The Steel are scoring at least a half-goal-per-game more than every other USHL team and nearly two goals above the league average with 4.9 per matchup.
Coronato has been a consistent force in that process.
Including the final nine games from last season, he set a USHL record with a 28-game point streak in which he produced 54 points.
“Consistency is definitely a big thing for me. It’s something I focus on in my preparation,†said Coronato, an 18-year-old from Huntington, New York, who became hooked on the game while attending New York Islanders NHL games with his family as a youngster. “In the way I play, overall consistency plays a big part. I think every night going in, working hard, focusing on the little things.
“When the game starts, just consistency in habits and focus were a huge part in having that streak go on.â€
Steel coach Brock Sheahan has praised Coronato for those traits and GM Ryan Hardy points to Coronato’s 40 points in 45 games as a 17-year-old on last season’s high-powered team as a clear sign of what was ahead.
“The production that he had for a first-year player, a year before his NHL draft year, without playing much power-play at all on a real good team,†Hardy said. “… We had a lot of good forwards and for a young guy, those 40 points he put up were incredible production for that.
“He really, right from Day 1, showed himself to be reliable in so many situations. That really afforded coach the opportunity to give him different things.â€
Coronato brought the first third of his scoring streak with him into the season and essentially doubled his scoring output.
“This year, I think he came in with a lot of confidence from the 40-point season that he had and feeling like, ‘Alright, I am one of the best players in this age group,†Hardy said.
Coronato has been proving that for years. He left home on Long Island more than two years ago to spend a season of prep hockey at Salisbury School prior to playing with the Steel as a 17-year old. Normally, a player of Coronato’s ability would have made a push to play for USA Hockey at the World Junior A Challenge this season. However, the tournament was canceled due to the global pandemic. After averaging more than a point-per-game in two appearances at USA Hockey Player Development Camps, Coronato might have his sights on making the roster for the BioSteel All-American Game, an annual game showcasing the top American draft-eligible talent.
Last year’s success, alongside this year’s dominance, is hopefully only the beginning of a headlining career for the New York winger.
Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.
Photo courtesy of Chicago Steel.
