February 23, 2010
Chang's Cheek flips switch towards success
Trevor Cheek's recent play has turned him into a hot commodity in the junior hockey recruiting circles. (Dave Getz/A-ZPhoto.com)
A new level of hockey.
That's how Trevor Cheek sees his development this season for the P.F. Chang's U18 team, and that's how his coaches see the play of their leading scorer since, as P.F. Chang's head coach Mike DeAngelis puts it, "Trevor really flipped the switch."
Looking at the P.F. Chang's schedule, it's as if that switch was flipped the minute the clock struck midnight and the calendar read 2010. Beginning on New Year's Day, during a home showcase in Scottsdale, Cheek ratcheted off a string of 10 goals in a lone five-game stretch; entering February, Cheek led the U18 team with 25 goals and 44 points in 41 games.
De Angelis said the switch was flipped sooner than that, however, calling Cheek's most recent two months of hockey "eye-opening."
"Every weekend we go somewhere, lately the first person (scouts) ask me about is Trevor Cheek," De Angelis said.
Long considered a high-talent prospect, Cheek, a Vancouver, Wash., native now in his second season with the P.F. Chang's program, admits that he could spout out pretty much any number of clichés when analyzing his development this season alone.
"Coach always says with team success comes personal success," he said. "I was always nervous about points and stuff, but when you stop worrying about that and just be a team player, that's when the points start to come."
Cheek credits DeAngelis with sticking to his guns and holding the forward accountable as a potential team leader.
"Coaches have always told me I've had the skill, but this year Mike put pressure on me to step up. He told me I could be a leader, and I wanted to be a leader and take charge, and that's helped me have a good season."
Cheek said that while he knows he's had talent, he hasn't always been sure of his abilities.
"A couple of years ago, I was kind of short, but I've grown up a lot and gotten a lot faster," he said. "This is the first year I've really realized that I'm one of the quicker guys out there.
"Confidence definitely helps in this league (the Tier I Elite League). When you start realizing you can play with anyone, it helps a lot.
"I've also been talking to USHL scouts and BCHL scouts, and it means a lot hearing that you can play at the level," he added.
DeAngelis confirmed that Cheek is garnering heavy interest from USHL teams, and explained that it's understandable that the 6-foot-2, 185-pound 17-year-old, despite having another year of U18 eligibility left, likely won't be wearing a P.F. Chang's jersey next season.
"That's OK though," DeAngelis said. "We're all about developing and promoting our players and helping them move on, and we're happy when we have kids go on."
DeAngelis said that's the mantra most teams who play in the Tier I Elite League, like P.F. Chang's, share.
"That's why at each of the weekend tournaments we go to, they're called showcases, he said. "There's no championship; the purpose is to showcase the talent, get kids noticed, and move the players onto the next level."
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