Corey Andonovski had a different perspective than most Pittsburgh Steelers fans after an ugly 30-7 home loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
First, he’s Canadian. So American football isn’t necessarily an ingrained infatuation for the Uxbridge, Ont., native.
Second, and perhaps most profoundly, the Pittsburgh Penguins forward prospect is friends with quarterback/lightning rod Kenny Pickett.
Pickett’s wife, Amy, was a soccer player at Princeton when Andonovski skated for that school a few years ago, and they shared the same social circles. As a result, Andonovski has known Pickett since the quarterback’s days with Pitt.
While others dissected Pickett’s play, Andonovski professed optimism.
“Sunday wasn’t a great result,” said Andonovski, who practiced with the team’s other prospects Thursday in Cranberry. “But I’m sure he’ll turn it around and get the team going in the right direction. He’s that kind of guy and leads, not only by example but off the field, too.”
Andonovski is hoping for some improved results on his own behalf as well going into the 2023-24 campaign.
Undrafted, the right-hander spent his first full professional season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League in 2022-23 and experienced growing pains by his own admission.
“Ups and downs, obviously, come with a lot of guys’ first year (as a professional),” said Andonovski, who was a healthy scratch at times last November. “I felt like I definitely went through that a little bit. Nobody wants to go through those low points. But, ultimately, you kind of have to if you want to find who you are and what kind of player you are and welcome that kind of adversity to your game. Hopefully, that kind of helps you improve you down your career.”
Andonovski was something of the “crown jewel” in former general manager Ron Hextall’s efforts to be aggressive in the undrafted free agent market when the prospect was signed in March 2022.
A physical forward in college, Andonovski (6-foot-1, 194 pounds) was one of the bigger, stronger forwards in most of the NCAA contests he participated in.
The professional ranks were a different matter.
“In college, I’m probably one of the bigger guys (on the ice),” Andonovski said. “Here (at the professional level), not so much. It was still a huge part of my game that I could try and bring on a regular basis. I felt like I did a pretty good job of that. That’s one thing that I’m, hopefully, going to focus on even more this year is continuing to be physical on a consistent basis. And, obviously, hopefully, showing my offensive upside with that a little more.”
Primarily used as a bottom-six winger, Andonovski appeared in 62 games last season and posted 19 points (eight goals, 11 assists).
“He’s got all the tools,” Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins coach J.D. Forrest said. “We really like him. It’s more about just finding the consistency. We’d like to see a certain style of game. Sometimes, he’ll get caught between what he was able to do in college and what’s going to be effective (as a professional), what got him in the door here and how he has to adjust a little bit as a player and what he needs to bring every single shift, every night. Last year was a good learning opportunity for him. … I’m looking forward to seeing him playing with that certain edge shift in and shift out.”
Where does Andonovski fit exactly? The answer to that question is open-ended to him.
“I don’t think I categorize myself as a third liner, a fourth liner, a first liner, whatever,” said Andonovski, who is entering the final season of a two-year entry-level contract. “I’m someone that can complement guys on every kind of line and every kind of situation. That’s how I view myself. If you need me to play a checking role one night, I can do that. If you need me to play top-six (forwards), I can do that. That’s how I categorize my game. I’ve always been that type of player.”
Andonovski is eager to show he is a better player than he was in his first full professional season.
“Through (2022 training) camp and into our season, I felt I had a pretty good start then hit a little bit of a lull there,” Andonovski said. “It’s one of those times that you just learn from it. And figure out what I need to do on a consistent basis and bounce back from that.”
Notes: Defensive prospects Nolan Collins, Owen Pickering and forward prospect Raivis Ansons will not participate in an upcoming prospect showcase in Buffalo that begins Friday. Collins is recovering from unspecified wrist surgery, and Ansons is still nursing an injury from the 2022-23 season. Pickering, a first-round pick (No. 21 overall) in 2022, is recuperating from an undisclosed injury. Forrest indicated Pickering is being sidelined as a precaution and will, hopefully, be ready to participate in the team’s training camp when it begins Wednesday. … In their first game of the showcase event, the Penguins are scheduled to face the Boston Bruins in the LECOM Harborcenter at 3:30 p.m. Friday.