If anyone were to embody Rick Tocchet's motto of "Scratchin’ and Clawin," it would be Sean Dhooghe.

Dhooghe, an undrafted 5-foot-3 winger, put up big numbers in his second season of NCAA Division I hockey at Wisconsin, where he led the team with 15 goals and finished tied for the lead in points (26) in 37 games.

His invitation to the Coyotes' annual prospect development camp at Gila River Arena was earned.

"The fact that someone is willing to give me an opportunity, willing to give me a chance and a fair shake really means a lot to me," Dhooghe said.

Dhooghe, a 20-year-old native of Aurora, Ill., came through the Chicago Mission youth program, the same syndicate that produced current Coyotes forwards Christian Fischer, Christian Dvorak, Vinnie Hinostroza and Nick Schmaltz.

In his three seasons with the Mission, Dhooghe had 116 points in 54 games.

He also was part of the U.S. National Team Development Program for two seasons, where he played with Coyotes forward Clayton Keller and Ty Emberson, a 2018 draft pick, who is also attending the camp and is teammates with Dhooghe at Wisconsin.

When Emberson first saw Dhooghe, Emberson said he was shorter than he expected. But Dhooghe had to be due for a growth spurt at some point, right?

“He never (grew)," Emberson said, "but that’s kind of a joke we have now. He’s proved people wrong every day and at every level so he’s going to continue to keep doing that.”

The two teammates have enjoyed working together at Coyotes camp, though they were in different groups on Tuesday morning.

What catches people’s attention about Dhooghe is his self-described “gritty” playing style and ability to play bigger than the tape measure. He thrives near the goal crease, sacrificing himself for scoring opportunities.

“I’m 5-foot-3," Dhooghe said, "but I like to play like I’m 6-foot-3."

The size of his opponent doesn't matter to Dhooghe. In his freshman season he stood his ground against Penn State’s 6-foot-7 forward Nikita Pavlychev, who initiated contact with Dhooghe outside of the face-off circle where the two exchanged shoves.

“He doesn’t play like he’s 5-3," Emberson verified. "He goes in the corners against guys that are 6-3, 6-4, and he plays in front of the net. He plays a hard game and I think that game will translate into the next level as long as he keeps working.”

During on-ice sessions Tuesday in Glendale, Dhooghe maintained possession in scrimmages and held off defenders to find the back of the net. Dhooghe felt as though it earned him respect among his peers.

“I think a couple of guys look at (my height) as pretty comical at first until they see what I can bring," Dhooghe said. “I like to get in guys’ heads and get in their face a little bit.”

While his ability to work near the net and the corners is praised by teammates, there are still naysayers.

“I want to prove those people wrong more than I want to prove myself right," Dhooghe said. "That's really what it’s come down to. Ever since I was 10 years old, there’s always people or parents or fans that just wouldn’t give me a fair shake or said there’s no way.

"That really drives me and makes me want to succeed even more.”

The good thing for Dhooghe is the NHL's current trend toward a faster and more skilled game. If he were to make an NHL roster, he would become the shortest player in history since goaltender Roy Worters in 1937.

The shortest active player is 5-foot-7 Chicago Blackhawks forward Alex DeBrincat.

Adversity and resilience isn’t new to Dhooghe; it’s the story of his entire hockey career. He’s already played in the NCAA as a true freshman and produced in the Big 10, two tough accomplishments.

“I think regardless of your size or whatever," Dhooghe said, "your resilience is the key to success in this game today."

His ability to connect with teammates like Emberson, another true freshman, earned Dhooghe an ‘A’ on his sweater for next season.

“He was always a good friend to me if I was having a bad game," Emberson said. "If I wanted to talk to someone about something, he was always there."

Dhooghe's character and production could earn him an NHL contract at the conclusion of his collegiate career, but Dhooghe knows most talent evaluators are still against him.

“There’s still some people that are not willing to support or just don’t think that I have a chance and that’s fine,” Dhooghe said.

“One day I’ll be laughing at them.”

Red-White scrimmage, Town Hall

The Coyotes will conclude this week's prospect development camp with an intra-squad game at 7 p.m. Friday at Gila River Arena.

Prior to the game, the Coyotes will conduct a Town Hall event for fans with President and CEO Ahron Cohen and President of Hockey Operations and GM John Chayka at the Renaissance Hotel from 5-6 p.m.

Both events are free and open to the public.

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What we learned from the first day of camp