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In 1999, Tom Kostopoulos was a rambunctious rookie full of excitement and energy at the start of his pro career with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Looking back, Kostopoulos admits he needed to be reined in a bit, and team captain Tyler Wright was the one to do it.
“I really looked up to Tyler. He was really good for me,” Kostopoulos said. “I was a little intense and he kind of calmed me down.”
Now, 18 years later, Kostopoulos is the one filling the role as mentor to 22-year-old prospect Zach Aston-Reese, who might not need to be reined in, but could benefit from the guidance of an older player.
It’s a role that Kostopoulos has filled over the last several seasons with the Penguins, tutoring young players such as Conor Sheary and Jake Guentzel, among others.
This time, Kostopoulos has a little help.
Aston-Reese has been skating on a line with Kostopoulos and Kevin Porter, who between the two of them, have a combined 877 NHL games and 27 pro seasons.
It’s a role that 38-year-old Kostopoulos and 31-year-old Porter are happy to fill.
“It’s nice to see young players grow, get better and learn from you,” Porter said. “I’m happy that they can take your wisdom and apply it to their game.”
Kostopoulos had Wright when he broke into the pro ranks, and Porter had another established veteran take him under his wing when he joined the Phoenix Coyotes in 2008 — team captain Shane Doan.
Doan has a history of tutoring and helping the rookie players who joined the Phoenix organization. Nine years ago, Porter was one of four rookies on the team, and Doan went to great lengths to make them each one feel welcome.
“He invited me over for dinner at his house a few times, and back then I was probably closer in age to his kids so I played mini-sticks with them,” Porter said. “He was real welcoming and a great mentor.”
So what’s the key for an older player to make a rookie feel at home in the pros?
Communication.
Porter, who broke into the pro ranks after four seasons at the University of Michigan, said it’s a big transition to make for a player coming out of college.
To ease that adjustment, Porter said, it’s important to make sure a young player knows what’s going on at all times.
That’s the approach he and Kostopoulos take with Aston-Reese.
“If we can let him know a defenseman is pinching, how much time he has or where we are, that helps a lot,” Porter said. “You have to communicate off the ice too. Make them feel welcome.”
The mentoring from Kostopoulos and Porter has certainly gotten Aston-Reese off on the right foot. In his first seven games with the Penguins, Aston-Reese has three goals and seven points.
In fact, Aston-Reese has played so well that Kostopoulos said the rookie forward sometimes tells him what to do on the ice.
“I kind of like it. It’s fun,” Kostopoulos said. “He’s a good kid who likes to have fun out there, and Porter and I really enjoy it.”
So does Aston-Reese who said playing with Kostopoulos and Porter has given him confidence.
“At the end of the day it’s just a game,” Aston-Reese said.
Still, playing with two established players does come with a bit of responsibility. Aston-Reese said he’s motivated to work hard for Kostopoulos and Porter out of respect for what they’ve accomplished and what they’re doing for him.
“That’s in the back of my mind. I want to go out there and make that good play for them,” Aston-Reese said. “I want to bring that youthfulness to the line and get in on the forecheck whenever I can.”
While communication is a big part of the mentoring process, Kostopoulos said having fun is equally important. The approach to doing that changes with each player’s personality, he said.
“Some guys you can push a little harder, some you can joke around with and some you have to coddle,” Kostopoulos said. “Zach is a confident kid. He’s pretty sure of himself so we joke around and have fun.”
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