A second-round pick by Florida in 2021, Nause split his rookie campaign between the AHL and ECHL. While working through the trials and tribulations of a pro season, he put together plenty of lessons to build upon.
“I took a lot from last year,” he said. “I was kind of up and down. I was just trying to stay even keel - the highs are high, the lows are low, but you just have to stay even keel and be ready for whenever you get the chance.”
Ultimately, the 21-year-old finished with one assist in nine games for the Checkers and five assists in 28 games for the Florida Everblades.
“Everyone has a different process,” said Checkers head coach Geordie Kinnear. “We want to respect that process. There’s going to be ups and downs - development is never linear. We just want everybody - including Nauser - to get one percent better every single day. Respect the process.”
In Kinnear’s eyes, a key part of that process is pushing through with a positive outlook - something that Nause has embraced.
“It’s not supposed to be easy,” said Kinnear. “But it will work as long as you have the right mindset and the right attitude and you have the work boots on. You have to have that positive attitude that eventually you will get there and everything will work out.”
“At the end of the day [Kinnear] just wants you to come out and work hard and try to be a good teammate and have fun,” said Nause.
Along with putting in the hard work, Nause is using the experience he gained as a rookie to build a foundation for year number two.
“Honestly just trying to buy into the team identity,” said Nause of his main focus. “Buying into what Geordie and Sags [assistant coach Bobby Sanguinetti] are selling.”
Whatever path Nause’s sophomore campaign eventually takes, the real key lies in the incremental progress he’s able to make in his personal process.
“We’re just looking for him to take another step,” said Kinnear. “Not looking for a huge one, just make a positive impact every time he gets on the ice, whether it’s a practice or a game.”
