Red Wings' John Whipple a big hit

Toiling for USA Hockey at the World Junior Summer Showcase in Plymouth, Michigan, Whipple, 18, is doing his best to step up and step into opposing players.

“It’s great to be out here getting the chance to compete against the best of the best,” Whipple said.

Talk to some of his teammates, and they’ll terrifying stories of Whipple dismantling opponents with his physical presence.

“Seeing him in games, he’ll crush people,” said fellow Red Wings draftee Austin Baker. He was Whipple’s teammate last season on the USNTDP U18 squad. “I definitely wouldn’t want to go against him on the other team.”

Whipple finds the scouting reports about from his teammates describing as some sort of Tasmanian Devil on skates to be mildly amusing.

“I don’t know if I’m as scary as they say I am,” the 6-foot-1, 194-pound rearguard assessed.

Then again, he also finds an element of truth in their descriptive.

“Just trying to be as mean as I can and shut plays down,” is Whipple’s personal scouting report on his game.

Red Wings Pick Finds Glory In Defense

It wasn’t always this way for Whipple. Growing up, his objective was to put up points.

“Freshman, sophomore year of high school, I was more of an offensive guy,” Whipple said. “Loved the power play, things like that.

NHL scouts will tell you that to make the show, a player must find an element in their game at which they can excel. For Whipple, that discovery came when it was the other team that was in possesion of the puck.

“At the (USNTD) program it kind of shifted a little bit,” he said of his hockey style. “You get put into a role that can help the team and that was mine. Kind of shifted to that aspect of the game and took a lot of pride in it.

“Last year, especially I just took a lot of pride in it. It’s just kinda been my thing from then on.”

It might not be the role the gets the glory, but teams don’t win without guys like Whipple in their lineup.

“It’s my glory position,” Whipple said.