Matt Coronato has faced pro hockey’s learning curve during his rookie season

It probably goes without saying, but it’s worth repeating plainly: playing in professional hockey can be really tough, especially early on. When players graduate from major junior or the college ranks to the pros, there’s often a challenging growth period as they learn the nuances of the pro game and adjust to the pace.

Now, imagine getting your first taste of pro hockey in the National Hockey League before your 21st birthday.

Suffice it to say, Calgary Flames forward Matt Coronato had his work cut out for him to start this season, trying to learn the pro game while playing in the toughest league in the world.

After a stellar pre-season performance Coronato started the regular season on the NHL roster. While he was bumped down to the AHL’s Wranglers in early November as part of a roster shake-up, he’s managed to show a lot of growth in his game over the course of the entire season at both the NHL and AHL levels.

“I think being here last year helped a lot,” said Coronato. “I think maybe to start this year there was a lot that I probably still had to learn. I feel like this has been a big year for me, maturing and learning a lot about how the game is played.”

If we’re being honest, Coronato has always been able to generate offence when he has the puck on his stick in the right areas of the ice. Whether he was playing in the United States Hockey League with the Chicago Steel or the NCAA with the Harvard Crimson, he was renowned for his goal-scoring. Heck, he scored his first NHL goal on the power play in just his third NHL appearance.

Coronato’s focus this season has been on rounding out the remainder of his game.

“I think the defensive side has been the biggest area that I’ve tried to focus on learning,” said Coronato. “And I think over the course of the year, whether it be Husk [Flames head coach Ryan Huska] or Cail [assistant coach Cail MacLean] or Trent Cull with the Wranglers, they’ve really focused on with me and I feel like I have made strides there defensively. And I think it’s something I need to continue to get better at, but I think with time I will. It’s winning puck battles and all that, but it’s also being in the right spots. I think video is a huge part of that. So I think that I have been able to improve a little bit in that area.”

A prime example of Coronato’s progression was on display on Sunday against the Arizona Coyotes. Coronato was able to intercept a pass in the Flames’ zone, creating a two-on-one rush that ended with his third goal of the season. It was a confident offensive play, one made possible by effective positioning in his own zone.