Staff file photo / Brian Yauger Phantoms forward Jamison Sluys carries the puck up the ice during Friday’s game against Dubuque. Sluys recorded 4 assists in the victory.

Upon being traded from Omaha to Youngstown in early December, Phantoms forward Jamison Sluys has mentioned playing “meaningful hockey” as one thing he’s thrilled about.

With 14 games under his belt since the trade, all of which have been against teams in the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference, it’s safe to say Sluys has gotten what he’s asked for. In those games, he’s delivered.

With Youngstown, Sluys has 18 points (8 goals, 10 assists), including a 4-assist night last Friday against Dubuque.

While he immediately put against some of the league’s top teams right away, Sluys was happy to do it.

“I think the first weekend playing against Muskegon, it was two of the big dogs in the league right now going head-to-head. I was thrown right into the fire, and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way,” Sluys said. “They’re a hell of a team. We’re a hell of a team. We’ve been short guys since I’ve been here, just with the World Junior A’s and (goaltender Melvin Strahl) with the World Juniors, and few injuries and sicknesses here and there. … I thought we fared well. We dominated some games, and some games, maybe we didn’t give it our best, or we did and still didn’t win. But it’s been great. And I thought we fared pretty well. I think obviously we could do better. You want to come away with sweeps every weekend, but realistically, it’s hard. It’s hard to sweep in this league, especially consistently.”

Omaha has had multiple turbulent seasons over the last couple of years, so going from there to Youngstown, during what’s expected to be another trip to the postseason, was kind of jarring for the young forward.

“When I first got here, it was just like an eye-opener,” Sluys said. “Holy cow. Everyone on the team, from top to bottom, is so good. Any guy can take over a game on any given day. I think that’s one of the things, when I saw it, I was like, ‘Yeah. This team is gonna have a really good chance.’ I’ve just been excited to be a part of it and be able to produce the way I have to help this team win. It’s felt good, obviously, and it’s even better when we come out with wins.”

Hockey has been a part of Sluys’ life for as long as he can remember. The Western Michigan commit comes from a hockey background, with uncles Jake and Jed Ortmeyer both playing hockey. The former played at the University of Miami with Phantoms’ co-GM Jason Deskins, and the latter is currently the head of player development for the New York Rangers after an eight-year NHL career.

As he’s grown, Sluys has taken to one of the NHL’s stars as an inspiration for his game. The 5-foot-10-inch forward likens his game to that of Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand. Known for his grit as much as his skill, Marchand is a difference-maker whether he’s scoring or not, exactly what Sluys wants to be for Youngstown.

“Growing up I was a huge Patrick Kane fan, but the guy I really tried to model my game after was Brad Marchand,” he said. “Just a guy who obviously has unreal skill, but he’s also gritty. He likes to get in and do the dirty work. The biggest thing for me was he was one of those guys where he’s obviously a top-six guy, but if he’s not producing, or he’s going through slumps or whatever, he’s one of those guys where it doesn’t matter where you put it in the lineup, doesn’t matter what position he’s playing, he’s gonna go in and work his bag off.

“That’s something I try to bring to the table every time I step on the ice, and what I’m trying to bring to Youngstown. If I can be just a shade of Brad Marchand, I think that that helps us, and that helps me (grow as a player).”

Sluys and the Phantoms are back at it again this weekend when they host the US National Team Development Program for a two-game set on Friday and Saturday.

Start time is set for 7:05 p.m. Friday.