— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) May 5, 2021
Update - Tyler Bertuzzi underwent back surgery. Obviously the season was spent trying to rehab vs go with the procedure. It’s a disappointment that he ended up missing the whole season and still had to have the operation Bertuzzi has surgery
Part of this feels like mismanagement. You now have to have full recovery from the surgery before you can start rehab. Getting from post op to game shape isn’t an easy road. It’s hard to believe this decision wasn’t made a bit sooner.
Detroit so far - 18-27-9
2 games remaining
My prediction from January - 19 wins
Current place - 26th
First round pick without lottery win - between 6 and 8 *Seattle will have a pick, possibly in the top 3. This could push Detroit back one more spot
This is the final stretch as Detroit players catch their breath. After a season of playing every other day more often than not, a few days to heal up a bit is more than welcome. Detroit will play their final two games of the sesason with back to back games against Columbus.
I’ve started to decompress a bit, myself. We’re going from constant games to hockey silence (as far as Detroit is concerned) in sudden fashion. Without much fanfare, the season will just be over. The draft (and the expansion draft) are the next major events. Yzerman has more than 20 expiring contracts between RFA/UFA. It will be a bit “stop and go” until what I hope will be a “normal” camp in September. Four months off seems like a breeze after last year’s 9 month hiatus.
So, to the point of today’s entry, what is a “good locker room guy?” We all have various ideas of what that means. I’m guessing 90+% of us haven’t been in a pro sports locker room as a player. (As a guest, possibly). I had the pleasure of working with a guy who played in the ECHL (plus a limited stint in the AHL) and on breaks I’d ask him to tell stories. He loved it, it was a chance to relive some of the craziness.
What hit me hard is that, on the ECHL/AHL level, guys have a lot of stress. There are career minor league guys who tend to rally the troops and calm down the room. There are guys on tryouts who are nervous and stressed out. There are guys who were sent down from the majors who are nervous and stressed out. Everyone from 18 to 38 with all the problems each of us deal with trying to live out their dreams. In those cases, the “good locker room guys” help get everyone focused. They can yell at each other, prank each other, goof around etc. Try to get in the headspace where you can play the game and not let anything hold you back for that time.
The NHL, I can’t help you there. We see glimpses, but the locker room is still sacred ground. The second a tv camera/film crew enter the premises, it’s compromised. It will be almost impossible to see the pros acting like themselves if they know it’s being watched. We’ve heard stories, for sure. Apparently Mark Messier was a really good wallstreet investor. He’d go to the trainer’s room and sit reading the financial papers (pre tablets of course). Some of the Russians in Detroit were apparently huge chess players. They would be in their own world in a battle of the minds. Soccer rituals, prank wars, extra workouts (Chelios never stopped) all signal the individual and how they prepare. But at some point, there are guys who rally the troops.
The video above shows Evgeny Svechnikov and it was an eye opener. The Russian players, at least in Detroit, weren’t usually the talkers. He’s the guy in the tunnel calling out names, slapping pads, getting guys engaged. He’s also talking on the ice. You can see him rib his younger brother a bit. You also see a guy checking on opponents. “You ok?” After a bump or a hit. He talks to his linemates, shouts directions, it’s a good bit of video.
I’ve heard since he entered the league that Evgeni is a “good guy”. He sent his signing bonus to his parents, works hard, just a good guy to be around. He’s also painfully shy during interviews at times. Hearing him chatting it up on the ice was an eye opener. This guy is plugging in and active. Some of the “mic’d up” sessions are just a bunch of grunts with an occasional, “wheel! Wheel!” Thrown in. Not all the guys on the ice are verbal. Add it to the toolbox for Svech.
I guess the reason all this stood out is that this is a player who has had a ton of adversity. Injuries have been brutal for his early career. It hasn’t derailed him at all. This year saw his best on ice shifts in the NHL (my opinion). For whatever reason, his headspace is good and he wants to rally the troops. He wants to compete.
This season felt like a big step forward for Svechnikov (and Rasmussen). They do seem more aligned with the vision moving forward. whichever role they end up playing, it’s been a lot of hard work and back and forth to Grand Rapids. That can cause other guys to shut down. The saying, “as hard as it is to make the NHL, it’s that much harder to stay” comes up every year. Svechnikov has shown many different sides in this shortened but important season. He certainly seems to be a “good guy in the room”. He hasn’t let adversity define his career, he’s allowed it to strengthen him. That’s the guy you want in the room when things aren’t going well. He knows how to keep getting up.
Let me know your thoughts. Were you surprised at all with the footage? Do you think Svechnikov has grabbed a spot? I’ll see you in the comments.
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