Robert Mastrosimone was in uncharted territory to start his third pro season.
After two years with the Toronto Marlies, the forward inked a deal with Charlotte over the summer. He battled through training camp and earned a spot on the roster for the opening road trip - skating in one of the contests.
Ahead of the Checkers’ home opener, though, Mastrosimone found himself as the odd-man out in a packed forward group and en route to the ECHL for the first time in his career.
“It was definitely hard going down there, having never played in that league before,” said Mastrosimone, who joined Charlotte’s affiliate, the Savannah Ghost Pirates.
“It was tough to send him down,” said head coach Geordie Kinnear.
A moment like that can take a young player’s career in one of several different ways from that point - depending on how they approach it.
“Attitude determines a lot,” said Kinnear. “When there’s something that happens to you, there’s going to be a response and then there’s an outcome. Usually the response determines the outcome - the right response gets a good outcome.”
Mastrosimone chose the right response.
“I took it as an opportunity to get better,” he said. “Get some more confidence in my game and really hone in on some skills that needed to be worked on. I went down there and just said, ‘This is the same thing just in a different place, I’m going to work just as hard.’ And it worked out.”
The 25-year-old forward came out firing for the Ghost Pirates, racking up 15 points in 13 games and registering the same number of multi-point outings as he did scoreless contests (3).
The production only told half the story of what the coaching staff saw, though.
“His attitude was great going down,” said Kinnear. “He was their best player and hardest worker in practice. We always look at the games and the end result, but what goes into that is the hard work during the week behind the scenes and the love of the game.”
Mastrosimone earned a call up to Charlotte on Dec. 6, and he hasn’t looked back.
Since returning to the Queen City he has notched 20 points (10g, 10a) in 26 games while cementing a spot in the Checkers lineup.
“I just think it’s the way I approach the game,” said Mastrosimone of what has helped him stick with Charlotte. “I play so hard, I never give up on the game. I don’t care what the score is - I have the same mindset up 5-1 or down 5-1. I got out and do the same thing. I like to be a consistent player, I think that’s the biggest thing in this game.”
“Full credit to him,” said Kinnear. “He’s made a difference on our hockey club.”
Choosing the right response at that crossroads earlier in the season didn’t just pay off now for Mastrosimone, it helped secure the future for him - on Feb. 2, he signed a new AHL deal for next season.
“It’s awesome,” said Mastrosimone of extending with Charlotte. “I love it here, I want to be here. It’s a great group, a great culture. Just having the security gives you a little extra confidence in your game and your everyday life. It’s going to be really fun.”
