Penguins had a common appeal to Drew O'Connor, Cam Lee

Drew O’Connor was a long shot to get here.

Even he thought so.

At a modest 5-foot-9 — by his estimates — after graduation from high school, O’Connor’s prospects for playing Division I hockey were, like him, small.

He thought he might have to settle for playing for a Division III school or even for a college’s club team.

But over the past three years, he grew to a stout 6-3, and today, he has an NHL contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

“I was pretty small until a little while I was a late bloomer for sure,” said O’Connor, 21. “I did grow pretty late. I think its kind helped me. Growing into my body has been helpful.”

The Penguins signed O’Connor last week after the conclusion of his sophomore season at Dartmouth. Undrafted, O’Connor was the team’s leading scorer with 33 points (21 goals, 12 assists). He also led the Big Green with 42 penalty minutes.

(Video courtesy Dartmouth University)

At 200 pounds, O’Connor, who signed a two-year entry-level contract which begins next season — whenever that might be — projects to be a power forward at the NHL level.

The native of Chatham, N.J., underwent a fairly rapid development in his two seasons at Dartmouth as well as one season with the Boston Junior Bruins of the National Collegiate Development Conference.

“My plan, what I always wanted to do, was obviously to play (Division I) hockey,” O’Connor said in a conference call with media Friday. “There was probably a certain point like around end of high school or the first year of playing out of high school, it didn’t seem like that opportunity was available. I just picked up where I can. I was able to get that opportunity. Dartmouth was a great place for me to go. They helped me a lot with my development. I was very fortunate to go to Dartmouth and play at a high level.”

“Drew was the best player on the ice every game we played this season,” said former Penguins defenseman Ben Lovejoy, a volunteer coach at Dartmouth, his alma mater, this season. “He’s fast, big, skates very well and can finish. Excellent skating through the neutral zone with the puck.”

When O’Connor actually plays at the next level remains to be seen. With the NHL on an indefinite pause because of the coronavirus pandemic that has shut down so many walks of life around the globe, O’Connor, like any hockey player on earth, is in a bit of a holding pattern.

He was expected to sign an amateur tryout agreement with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League to finish this season, but that league is also on hold.

“It’s kind of crazy because it was only like a week ago that I was planning on getting ready to go to Wilkes-Barre,” O’Connor said. “For now, I’m just trying to do some stuff at home to try to try and stay in shape and keeping up with stuff like that is all I can do for now.”

Also in limbo is Cam Lee, a slick 6-foot, 183-pound waterbug of an offensive defenseman the Penguins signed to a two-year entry-level contract that begins next season.

His senior season at Western Michigan was cut short because of the ongoing crisis.

“It (stunk) that my senior year to end like that,” said Lee, also undrafted. “But obviously it’s for a good reason. Everyone needs to be safe and do as we’re told. It was a big roller-coaster. My final year as a Bronco, it’s emotional and all. But taking this next step is huge. I’m excited to get started with it.”

Lee, 23, isn’t entirely new to the Penguins. He was a nonroster invitee to the team’s development camp last summer.

And, oh yeah. He has worked out in the offseason with a fellow Nova Scotian by the name of Sidney Crosby.

Ferguson hales from Fergusons Cove, across Halifax Harbour from Crosby’s town of Cole Harbour.

“He’s a hometown hero,” Lee said. “I skate with him in summers. I remember the first time, I was probably in high school. He’s an awesome guy. He did reach out to me after seeing I did sign with the Penguins. He just said congratulations and said make sure you’re staying safe with (the ongoing epidemic).”

O’Connor and Lee are becoming professionals and joining the Penguins at an uncertain time. But one universal certainty is how they arrived here.

The Penguins’ recent success with undrafted college free agents such as forwards Conor Sheary and Zach Aston-Reese, or even college draftees such as forward Bryan Rust and John Marino, was a major selling point.

“They’ve been good with college players and developing players,” Lee said. “That’s a big thing.

“A big part of it, joining the Penguins, was the history with college free agents and college players in general,” O’Connor said. “The success they’ve had with those players and how they’ve developed them, I think that was a main selling point for me for sure.”

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