I think for everybody in the organization, you want to show that you can be on the team because you can be a go-to guy at a young age," he said. "If you get the opportunity and the timing is right, it'll be a really cool time.
"For me, I look at it as you're either in the AHL or the NHL," he added. "It's the closest two leagues in the world, I think. Either way, as a 20-year-old defenseman, it's exciting. That's your dream growing up and it could be a reality if you work hard enough."
Photo by Terry Wilson