By / Ryan Ohashi
The roar of approval from the 3500 plus at the ENMAX Centre last Tuesday should have been enough, but in case you hadn’t heard, Zach Boychuk is back in a Hurricanes uniform. The 14th overall pick in the 2008 NHL Draft was returned by the Carolina Hurricanes just in time for Lethbridge’s 6-1 Tuesday night drubbing of the Prince George Cougars. Due to his well-documented wrist surgery, Boychuk arrived in Carolina in late September just hoping to make a showing at his first pro camp. But instead, he returns home after nearly a month away, having signed an NHL entry level contract and with a pair of NHL games under his belt.
“Just going down there I was expecting to be there for a week or two and just be cleared to play and come back to Lethbridge but I ended up being cleared by the doctor’s right when I got there” said Boychuk. “From there I got to skate in some practices and I think they were impressed with what they saw as they signed me, kept me around and even got me into my first National Hockey League games.”
“Playing my first game in L.A…it was fast. I remember my first shift, the crowd was just roaring and the Staples Center is such a big building. I actually ended up getting scored on about ten seconds into my first shift, I had five months off from the playoffs to my first game and I didn’t really get a training camp and pre-season games like everybody else,” said Boychuk. “But just going in there and starting right on the first line with [Rod] Brind’amour and [Sergei] Samsonov was pretty cool and I was just trying to keep up with them, but it was a great experience for my first NHL game.”
Boychuk prides himself on being one of the best conditioned and prepared athletes in the Hurricanes locker room. This strength of character not only contributed to his speedy recovery, but was reinforced by his experience in the big league hanging with NHL calibre players.
“Just the work ethic that guys put in, they are there two hours before practice, guys like Rod Brind’amour, you know the guy is 38-years-old and he is still the hardest working guy out there,” said Boychuk, who was able to win the 2007 Hurricanes Fittest Veteran award during training camp despite his injury. “Just to bring that work ethic and the experience I had with those veterans – I hope I can be a leader and contribute like that on this team.”
“They learn a lot from some of the older guys they play with and watch in the NHL, as far as how hard those guys work and how committed they are to being professionals.” said ‘Canes head coach Michael Dyck. “That then carries over from them coming back to acting that way here with some of our younger guys that’s how you establish a tradition.”
Boychuk now enters the WHL season as a 19-year-old player in what is widely regarded as a 19-year-old’s league. After leading his age group in points the past two seasons, representing Canada at the U-18, and U-20 level, then leading all WHL skaters with 13 goals in the ‘Canes 2008 WHL playoff run before becoming a first round NHL Draft pick, it would seem that there isn’t much left that Boychuk hasn’t done at the Junior level. And yet his nature does not allow him to rest on his accomplishments.
“I don’t know if we can expect him to raise his game. I think he has raised it and he plays at a very high level,” said Coach Dyck. “He’s a 19-year-old now and he’ll be playing against guys his age and younger we think he is going to dominate. But he can’t do it on his own, he’s got to fit within the parameters of what we do as a team.”
“I want to use this year to make another run into the playoffs, we want to win a Memorial Cup, that’s been our goal every since I’ve been here and I think we are going to have that opportunity. We have a lot of guys back and I think we are going to be a very good team this year.” said Boychuk. “Personally, I want to be the best player on the ice every night. I want to be the best player in the league and I want to play for a gold medal with the World Juniors again.”
And if history repeats itself, Zach Boychuk will not be one to disappoint. |
