If you had to name candidates for the “breakout player of the year” for the Stockton Heat, there’s a lot of good ones. Andrew Mangiapane established himself as an elite force in the league at age 21. Ditto for Rasmus Andersson and Oliver Kylington. There’s a handful of players who stepped up and had big seasons this year.
But Brett Pollock might also have a strong case. The winger spent his rookie season in the ECHL putting up middling numbers, which is usually a dead end for a prospect. After a rough start to the season, Pollock exploded to become one of the Heat’s more consistent players.