Ryan Conmy preparing for sophomore season off a strong showing at LA Kings Development Camp

The debut from Ryan Conmy was impressive.

Now, he’s looking to make the encore that much better.

Conmy, a sixth-round draft pick of the LA Kings in 2023 is currently in between his freshmen and sophomore seasons at the University of New Hampshire. His freshman year was a big one, as he led the Wildcats in scoring as a first-year player. No easy feat. In doing so, Conmy helped spark a turnaround at a New Hampshire program that had not had a winning season since 2013-14. Until now. Led by the Kings prospect up front, the Wildcats won 20 games, well over the .500 mark, falling just short of the NCAA Tournament.

With a taste of success and the team’s seven leading scorers coming back for this coming season, Conmy is looking at doing even more in Year 2.

“Going into a new team, you never know what to expect,” he said. “We had a really good group, good group of leaders there. We did pretty something pretty special there for the first time in kind of a while, so it was cool to be a part of that and contribute in any way possible.”

A big step in that process on an individual note was LA Kings Development Camp this summer. And, skating amongst his peers, Conmy performed at a high level.

On Day 3, Conmy was perhaps the standout performer of the day, scoring a nice individual goal early in the second half of the game and setting up the game-winning goal later in the day. Reports had a strong performance throughout the three-day event. In terms of overall play, few touched the puck more than Conmy did, who played center for the first time in awhile, showcasing versatility and adaptability. The level of play at that level was perhaps a bit lower than the NCAA but Conmy was playing an unnatural position. Looked pretty natural to those watching up top.

 

Ryan Conmy operates a step quicker than just about every player on the ice. A clear standout in the early stages.

Not all that surprising, he was one of the best freshmen in the country this season with @UNHMHOCKEY 🐱

— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) July 3, 2024

Unlike last year, however, Conmy knew what to expect coming in. Certainly didn’t hurt him.

At your first development camp, which typically comes just days after being drafted, the experience can sometimes be that of a whirlwind. That was the case in some ways for Conmy last summer.

“Last year was just getting more comfortable, so obviously you come in that with same level that you finished with last year and keep building on it,” he said. “Definitely just building more comfort, coming out here and be able to showcase [what I can do].”

This summer, there were no signs of being uncomfortable, no signs of not knowing what to do, no signs at all of a player who was still among the younger attendees. Conmy was more of a leader during drills and he looked every bit the part of a player who exceeded 30 points this season playing NCAA hockey and was among the better offensive players in Hockey East.

“I just kind of [tried to] go out there and do my thing,” he added. “We only got one chance to come out and it’s pretty quick here, just three days to skate, so just trying to showcase as much as I can in that time.”

Conmy’s performance was taken note of by those in charge as well.

When Kings Director, Player Development Glen Murray spoke to the media after the three-day event, Conmy was one player he touched on as a standout from the week, indicating that the staff was talking already about him after Day 3, highlighting his work ethic on top of the offensive abilities.

“We were just talking about him actually in the back room and he really works, he works,” Murray said. “He’s got a real good shot and a nice tenacity on the puck and will hold on to the puck. Even if guys are on him and lean on him, he can spin off and he’s done that his whole life, probably throughout his hockey career and he did that last year and I we love the progression with him too. We’re looking forward to getting him. He’s got a couple of years in college left but we’re looking forward to getting him in here and working with more so in the offseason.”

It’s that work ethic in many ways that sets him apart.

Conmy is a player who is doing the right things away from the ice to aid his development on the ice. He’s not the biggest player in the system and he never will be, but he’s got a tenacity and a drive to his game that complements a lot of offensive ability. Think some of the qualities that Blake Lizotte had. They’re not the same player, but they’re both undersized and both put the work in on and off the ice. The tenacity that Lizotte brought was second to none.

One difference between the players, though, is primary position. While he played through the middle during development camp, Conmy is a winger by trade and that’s likely where his future is at the next level. With that, he understands his size and the importance of working along the walls as a smaller player. It’s an area of focus for him to complement his offensive gifts this season at New Hampshire, rounding out the overall game in preparation for what will eventually be the transition to the professional game.

“I would say wall work, as a winger at the next level, you need to be able to protect the puck and get the puck out in later parts of the game or even just eat the puck on the wall, just possess it a little more and find that guy in the middle,” he said. “Just little things like that is what’s going help me go to the next level.”

Conmy will not be a part of the Kings roster for the Rookie Faceoff next month, as school will already be in session. UNH kicks off its 2024-25 regular season on Saturday, October 12 against Bentley and we’ll keep an eye on Conmy’s progress before seeing him with the Kings again next summer for development camp.

Photo by Gary A. Vasquez/NHLI via Getty Images