Ronnie Attard
2018-19 Team: Tri-City Storm (USHL)
Date of Birth: March 20, 1999
Place of Birth: White Lake, Michigan
Ht: 6-foot-3 Wt: 207 pounds
Shoots: Right
Position: D
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2019 third-year eligible
Rankings
- NHL Central Scouting: 76th
- McKeen’s Hockey: 64th
After being passed over in the last two drafts, it looks as if the third time’s a charm for Ronnie Attard. The captain of the Tri-City Storm is coming off a breakout year in his third season in the USHL, shattering his previous point totals.
In 48 games, the 20-year-old defenseman tallied 30 goals and 34 assists, making him the USHL’s top scoring defenseman. At 6-foot-3 and 207 pounds, Attard already has NHL size and should only look to add on 10 pounds at the maximum.
For the past two seasons, he hasn’t been relied on to carry Tri-City’s offence, although this year the rugged defenseman was given a green light to really take risks and jump out of his shell. In doing so, Attard and his defense partner Zac Jones both logged tons of minutes in each game and were trusted in all facets of the game.
This season, Attard played a very aggressive brand of hockey. He could always be seen jumping into the slot for one-timers and it wasn’t out of the norm to see him even be the first attacker on the forecheck.
Overall, his skating is decent at this age for his size, but what will need improvement are his pivots to the outside and his foot quickness. Fixing these characteristics in his skating will allow him to contain better in small spaces and furthermore help him defend better off the rush.
Attard has a nice shot and this season’s 30 goals proved he could be counted on to take one-timers on the power play. He is set to make the jump to the NCAA next season and play at Western Michigan University for former NHL head coach Andy Murray.
Ronnie Attard – NHL Draft Projection
The 6-foot-3 defenseman projects as a middle round pick and I don’t expect him to go higher than the third round. Keep in mind that he is two years older than most of the players who will be selected in the draft.
Quotables
“Passed over in two drafts, Attard won’t get missed again this summer as improvements to his skating and smarts have led to a massive points explosion.” – Ryan Kennedy/The Hockey News
“Ronnie Attard of the Tri-City Storm produced the first four-goal game by a United States Hockey League defenseman in more than three years. Attard’s scoring outburst came on a night when the Storm also handled the defensive end, posting a 7-0 shutout of the Green Bay Gamblers.” – Tom Robinson/ USA Hockey
Strengths
- Shot
- Size
- Wants to be a difference-maker
Under Construction (Improvements to Make)
- Quickness
- Positional Awareness
- Discipline
Other THW Profiles
NHL Potential
Attard projects as a two-way defender who could play 15 minutes per game. Right now, his skating and skill are still lacking compared to today’s top offensive defensemen.
Risk-Reward Analysis
Risk – 2/5 | Reward 3.5/5
Fantasy Hockey Potential
Offence – 7/10 | Defence – 7/10
Awards/Achievements
Attard was a part of the gold medal-winning Team USA at the 2018 World Junior ‘A’ Challenge. For his breakout season, he was named the 2018-19 USHL Defenseman of the Year and USHL Player of the Year.
