Current Rams skating after greatness

Ryan Bunting has plenty of idols to choose from.

The Gloucester Catholic High School sophomore pays homage to his favorite player and NHL future Hall of Famer Jaromir Jagr each time he pulls his number 68 jersey over his head.

But sometimes greatness is even closer to Bunting’s reach as current Calgary Flames superstar Johnny Gaudreau works out at the same Hollydell Ice Arena in Sewell where Bunting and his teammates grind away.

Thanks to Gaudreau and NHL brothers Eric and Buddy Robinson who also played at Glucester Catholic and made the big leagues, a professional career in hockey is no longer a pipe dream for aspiring high school students who wear the maroon and gold.

Bunting is part of a group of players that is aiming to be the next wave of high-end talent to represent the Rams. But no one is looking that far ahead as Bunting and his buddies are just scratching the surface of high school hockey. The Rams are loaded with a talented group that includes five players who have been playing club hockey together for nearly half their young lives.

“Last year I was a little bit nervous,” Bunting said of making his debut with the Rams. “I didn’t play a whole lot but I got a few shifts here and there and got that experience. But now that I’m used to it, I’m very excited for this year.”

Bunting’s transition to high school hockey was helped along as he was joined by club teammates Billy Sheridan, Casey Johnson, and Mike Hoffner, who are all sophomores and expected to have increased roles this winter. Their club goaltender Billy Stuski is a freshman and will see some time in the crease in a backup role as he gathers experience.

They all had one thing in common — they were coached by Ryan’s dad Tom Bunting — and they still are.

“I had a nucleus of about a dozen players that I started here with when they were about 6 or 7 years old playing for the Hollydell Hurricanes,” Coach Bunting said. “We went and played (Tier 1) for the Philadelphia Little Flyers in Aston. I got hired at this rink at Hollydell three years ago to start a Tier 1 program (Philadelphia Hockey Club), so I brought the whole group here with me. Of the 18 kids on the team last year, probably 12 of them had been with me anywhere between six and nine years. In this climate, that’s very rare.”

A large chunk migrated to Gloucester Catholic to play under Bunting at the high school level. The group shrunk a bit this summer as Nick Fascia and Chris Pelosi left after freshman year. Fascia is now with the North Jersey Avalanche 16U AAA team and Pelosi joined the Mount Saint Charles Academy 15U AAA.

The five remaining guys from the nucleus are expected to be a huge part of the Rams’ future. And some of that future is right now.

“Billy Sheridan and Casey Johnson, if they’re not my top two forwards, they’re in the mix,” Tom Bunting said. “I expect them to be my leading scorers. “Michael Hoffner is one of my top defensemen. And Billy (Stuski) is going to be the backup which is saying a lot as a freshman. They’re going to be a big part of the team.”

They already are.

Gloucester Catholic won its first game, 3-2, over Bergen Catholic in a battle of top-five teams in the state. Johnson, Sheridan and Bunting each contributed a pair of points on two of the team’s goals, which included Johnson’s game-winner.

Ryan Bunting, who scored the second goal of the game, is taking things in stride as expectations are high and traditions are strong at Gloucester Catholic.

“It’s not intimidating,” Bunting said. “There’s been a few guys who have gone pretty far from this school. You could say we’re trying to live up to those expectations. But I don’t think it’s all that intimidating.”

Stuski says his group is eager to follow the trails that have been blazed before them.

“Some people went far to Division I colleges and some went to the NHL,” Stuski said. “I see those guys around the rink sometimes or playing here. It’s really cool to see. We’re trying to follow their footprints and try to play our hardest every time we’re out here.”

Sometimes those footprints are even the same size.

“Like Johnny (Gaudreau), I’m not very big and he wasn’t either so, it’s good to see someone make it,” Ryan Bunting said. “It’s great knowing that no matter what school you go to, you always have a chance.”