D’Orio ‘grew up a lot’ through adversity

CRANBERRY, Pa. -- Goaltender Alex D'Orio's final year of junior hockey in the QMJHL was a valuable learning experience.

D'Orio, 20, began the season with the Saint John Sea Dogs, a very young team in a rebuilding stage. At the time, D'Orio was the only player on the roster who was the prospect of an NHL team. He was facing the most shots of any goaltender in the league, seeing an average of 38.8 shots per game. Those were quality shots, too, and he led the league in high-danger shots faced.

Despite the high shot volume, D'Orio performed well under the pressure. The stat line (5-20 record, 4.48 goals-against average, .883 save percentage) won't reflect that, though. D'Orio had to be strong…