Kuffner achieved goal in signing with Wings, wants to prove he belongs

When 15-year-old Ryan Kuffner wasn't selected in the OHL draft, he doubted if his dream of playing in the NHL would ever come true.
As it turns out, that disappointment was just the kick in the pants he needed to get serious about his hockey career.

"I had heard so many stories of guys who didn't make it into the OHL and just shut down their hockey career and I didn't want that to be me," the Ottawa native explained. "As every 15-year-old hockey player does, I had dreams of playing in the NHL and winning Stanley Cups. So, I set short-term goals to help me improve and take the next step and then the next step and then the next and I just wanted to keep going until I made it to the NHL."
Which is exactly what happened on Tuesday when the now 22-year-old signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Detroit Red Wings after a record-breaking four years at Princeton University.
"I had heard about college hockey and the different options I could take to get there and how it could help me make it to the NHL and that's the first time I made a plan for my hockey career," said the Tigers' all-time leading goal scorer with 75. "I decided I was going to go to college and I made a timeline for the next four to five years to map out how I was going to get there. I was able to look at myself at face value and recognize why they didn't pick me and what I needed to do in order to get where I wanted to go and I made a plan."
Outside of his ability to make something out of nothing and having an undeniable knack around the net, it's that kind of planning, attention to detail and self awareness that impressed Red Wings director of player evaluation Jiri Fischer the most.
"Out of all the potential free agents I've talked to and interviewed throughout Europe and North America the last three years, he had the best read on how he viewed his game -- his strengths and weaknesses -- and how to go about getting better," Fischer said. "It was very impressive. He obviously doesn't go to Princeton by accident. He's very educated, but the common sense and the self-awareness combined with his hockey IQ … it's just very hard to find players like that."

When the 6-foot-1, 195-pound Kuffner first arrived at Princeton, he already knew the things he wanted to work on -- his skating, his strength, his shot -- but all of that combined has turned into what Fischer said is his greatest asset -- his ability to find different ways to produce offense.
"He knows what he's doing on the ice and he's got a strategy on how to get open in the offensive zone," Fischer explained. "He knows how to make a play under pressure when his space is taken away by the defenders and (I) think that's an extremely important skill because at the pro level guys are a little bit bigger and a little bit faster and a little bit smarter and that results in less space, more pressure, playing on the wall and in traffic a little bit more and he seems to know how to get open every time."
According to Ron Fogarty, Princeton's head coach, it's because Kuffner practices with a purpose every day and is constantly on the ice early and stays late to work on his skills.
"It's not a fluke that he's the all-time scoring leader at Princeton. He worked at it and put himself in great positions, but in practice he would shoot from different spots on the ice off different types of passes," he said. "They weren't always in his wheelhouse and he would have to maneuver around and find the best opportunity to make a play or take the shot. He made himself into the goal scorer he is today through a lot of very hard work."
When Kuffner announced last year that he was going to return to Princeton for his senior season, Fischer was impressed by how he was able to overcome the particular challenge that presented.
"If he wanted to turn pro last year, he still would have been one of the top free agents available, but he decided to go back to school and backed it up by having an even better individual season than last year," he said. "That's the hardest thing to do when you know that every other team is trying to shut you down and most of them have created a game plan specifically around stopping you from doing what you do best, but it didn't matter. He still found a way to produce."
Kuffner finished his final season as a Tiger with 22 goals and 22 assists in 31 games for a total of 152 points in 132 games in his collegiate career. That's good enough for second all-time in points at the Ivy League institution.

"Since my freshman year, my biggest area of growth has been being able to make plays for myself," the finance major said. "Before Princeton, I was always relying on other guys finding me and setting me up. Now I'm confident enough to go out there and I try to make something happen, even when it doesn't seem like there's anything. It helps that I'm a better skater now and am stronger physically. Using those two things can open up a lot more space for you. I still haven't mastered that and it's something I'll continue to work on at the next level, but that aspect of my game has completely changed."
He's also seen improvement in his agility and quickness in the corners, using his feet and increased strength to get out of tight spots and create separation, as well as his shot, but wants to keep working on all three as he aims to find a permanent spot on the Red Wings roster.
"His biggest adjustment might be just how much faster the defenders are going to be on him at this level and how he's going to have to protect the puck and create more space and time for himself," Fischer said. "On the forecheck, he's going to have to figure out how to get around the defenders, who at the pro level are a little more mobile and have a couple more tricks and know how to break out, but I believe he's going to figure it out. We obviously have a lot of confidence in him."
While Kuffner understands the challenge before him, he's motivated by just how far he's come and that his dreams are now his reality. "Coming to the rink, you always knew there were scouts here and you'd see the black jackets with the logos and it'd get you a little excited that maybe someone would notice you, but I remember my sophomore year I heard there was a scout who wanted to talk to me after the game and I was so nervous," he said. "I was in a little bit of denial, too. I was just like, there's no way. There must be a mistake."
That's when he realized the dream of playing in the NHL might still be alive and he decided to double down on his efforts to improve and once again made a plan of attack to get where he wanted to go.
In his final two seasons at Princeton, Kuffner notched 96 points, including 51 goals, in 67 games.
"I'm not taking anything for granted here. Signing a contract is just the next step. I still have to earn my spot on the roster and my ice time and turn this into a long career and win Stanley Cups, but if I allow myself to go there and focus only on long-term goals, I'll go crazy," he said with a laugh. "That's why I focus on the short term, even as short as the three things I'm going to work on in this next practice. I always want to put myself in a position to get better every day. If I do that, the success, both for myself and my team, will come."
But even if the points don't come, especially right away as he makes the adjustment to the pro game, he wants fans to know that he intends to be the most competitive person on the ice no matter what.
"I'm going to do everything I can to win every battle and get myself to the best places I can on both sides of the puck and be the best at whatever role I'm asked to fill," Kuffner said about his opportunity to finish the season with the Red Wings. "I made it to this point by working as hard as I could every day, every practice, every game, and I don't intend to stop doing that anytime soon. I promise you, I will give it everything I have."
Fischer concluded: "We think he's got the potential to turn into a really good player who can produce offensively and help us win games. We're very happy he signed with us."