Prospect Profile: Angus Crookshank
Out of the many Ottawa Senators’ prospects, Angus Crookshank sticks out with one of the best names in hockey. But besides being a great hockey player, he’s also a true student of the game. Ever since he was 2 years old, he’s never loved anything more than the sport of hockey. “There’s nothing better in the world” is what he describes it as. Crookshank has been sidelined since the middle of September with a knee injury and is hoping to get into some games whether it be in the NHL or AHL sometime soon. But he wasn’t always a full time hockey player, and his signing of an entry level contract at 21 years of age is considered late for some prospects.
In 2018, the Senators were starting their rebuild and the 2018 draft was the key event that they needed to capitalize on for future success. Headlined by Brady Tkachuk, Dorion & Co. made several other solid selections, one of them being Crookshank in the 5th round out of the BCHL. With 43 points in 41 games, Crookshank described himself as a late bloomer. Growing up in Canada, many players gravitate towards the CHL for the volume of games played and to be closer to home. But since he found himself as a late bloomer, Crookshank decided to go the NCAA route and double majored in Justice Studies and Political Science.
He spent three years in the NCAA ranks from 2018-2021 and describes it as “one of the best hockey decisions I’ve ever made”. Though committed to College, the transition from the BCHL to the NCAA was also “the hardest transition in my hockey career, even worse than going from college to the AHL”. Around the 10 game mark he began to feel comfortable playing against stiffer competition, where he was playing as a 19-year-old against players up to 26 years of age. Despite the steep learning curve, Crookshank had a successful rookie season for the University of New Hampshire with 23 points in 36 games in 2018-19.
He provided consistency again for the Wildcats with 22 points in 34 games during the 2019-20 campaign and was starting to gain some momentum in scouting circles. Heading into the 2020-21 season, he finished with his best season yet with 18 points in 20 games, highlighted by a game with 4 goals and 1 assist. With an increase in production, he had to decide if he would stay for his senior year in 2021-22 or sign with the Senators.
While the Sens were more than happy to have him ink his ELC, leaving New Hampshire was one of the hardest decisions he ever made. His bond with the region was huge. When a contract was offered, he said he “asked each one the guys in my class, each one said take it. This is the NHL, don’t pass it up”. With such a good relationship with teammates, he still plans to visit campus when his season is over.
“All those guys will be at my wedding, some of them might be my best men”
And so it was that on March 21st, 2021, Angus signed his Entry Level Contract with the Sens, and finished the year in Belleville. The jump from College to the AHL was much smoother for Crookshank who registered an impressive 16 points in 19 games. All that time playing against older opponents served him well in acclimating him into pro leagues. During this stretch he got to know his new teammates and form chemistry with various other Sens prospects. With less coverage in the AHL, I asked him who he would consider as some underrated prospects that Sens fans can be surprised by. He noted Cole Reinhardt and Marc Kastelic.
“Reinhardt can absolutely fly and is tough as nails and Kastelic might not have an ounce of body fat on him”
While Angus has made significant progress since the 2018 NHL draft, the biggest improvement in his game has been the mental aspect along with his speed. While being physically fit is important, the mental side of hockey is just as important. Angus noted that “Growing up I was my harshest critic”. He would replay small mistakes in his head and they would fester for a while. With the NHL game moving more towards speed and skill, Crookshank prioritized improving his skating, saying that “I might as well be the fastest among them all”.
When I asked him what Sens fans could expect from him on the ice, he described it as such:
“Gritty skill, I model my game after Brendan Gallagher and Yanni Gourde. Go to the net, get under guys’ skin, but to make plays and create offense”.
For now, he wants to focus on getting back on the ice and performing for Belleville. While he wants to make the NHL someday, he has one short term goal.
“One game in the NHL” is what would make him feel satisfied when it is all said and done.
The next step would be winning a Stanley cup, which would connect with him on a more personal level. It is a big step, but it certainly is real.
“I could win a Stanley cup and die the next day as a happy man. My eyes would run out of tears”
-Damian Smith
Twitter: @tkachukgoat