Unlike most young players who merely mouth the well-worn mantra, Mike Ratchuk knows his recent second-round selection by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2006 Entry Draft means very little going forward.
He intrinsically understands that he must now make the most of the opportunity presented to him if he hopes to chase down his childhood dream of playing in the NHL.
Ratchuk, who hails from the hockey hotbed of Buffalo, N.Y., already has seen the sometimes cruel whims of the hockey gods up close and personal. He has learned not to take the hockey gifts he has been given lightly. You see, his older brother, Peter, once stood at the career precipice that Mike Ratchuk presently finds himself.
Peter Ratchuk, 10 years Mike's senior, was a first-round choice of the Colorado Avalanche in the 1996 Entry Draft. At the time, Peter had the hockey world at his feet as one of the game's top prospects, a slick-skating, point-producing defenseman who was considered a can't-miss prospect by many.
Somehow, though, Peter Ratchuk did miss delivering on the potential forecast for him. He made his NHL debut during the 1998-99 season, playing 24 games for the Florida Panthers, but was quickly returned to the minors, stopping in not-so-exotic hockey locales like New Haven, Conn., and Louisville. Another eight-game cup-of-coffee stop with the Panthers in 2000-01 was followed by stops in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pa., and Rochester, N.Y.
Sensing his NHL options were severely limited at that point, Peter traveled overseas to begin a three-year odyssey through Germany's top professional league. This fall, the older Ratchuk will attempt to catch on with the Minnesota Wild, having recently signed a two-way contract.
Mike Ratchuk has watched all these developments intently, cataloguing the pain and frustration of his older brother's attempts to stick in the NHL. He also has listened raptly to the hard-earned advice dispensed by Peter.
"I've taken a lot of advice from him," Mike Ratchuk admits. "He's always tried to prepare for that stuff. You know, don't expect too much, too soon and stuff like that. I'd like to think I'm better prepared for (the business side of hockey) because of it."
Still, Peter remains Mike's inspiration.
"I learned the game from him," Mike says. "I watched him play the game religiously since I was little, so that's why I have kind of developed the style of play he plays, because I watched him so closely. He's definitely a resource for me. I still, to this day, love to watch him play."
The similarities between the brothers is startling. As mentioned, Peter was a smooth-skating, point-producer from the outset. He had 54 points with the Hull Olympiques of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League the year before he turned pro. In 2001-02, he put up 39 points for the Baby Penguins. In Europe, he averaged 38 points during his three seasons in the DEL.
Mike, at 5-10, 175 pounds, is three inches shorter and 10 pounds lighter than his older brother, but possesses the same offensive-zone instincts.
Last season, Ratchuk had 11 goals and 15 assists for the United States National Developmental Team's U-18 squad. He helped lead that U-18 team to a gold medal at the U-18 World Championships. This summer, he is one 16 defensemen at USA Hockey's National Junior Evaluation Camp, competing for a spot on the team that will play at this winter's World Junior Championships in Sweden.
At the evaluation camp, his already impressive offensive skills are being further honed through on-ice instruction from former NHL defenseman Phil Housley, who forged a memorable career during a 21-season NHL tenure with eight different teams.
"When he talks, I tend to listen a little bit more because his style of play is like my style," Ratchuk said. "He was at the World Championships in April (serving as a radio analyst). That's when I first met him. He's been a great help to me."
Already schooled in the potentially hard-knock life of a drafted player, Mike Ratchuk knows his tenure with the Flyers, if it happens, is likely a few seasons away. This fall, he reports to Michigan State to continue his development toward that ultimate goal.
Ratchuk believes the collegiate game can only help him continue to refine the skills that already make him a valued prospect; plus it is a step he has been looking forward to making since he was a youngster. College hockey always has been on Ratchuk's to-do list, he insists.
"I've always wanted to play college hockey since I was little," he says. "Obviously, my goal is to play in the NHL, that is what I have worked toward my whole life. I'm going to Michigan State this year, and we'll see what happens from there."
So, why the Spartans?
"Everything fit," he explained. "There was nothing wrong with it. The campus was gorgeous, the rink was beautiful, I knew I would fit into their roster well and it's a great bunch of guys. The coaches were great. Everything about it was perfect."
And, he knows that while he is in East Lansing, Mich., the pro game will continue to evolve to more fit his style. As NHL teams come to grips with the new interpretation of the rules -- designed to introduce more skating and offensive play -- strong-skating, offensive-minded defensemen will be even more coveted than they already are now.
That is a realization that dawned on Ratchuk this season as he watched NHL games, but it is also a fact that he refuses to take for granted.
"For me, it wasn't even a thing right away of me thinking about myself," Ratchuk said. "For me, it was just so exciting to watch the game. I watched a lot more NHL games this year than I probably ever have because of how much fun it was to watch.
"Absolutely, though, I couldn't help but think about how much it's hopefully going to better my chances of being able to play in the NHL one day because that is the style of play the rules encourage now and that's the style I have always played."
http://www.nhl.com/features/system/ratchuk081406.html
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Michael Ratchuk 
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