Hard work, a strong skill set and offensive improvement could put Marrelli on teams draft boards this summer.
When discussing Ottawa players who are eligible for the draft, many people will go straight to Henry Mews. However, in doing so they may inadvertently be overlooking his partner in crime Frankie Marrelli, who profiles value pick in the upcoming NHL draft.
Currently, Marrelli is ranked 135th amongst North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting.
When watching the 2006-born blueliner, what stands out is that he is well rounded.
“He doesn’t excel in one facet of the game, but does everything well,” said former 67’s assistant coach Martin Dagenais. “He can shoot the puck, he can make a good first pass, he’s physical ... He’s a super smart kid with a very high hockey IQ.”
The next thing that becomes apparent is that Marrelli possesses an impressive work ethic and dedication to the sport.
For Dagenais, this was nailed home during one particular practice during Marrelli’s rookie campaign.
The team was going through three-on-three battle drills and Marrelli was challenging some of the older players with his grit and tenacity. Tempers got a little high and a cross check ended up riding up into Marrelli’s face.
He got patched up and came to practice the very next day with the exact same attitude.
“He didn’t care that his face was bloodied by a veteran who couldn’t accept the fact that the hardest working player that day was a 16-year-old.” said Dagenais. “I remember having a chat with the coaches after practice and we said to ourselves that if everyone on the team practiced the way Frankie Marrelli did, we would have a heck of a team.”
Marrelli’s parents, Frank and Silvana Marrelli, credit their son’s success to the fact that he views hockey as his full-time job.
“In our family there aren’t many athletes,” said Silvana. “Our parents were immigrants who were construction workers who worked hard. He [Frankie] has that work ethic. We are all so proud of how hard he has worked and how far he has gone.
While his point totals aren’t staggering they are not underwhelming either. During his rookie season, Marrelli recorded four goals and 12 assists in 50 games played. This past season he increased his point totals recording nine goals and 16 assists in 60 games nearly averaging half a point per game.
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He also comes with a winning pedigree on the international stage. After his rookie season he won gold for Canada at the Hlinka-Gretzky, and this past season brought home gold as a member of Canada’s U18 squad at the IIHF U18 World Championship.
“It was an honor to wear that jersey,” said Marrelli speaking about the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup.
Regardless of any personal success, Marrelli’s goal continues to be working with the Ottawa staff to improve his game.
“I play my best when I’m skating and have my head up. I’m just looking to play my game,” said Marrelli.
No one can predict what will happen come draft day, but regardless of the results one thing is certain. Frankie Marrelli may just be a hidden gem that will really help an NHL team in the future.
“I don’t know where he is going to go,” said Dagenais. “What I know is that the team that does pick him up is going to get not only a heck of a hockey player, but a very good person too.”