New Greyhounds forward looks to make most of recent trade

For Ty Anselmini, getting traded at the Ontario Hockey League trade deadline wasn’t easy.

Going from one of the leaders in the Eastern Conference to a contender in the Western Conference certainly made it a little bit easier and he’s hopeful that a regular opportunity in the lineup will come with it as well.

The Ariss, Ont. native was dealt by the Mississauga Steelheads to the Soo Greyhounds just ahead of the OHL’s Jan. 10 trade deadline.

Game action was at a premium early in the season for Anselmini, but the rookie forward is looking forward to getting a regular opportunity to play in the second half of the season.

The 18-year-old said he prides himself on doing the little things on the ice.

“I would say I’m a 200-foot forward that likes to do the non-negotiables throughout the game,” Anselmini said. “I just touch on the little things. That’s the main part of my game.”

Anselmini said that being dealt was tough, calling it “hard to leave Mississauga.”

The 18-year-old forward said he’s excited to be a part of the Greyhounds and joining a team that is looking to make a run in the playoffs.

“It’s exciting for me,” Anselmini said of joining the Greyhounds, who sit atop the OHL’s Western Conference. “I’m just going to try to bring my A game to the lineup and try to help the team win some games.”

Anselmini joined the Steelheads in a trade with the London Knights, who drafted him in the third round of the 2019 OHL draft and said he was thankful for the time he spent in Mississauga.

“It was good (playing there),” Anselmini said. “The guys were all really nice to me and I can’t say a bad thing about them.”

Injuries and a bout with COVID limited Anselmini to 15 games with the Steelheads prior to the deal. The rookie forward said it hasn’t been an easy season overall, taking into account the uncertainty that comes with game postponements as well.

“I’m just really excited to join the Greyhounds for the second half of the season,” Anselmini said. “It’s obviously been a journey for me.”

Greyhounds general manager Kyle Raftis said that the deal could be a good opportunity for Anselmini.

“He’s a third round pick, came in and got traded without getting too big of a look,” Raftis said. “That ’03 age group, it was tough to find somewhere to play (last year). When he got traded to Mississauga this year, he tested positive for COVID, then had a shoulder injury, and just couldn’t get back in the groove, so we looked at it that when you have a guy that plays hard and can get under opponents skin and there’s a level of skill and can you bring it out, it was worth the gamble. Sometimes a fresh start for guys can lead to a good opportunity.”

Like many players, Anselmini used the cancelled season to train.

“It was obviously hard with the year off, but I have an older brother so it was nice because we have a home gym in our basement and we could do a little bit of training and stickhandling and stuff like that to improve my game,” Anselmini said.