Staff photo / Brian Yauger Phantoms defenseman Tory Pitner makes a play on the puck during the team’s season-opening contest against Tri-City.

YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown Phantoms defenseman Tory Pitner has his eyes on the prize. At the team level, that means a championship. At the individual level, that means getting drafted.

In his first year of draft eligibility, Pitner is going to see his role WITH the Phantoms grow.

That’s already been seen through two games as the right-shot defender has been on the top pair along with captain and Columbus Blue Jackets draft pick, Andrew Strathmann.

Going into the year, Pitner knew he was going to be a focal point of the team’s defense and took steps to make sure he was ready for the test.

“I feel like I’m prepared for it,” Pitner said. “Obviously, I was playing some hockey and then just kind of working and practicing and working with our coaches and with myself personally over the summer creating development plans for me to kind of be ready to step into a league like this and take on that bigger role. Last year, I think coming on prepared me a lot to be able to play a lot of big minutes for the team this year and make a big impact.”

Part of that summer preparation came on the international stage as Pitner helped represent the Phantoms and the United States as part of the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

The defenseman, who announced his commitment to the University of Denver on social media last week, went over to the Czech Republic to help represent the U.S. on a stage that hasn’t been kind over the last few years.

Pitner captained the Team USA squad which took the bronze, giving the Americans their first medal since 2016.

“It was a good experience,” Pitner said. “We medaled for the first time in seven years, so that was big for USA Hockey. We kind of started gaining some respect in that tournament. Obviously they don’t send the (National Team Development Program) and we were playing against the other team’s best players, so I think it was good for us to kind of put USA Hockey (out there) and get them a little bit more respect in the international world and specifically, that tournament.

“I think for me personally that it was a great experience. Going to a foreign country and playing against the best kids and their respective countries was a great experience for me and one that I was really looking forward to doing and one after doing I’ll really look back on with fond memories.”

Despite joining the Phantoms late — around Christmas of last year — Pitner acclimated to the USHL quickly. As more of a leader this year, Pitner has been showing the new players the ropes. Whether it was going first in drills or helping them through mistakes.

That’s something Phantoms coach Ryan Ward has noticed. They’ve been relying on Pitner not just for his hockey skill, but the way he thinks through the game as a hockey mind as well.

“Tory is a special brain,” Ward said. “I mean he lives, breathes and sleeps hockey. He’s someone that we obviously rely on and someone that we think very highly of in our organization and for us, Tory has done a good job. He’s becoming a leader even though he’s (still a 2006-born player). He’s someone that’s lived it, that’s been through the league now for more than half a year, and someone that is certainly earning his stripes everyday back there.

“Tory is a very methodical kid. He, you know, obviously goes through scenarios in his mind and how he wants to play and how we play and you can tell by the way he plays on the ice how smart and effective he is at both ends of the rink.”

Comparing his style of play to all-situation defenders like John Marino (New Jersey) and Jeff Petry (Detroit), Pitner likes to be able to do a little bit of everything.

That repertoire-building mentality and desire to get better has Pitner driven toward his goals of repeating with the Phantoms as Clark Cup Champions as well as boosting his draft stock as high as it can get.

“Individually, it’s my draft year, so I want to be picked in Vegas this year,” Pitner said. “It started in the summer playing out in the Czech Republic. That was the first time really that the draft kind of kicked off for all of us. … That’s a big one for me, personally, is getting drafted and trying to get drafted as high as I possibly can.

“Other than that, (my goal is just) developing. I think it has always been at the forefront of my mind when I think about hockey, dating back to when I was really really little. I think just every year the challenge to get better is an exciting one. It’s one that I look forward to and one that I welcome.”

Fans can catch Pitner in action Saturday as the Phantoms take on the USNTDP U17s. Start time is set for 7 p.m. at the Covelli Centre.

byauger@tribtoday.com