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eligibility still remaining] then we’ve got some good prospects. “We allow these kids to finish up their year, let them discuss it with their advisors. We’re really, from top to bottom, a collegetype organization. We really have a lot of value with the college route.” Fitzgerald refers to college prospects as “marathoners.” Some, such as Beau Bennett, hit the finish line after just two college seasons. But early exits aren’t a prerequisite from the Penguins’ perspective. “There’s no rush,” Fitzgerald said. “That’s the idea when we go after college kids. They have the time to get bigger, to get stronger, play against older guys. “You gotta think a little quicker when you have the puck at the college level because your time and space is taken away. It’s a lot of zing, zing, go, go, hit, hit, hit. You get the puck, somebody’s in your face. There’s not much time and space out there. “It’s an adrenalin rush on a Friday night. Saturday night is usually a little bit slower but they rev it right back up. To me, there’s a lot of value in that. You have to make decisions quickly with the puck, when to hold onto it, when to move it, when to give-and-go, when to go to the net. You always have to keep your feet moving. “The college process allows them to really speed up their thought process, their hands, their feet, all aspects of their game. It allows guys to grow their mental part of the game as their body grows. It’s just getting the legs to catch up to the mind, strengthwise. That’s what college hockey allows for these kids.”
COMING SOON:
A look at the rest of the Penguins’ college prospects in 2013-14.
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