Tirronen, an undrafted native of Finland, signed a one-year, entry-level contract with the Carolina Hurricanes last Sunday after finishing his collegiate career at Merrimack College. After not playing his freshman year, Tirronen went 22-34-8 with a goals-against average of 2.45 and a save percentage of .918 in three seasons with the Warriors.
Now, with his college career in the books and a deal inked with the Hurricanes, Tirronen will take his first steps as a pro here with the Checkers.
"He’s here to get the experience and to see what the next level is all about," said head coach Jeff Daniels. "He’ll practice every day and we’ll just take it day by day."
After getting into Charlotte Thursday night, Tirronen got his first glimpse of the pros Friday when he participated in the team's morning skate.
"It was pretty hard, but I enjoyed it," said Tirronen. "It’s good to be out here. I got run through my paces a little bit, but it felt good."
Getting on the ice with the team for the first time is a big step for a player to take, but Daniels doesn't put too much weight into it.
"I try not to look at anyone on their first time out here, whether it’s a goalie, defenseman or forward, just because everything’s new to them and you don’t want to judge them too early," said Daniels. "You just want to let them be out there and get comfortable in their surroundings."
"There was some talk with different teams, but Carolina seemed to be the most interested and they expressed that first," said Tirronen. "I got the feeling from the organization that this would be a good place for me. They’re a team that actually wants to have me so that made the decision very easy for me."
The orginization has certainly shown an investment in the young goalie's future, with Daniels reaching out to him and Carolina goalie coach David Marcoux coming to Charlotte to work with him one on one.
"[Daniels] called me when I was flying out and said they wanted to get me in here so I could get my feet wet and see what it’s all about," said Tirronen. "Kind of prepping me for next year. I talked to coach Marcoux after I signed and he said he was coming down, so I was definitely excited about that. It’s good to start building that relationship and it makes it that much easier to come in to the summer camps. You’re used to people and you know what they’re expecting of you."
Making the jump from college to the pros is a big transition. Namely, the schedule is nearly twice as long and the travel is much different. Add to that the significant increase in competition, and any young player has their work cut out for them. Tirronen understands that he will have to work to make that transition as seamless as possible.
"I want to get used to the pace," said Tirronen. "The shots are going to be better and everything’s going to be faster. I want to get used to it and learn how to read the game here at this level. Hopefully I can do it in this short period of time."
"Just understanding what the pro game is about," said Daniels on the biggest thing Tirronen will need to work on during his stint. "It’s a little different schedule than college. But it’s not different from a defenseman or forward coming in to get a step ahead of next season. There’s no expectations, there’s no promises. It’s more for the experience."
The 24-year-old, who earned several honors during his time at Merrimack, including being named the Hockey East Top Performer 10 times in his three seasons and Hockey East Goaltender of the Month once and Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week three times during his senior season, will have the opportunity to learn from two knowledgable sources in Drew MacIntyre and John Muse. MacIntyre is in his 12th pro season, having spent time at several levels, and brings a lot of experience to the table. Muse took a similar route to Tirronen's, playing college hockey at Boston College before turning pro. Between the two, there is a lot for Tirronen to learn.
"They’re both experienced guys, they’ve been around for a bit," said Daniels. "Muser came through the college route, so he might have a better understanding of what it takes to adapt to the pro schedule and the grind of that. Hopefully he can watch those two guys and they can pass along some of their thoughts."
"I went out there today and just kind of watched those guys," said Tirronen. "I’m sure I’ll be able to speak with them and learn a lot of things from them. I’m just trying to be a sponge for now and get as much information as I can."
