Who Is Bobby Farnham?

Last night’s victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning has many Pittsburgh Penguins supporters asking “Who is Bobby Farnham?”  Who is this guy that never slows down for a second while he is on the ice?  Who is this guy who wants nothing more than to bang bodies in the corner?  Who is this guy that has endless energy?

All these questions come after a game in which not one but two of Farnham’s Wilkes-Barre Scranton teammates scored their first NHL goals (congratulations to Bryan Rust and Brian Dumoulin).  In order to overcome those two great story lines, people must really want to know: who is this Farnham guy?

As it turns out, Farnham is more than a run-of-the-mill AHL-er.  The 24-year-old from North Andover, Massachusetts has his degree in Commerce, Organizations and Entrepreneurship  from Brown University, where he played four years of collegiate hockey for the Brown Bears.  Despite his relentless style, Farnham did slow down long enough to be selected to the ECAC Hockey Honor Roll in 2010-2011.

My point being?  Bobby Farnham is more than just a human cannon ball. He has smarts.

Perhaps Farnham can spend some time net-working with fellow Ivy-Leaguer and Harvard man Craig Adams before returning to Wilkes-Barre.  However, Adams might have to battle Steve Downie for mentor status.

At the AHL level, the statistic that stands out most with Bobby Farnham is his penalty minutes. With only one goal and three assists with the WBS Penguins, Farnham is underwhelming from an offensive perspective.

However, Farnham has an astounding 113 PIMs. That is enough for second in the entire American Hockey League. This high PIM figure is indicative of a guy who has shown time-and-again that he is willing to stand up for his teammates. A little Downie-esque, wouldn’t you say?

Regardless of whether Farnham and Downie become a real set of “Bash Brothers” or Farnham Yo-Yos between Pittsburgh and Wilkes-Barre, he clearly has every intention of making his presence known.

The question remains: how much can be gleaned from a stand-out effort performance, an Ivy league background, and an endorsement from Steven Downie?

The answer at this point: not much.  However, as Penguin injuries persist, the likelihood is that Farnham’s sample size with respect to games played will increase.  As Farnham gets more playing time, the coaching staff, the front office, and the Penguins fan base will have an opportunity to better evaluate his play.

Sit back and enjoy.