Antropov coming out of his shell

By Joel Wittnebel/The Oshawa Express

It was a rough start to the year for the Generals’ top pick, but Danil Antropov seems to have kicked the monkey from his back once and for all.

Not being able to put the puck in the net is something Antropov, the son of former Toronto Maple Leaf Nik Antropov, is not used to.

In his minor hockey career, leading up to being the number one pick of the Oshawa Generals in the 2016 OHL Draft, Antropov managed 36 goals and 36 assists in 56 games with the Toronto Marlboros in minor midget AAA.

However, the move to the Ontario Hockey League seemed to have the 15-year-old stymied.

That all appears to have changed. After scoring a flukey goal in Oshawa’s comeback victory over the Guelph Storm on Oct. 23, Antropov showed some of his talents with an off-balance wrist shot that beat Mississauga Steelheads goaltender Matthew Mancina on Oct. 30. The goal helped Oshawa on their way to a 3-2 overtime win.

“I think my games after that have been really solid,” Antropov says of his first goal.

“I’ve been playing better, just way more confident with myself and that’s all I really needed.”

The rookie now has two goals and six assists to his name through 17 games this season, and the development has not been lost on his teammates either.

Starting goaltender Jeremy Brodeur says as the team has come together throughout the season, the growth in Antropov’s game has stood out.

“The coach is giving him some pretty good minutes and he’s taking advantage of every second he’s got on the ice,” Brodeur says.

Whether any of the change in his game came as a result of his NHLer father is uncertain, but Antropov says the two talk pretty much after every game, and it’s been that way his entire hockey career.

“There hasn’t been a car ride where I haven’t gotten anything said to me, positive or negative. It’s been like that my whole life,” he says.

“He does give me advice, what I could have done, what I should have done, everything is positive, it’s helping my game.”