Near the end of the Season 58 SMJHL Draft, the Carolina Kraken were presented with an opportunity for a high risk/medium reward played in Left Defenseman Gino Lombardo. Gino was unheralded coming from the powerhouse program of Nassau Community College (NY), a team that had run rough shod through the Long Island Vocation School Intramural Hockey circuit. Gino made his mark on the league, as well as a name for himself, with his willingness to put his body on the line and to stand up to anyone in a fight. He might not always be the most graceful on the ice, nor the best with a stick or a puck, but boy does he know how to protect his teammates.

Through the first 26 games of Season 28, it appears that the Kraken's gambit has paid off in spades. Much of their draft this past season was focused on getting their forwards up to snuff and prepared for the future, as five of the seven players they drafted were either Wings or Centers. Even the other defenseman drafted alongside Lombardo, Granny PanPan, prefers to play more like a forward, as she has made her name as a more balanced player, showing off her superior ability to pass and generally move around the ice - things that Gino aren't very gifted with.

While his total numbers through the Kraken's first half of the season might look a little pedestrian - 4 points (1 G) and a very unimpressive -9 on the +/-, Gino has still proven himself to be a very valuable member of Carolina's second line, as he has logged an average just over 18 minutes on the ice per game, as well as a very strong Defensive Rating of 75 (7th best in the league as well as highest amongst all rookies). Also in his time on the ice, Lombardo has blocked 20 shots and 26 hits. Most importantly, however, Gino has shown that he's not afraid to back up his teammates, as he has logged the second-most fights in the league (four) and has won half of them. 

One of Gino's biggest knocks against him coming out was that he just didn't have the willingness to improve himself through training or watching film, and instead relied on his raw strength and lust for violence to power through. Who can blame him? During his time with Nassau Community College, Gino got in 63 fights in 52 career games, and most of them weren't with referees, spectators, nor arresting officers! He wasn't prepared for the massive jump in talent going from the LIVSIH to the SMJHL. What Gino soon realized was that he needed a little bit of help from his new teammates.

After the second week of games when the Kraken were struggling and Gino was little more than a turnstile on the ice, he approached his fellow S58 rookie, Center Daud Ramza, to get some pointers on how to improve. Ramza helped Lombardo with his conditioning, drastically improving the Defenseman's Acceleration, Strength, and Stamina. After a few training sessions with Ramza, Gino Lombardo was soon able to combine his bravery and natural fighting talent with some actual ability to move around the ice, and has accumulated all of his four points (and three of his four fights) since his sessions with Ramza.

Every good Forward needs an Enforcer to keep them safe, and it looks like the Kraken may have found theirs.

Approved! +5 TPE @pat