“I think that leadership has to evolve and you have to see how others on the team react to the lead that is taken by some of the veterans or even newcomers that really want to take the bull by the horns and steer this team in the right direction,” said head coach Mark Morris.
With just two practices with his team under his belt, Morris and the players are still getting acclimated to each other. But even early, Morris has spotted some progress.
“I’m still getting to know the players a bit, so all I can go on is what I’ve heard from other people that have been associated with the organization,” said Morris. “Little by little I’m starting to see the veterans taking a step forward, which is exactly what you want to see as a new personality coming into an organization.”
The Checkers will again have a lot of youth in your lineup this season, but have added a healthy dose of veteran experience to help the team. Bringing forward Kyle Hagel back into the fold will certainly help fill that leadership spot. Young players like Trevor Carrick and Brock McGinn mentioned numerous times throughout last season that Hagel had taken them under his wing and helped them transition into the pro game. He appears to be continuing that trend this year, mentioning that he is currently rooming with rookie defenseman Tyler Ganly. Having a positive veteran influence to look up to like that is a definite plus for the squad.
“Everybody has to have role models and guys that set the bar and tell guys what’s acceptable and what isn’t acceptable,” said Morris. “I think it’s important to have goals, and if your best players are walking the walk it’s easy to follow. The whole key to having veteran players around is making sure that nobody’s taking shortcuts. I think when the veterans are inclusive of the newcomers and get them squared away and teach them the do’s and don’ts of pro hockey, you quickly evolve.”
With Michal Jordan likely cemented in Carolina with a one-way contract, the Checkers are poised to have their third captain in three years. Additionally, Greg Nemisz, Ben Holmstrom and Chad LaRose, all of whom served as alternate captains last season, are gone, ushering in the opportunity for a whole new slate of captains. While there doesn’t appear to be any sure-fire locks to wear letters, there are some interesting candidates.
Jordan was the longest-tenured Checker on the team when he was named captain at the start of last season. This year, Zach Boychuk, Rasmus Rissanen or Justin Shugg would fill that role. All three have a strong familiarity with the organization, though with a new coach that may be less of a qualifier.
The team could also go the veteran route. T.J. Hensick is one of the most experienced pros, especially at this level, but as a newcomer it would seem the deck is stacked against him. Then again, Ben Holmstrom earned a letter in his first season in Charlotte, so it’s not out of the question. There’s also Hagel, who is probably the closest thing to a lock to wear a letter on the team in terms of leadership, though it’s fairly rare to see a player in his bottom-six role be named captain.
There are even some younger players that could be ready to take on a captain role. Danny Biega is going into just his third pro season, but has emerged as a leader on a very young blue line, while players like Brody Sutter and Brendan Woods have taken on bigger roles recently and could contend for a letter.
There’s still a lot of camp left for the coaching staff to make their decisions on captains, but in the end it is the leadership that will strengthen the team, regardless of letter.
“Ultimately, any good team that has success has great leadership from within the group,” said head coach Mark Morris. “I’m anxious to see how that unfolds.”
Some other news and notes from today:
Tolchinsky Injury
Rookie forward Sergey Tolchinsky left the ice midway through Tuesday’s practice and did not return, nor did he participate Wednesday.Morris didn’t have much to offer in terms of information regarding the 20-year-old’s injury.
“I did talk to him today and it’s just for precautionary reasons,” said Morris following Wednesday’s practice. “I haven’t talked to the medical staff yet.”
The good news is that this happened early in camp, giving Tolchinsky some time to recover before the regular season begins, though missing training camp practices your rookie season isn’t ideal. The thing to watch here will be whether Tolchinsky can come back and perform the way he did in junior and in prospect camp at the AHL level against much bigger and more developed competition.
Chelios Get Acquainted
As is normally the case with training camps, there were new faces all over the ice during the Checkers’ first two practices. One of the more notable ones is defenseman Jake Chelios.The 24-year-old, who signed a one-way AHL deal with the Checkers this summer, has spent the last few months getting acclimated with the Carolina organization, participating in informal skates and Canes camp. That sequence of events has helped him enter Checkers training camp fully prepared.
“It’s huge,” said Chelios of spending time at NHL camp. “Just because you do spend a lot of time over the summer kind of getting out of the swing of things. Just to be able to go to the highest level camp and get back in the swing of things is really helpful. I didn’t get a chance to do that last year because I was hurt at prospects camp, so this year I thought I should take it in. It’s good because they run the same systems down here.”
Chelios, the son of Hall of Famer Chris Chelios, spent his rookie season last year with the Chicago Wolves, ranking second among team blue liners with 14 assists. The 6-foot-2 Michigan State product will now look to bring his offensive flair to the Checkers lineup.
“For the most part I try to be a two-way defenseman,” said Chelios. “I used to be a forward so I try to bring as much offense as I can, and I know the Hurricanes want that. They want their defensemen joining the play and helping to contribute offensively.”
Charlotte’s blue line has become increasingly crowded as the Hurricanes stockpile defensive prospects, so Chelios will have his work cut out for him to crack the lineup, though his one-way AHL deal makes him more likely to stay with the Checkers as opposed to others who could be sent to the ECHL. Either way, Chelios is quickly becoming acclimated with his new teammates.
“It’s awesome for me,” said Chelios of the youth in the Checkers’ locker room. “This is a younger team and there are a lot more guys that I can relate to. They are close already, which is good because they have no problem helping me out and getting me acquainted.”
