Andrew Ference is 22 years old, so he's completely qualified to vote back in his native Canada.
He can enjoy the adult beverage of his choice and did not need parental permission before getting a couple of intricate tattoos on his chest.
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Andrew Ference’s all-out play has earned respect from coaches. (Matt Freed, Post-Gazette) | |
Legally, he's entitled to do just about anything. But whether a guy who is just 22 is qualified to serve as the cornerstone of an NHL defense -- a role Ference seems ready to fill with the Penguins -- is another matter altogether.
Not that Ference understands why anyone would be more interested in his birth certificate than it what he contributes on the ice.
"The age thing is kind of a bad measuring stick," he said. "Guys [progress] through their hockey careers differently. I played that way all through my junior career, going in as a 16-year-old and playing the same amount as a 20-year-old. I'm kind of used to having to play beyond what's expected of somebody my age."
Ference was on the ice for 19 minutes and 50 seconds of the Penguins' season-opening 3-1 loss to Colorado Wednesday -- that's the most of any Penguins defenseman, and more than any teammate except Mario Lemieux, Alexei Kovalev and Martin Straka -- and was deployed in every conceivable situation.
He took a regular shift alongside Mike Wilson. Killed penalties. Worked on the No. 2 pairing of pointmen during power plays. And was totally prepared to do more if he'd been asked.
"I'm halfway on the ice by the time the second syllable of my name is mentioned [for a player change]," he said. "That's what everybody should be like.
"Everybody should want to be on there the last minute of the game, trying to tie it up or trying to kill a big penalty. That's what being a hockey player is all about, getting out in the critical situations. ... I can't imagine anybody not wanting to be out on those."
The Penguins, in a move that invited rampant second-guessing, assigned Ference to their American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes-Barre last fall, but summoned him from the Baby Penguins Feb. 21 and saw him become an integral member of their lineup during the stretch drive and playoffs.
Ference was the Penguins' most effective defenseman during the post-season, and his work last spring laid the foundation for the belief management is showing in him now.
"That certainly gave me the confidence to use him," said assistant coach Randy Hillier, who oversees the defense. "I think he can handle it. He's a kid who's well-conditioned, and an excellent skater. He shows a maturity that enables me to use him in a lot of different situations."
Ference probably has the best two-way game of any Penguins defenseman. He's a strong skater with decent offensive instincts who has learned to use leverage in the defensive zone to compensate for his relatively modest stature (5 feet 10, 196 pounds).
His greatest asset, though, might be his willingness to learn. And his understanding that, even with 67 NHL games to his credit, there's still a thing or two he can learn about being effective in this league.
"It's not like I have a whole boatload of experience at this level," Ference said. "Whether it's from a forward telling me how to get [the puck] up quicker or how to jump into the play a little different, or one of the older defensemen giving me a tip ... I take [guidance] from all angles, and I love it.
"I really soak that up and pay attention to it. If a guy gives me some advice, I actually ask him for more. Some guys don't like getting corrected or [receiving] advice, but that's something I thrive on. I really respect guys who can give [constructive] criticism."
Hockey, like so many sports, has been described as a game of mistakes, and young defensemen probably make more of them than most players. Ference isn't exempt from that reality.
"He's still learning the game, and he's still learning to play against individual players," Hillier said. "He's aggressive, too. He wants to be aggressive offensively, and sometimes he's trying too hard.
"In training camp, we talked about it. He was trying to press a little too hard offensively and was giving up some things defensively. We talked about that, and I think he's aware of it. It's only natural, at his age, to expect mistakes like that."
Ference and Wilson, had a pretty solid performance against Colorado -- "[Wilson] and Andy played well together," Hillier said -- but got burned on Chris Drury's breakaway goal in the third period.
Drury came off the Avalanche bench and got behind the Penguins' defense, then took a feed from Alex Tanguay before breaking in alone on goalie Johan Hedberg and getting Colorado's third goal.
Ference called it a "communication and coverage issue," and said that he and Wilson will need only "a week or two at the most" to mesh as a pairing.
And while the Penguins' defense might be in flux for much of the winter, the Ference-Wilson pairing has real promise because of their complementary styles.
"He's a large guy who is a little more stay-at-home than I am, and I'm obviously going to be jumping up on the play a lot more," Ference said. "When you get those kinds of opposites, they attract."
And when you get a prospect with Ference's potential, you play him. A lot. Never mind that he's 22, or that he might be guilty of an occasional lapse or error in judgment.
Ference is good, and will get better. And he doesn't just hold up under a heavy workload, he savors it. Almost demands it.
"This is what I've worked toward," he said. "When I was growing up, I didn't work toward being a guy who gets used sometimes. You want to be the guy who's out there all the time."
Ference bigger force in Penguins' defense 
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