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By Phillip
Brents
His 6-foot-2, 205-pound build is better suited for ice hockey. Read will just grin when the comparison is made. He grins a lot, actually. But his off-the-ice laid-back demeanor belies the fierce competitor – and contributor – he has become for the San Diego Gulls on the ice this season. “I had to explore my options. I mean, the club I was playing for last season (the Tacoma Sabercats) folded. If I was going to play anywhere else, San Diego was my first choice, though,” said Read, who was among the first wave of off-season signings by Gulls head coach Steve Martinson after recording career bests for goals (26), points (50) and penalty minutes (57) last season with the Sabercats. Despite the breakout year in Tacoma, Martinson said he had to carefully weigh the pros and cons about the 26-year-old right wing. Among the cons was Read’s consistency – something the University of Alaska-Anchorage alumnus has worked hard on to become a contributing member of the depth-heavy Gulls. “When I came here Marty (head coach Martinson) wanted me to focus on the body more – primarily on hits. For me to be effective, I had to finish my checks. I still wanted to be creative and make the plays. But (in this system) all that comes from finishing my checks,” said Read, who ranked ahead of last season’s point-scoring pace with 12 goals and 16 assists in 33 games. Read is paired on the same line with veterans Dean Tiltgen (third in the ECHL in 2001-02 with 40 goals) and Mark Pederson (35 goals, 85 points in169 NHL games) – a combination that Read feels brings all three dimensions of what a line should comprise – speed (Tiltgen), a great shot (Pederson) and physical presence (in a perfect world supplied by all three but engineered primarily by Read). “To me, I think he’s done an excellent job of becoming more of a San Diego Gulls type of player. He’s finishing his checks now. We don’t expect him to run guys through the boards but we expect every player to finish a hit. He’s a big strong guy. He’s definitely becoming more of a complete player,” said Martinson, who considers Read to be the team’s strongest “cycler” – or pass master from the corner boards. This is Read’s fifth WCHL season after spending parts of three seasons in Anchorage and last season in Tacoma. Read takes pride in that as part of last season’s lame duck Sabercats club, the soon-to-go-dark team came within one win of advancing to the Taylor Cup Finals. “We knew we couldn’t come back as a team. We just wanted to go out the best we could. We just came up short in the (Northern Division) finals. It made up for a so-so year,” Read said. The numbers have steadily increased for Read in each of his five pro seasons. “I’m getting more of an opportunity. In Anchorage I really didn’t get the opportunity I did in Tacoma. You get confidence and you go from there,” Read said. “My game’s come together slowly. I wish it could have come together earlier. But last year definitely gave me confidence – something to build on.” As for advancing up the pro ranks, Read prefers to believe that will take care of itself as he develops his own game. “If I get noticed, if I can move up, I’ll take that opportunity. Right now, my focus is to win a championship with the Gulls,” he said. Clayton Read Statistics |
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