When Michael DiPietro steps into a room, or in this case, a media scrum, the energy level goes up, along with the positivity.
“I’m a guy who focuses on them (the positives),” DiPietro said. “You can’t focus on the negatives. You have to let other people do that.”
It’s a good mind frame to have for the budding goalie, who just wrapped up a year full of ups and downs. It started at the World Junior Hockey Champions, when he grabbed hold of the number one position. However, the tournament ended early for Canada with an overtime goal by the Finns in the quarter-finals.
DiPietro then went on to make his NHL debut with the Canucks in February, which ended in a 7-2 loss. But while you’d think it’s a game he’d like to forget, that’s where the positivity sneaks back in.
“Actually, crazy to say, but I’m kind of happy the way it happened,” DiPietro explained. “It’s something I can learn from, just to make sure you’re fully ready and all areas of my game can progress in the right direction, and as I said be fully ready for when I make that next step. I have a lot of things to work on this summer, but I can take a lot of learning lessons from my experiences. “
This summer is a big one for the Canucks prospect. After a successful career in the OHL, the 20-year-old is set to turn pro, likely ending up in Utica, playing for the organization’s farm team.
“It’s definitely going to be a fun one, certainly will be an eye-opener. There are things that probably won’t go my way and that’s something I’ll have to get through, and make sure my mental toughness is there and be open to change,” DiPietro said. “There’s certain things I could get away with in juniors, certain habits that unfortunately I won’t get away with at the next level but that’ll come with experience and learning.”
The Utica coaching staff agrees, saying it’ll take some time for DiPietro to adjust.
“He’s at a pivotal point,” Ryan Johnson, the general manager of the Utica Comets said. “That step from junior to pro is an enormous one, so the more time we can spend getting him ready for that, he’s a very mature kid already, and is eager, you know it’s a competitive environment too.”
It’s something DiPietro is taking seriously. He’s working to better different parts of his game, like presenting himself bigger and being able to look around screens in a more efficient way. Off the ice, he’s intensified his workouts and has even done something most millennials wouldn’t ever consider – deleting his social media.
“Ever since I really truly shut down everything on social media, I have more free time, hahah. I don’t feel obligated to go on, I save about 20 minutes in the morning so it’s great!” DiPietro said. “Less distractions I find. You’re never as good as they say you are, you’re never as bad as they say you are, and I think for myself, just being able to take a step back and focus on, you got to live life, you can’t live life through a phone or technology.”
DiPietro says he made the decision following the World Juniors, after his captain, Maxime Comtois, received death threats on various platforms. He says he now has a less crowded headspace. But that new strategy is not something that has been adopted by his whole family – just yet.
“It’s funny, both my parents have Twitter. So now the shoe is on the other foot,” DiPietro said. “Dad’s still asking me things!”
Following Canucks Development camp this week at UBC, DiPietro said he’ll take the summer to prepare for the fall, which includes spending time with family, and maybe even learning how to cook, before he embarks on life as a pro.
“It’ll be kind of different, just being on your own, not being with the family and having more time on your hands. I pride myself on being a pretty mature individual, but for myself I think it’s going to be a learning curve, living on your own and making sure you get in a routine and maybe I’ll take a few school classes to keep myself busy, because you have a lot of free time on your hands as well,” DiPietro told the media. “But I’m certainly looking forward to the jump and hopefully, won’t burn down the kitchen!”
