Watching the Sioux sleepwalk through a few periods this weekend got me thinking about some of the sparkplugs that used to play for the team. One of these guys was Thunder Bay's own Chris Porter. The former Sioux captain was originally a 9th round pick by the Blackhawks in 2003. After spending all four years in Grand Forks, he participated in some camps with the Hawks, who chose not to sign him despite impressive showings.
Porter eventually inked a deal with the St. Louis Blues and was assigned to Peoria of the AHL. Never really a scorer in college, (he averaged in that 20-30 point range), Porter has put up solid numbers (3-9-12) thus far playing limited minutes. A solid two way guy (I use this phrase so much) with excellent speed and good hockey sense. In his years in Grand Forks, he would often be the guy that would spark the team with a goal/hit/fight (hugging match as per NCAA rules) or whatever was needed.
He has good size (6'1, 210) and plays with a mean streak. A punishing hitter, Porter is effective when playing a physical game. He is good along the boards but could use some seasoning on his defensive positioning. He scores most of his goals from in close but does possess a hard shot with a quick release. As he adjusts to the pro game, he will need to learn to be stronger on the puck when skating, for as good as he is in tight spots, Porter can be easily separated from the puck in stride.
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