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Summer catch-up with Whaler alums
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While most of the present Whalers are taking some well-earned time off to rest and recharge for the 2009-10, mid-July is the right time to catch up with Whaler alum involved with National Hockey League Free Agency:
WISNIEWSKI RE-SIGNS WITH ANAHEIM: Former Plymouth captain James Wisniewski re-signed with the Anaheim Ducks for one season. Wisniewski – from Canton who played with the Whalers from 2000-04 – is the highest scoring defenseman in Plymouth history with 52 goals and 135 assists for 187 points in 217 regular season games.
He was acquired by the Ducks from Chicago at the NHL Trade Deadline and faced the Red Wings in the Western Conference semi-finals. Wisniewski spoke with Ducks.com
On signing the new deal
It’s sometimes rough going off a whole bunch of one-year deals. I can understand where Bob (Murray) and the Ducks are coming from. They want to see me play a full season of injury-free hockey. That is what I have to do and then hopefully I can become a Duck for a long time after that.
On avoiding arbitration
You always want to come to an agreement and not have a middle party do that for you. It just shows confidence in yourself and confidence the organization has in you to be able to come up with an agreement that seems fair. You go from there. There are no hard feelings are anything like that.
On the Ducks’ current defense
I just look at it like more ice time for me. Obviously, losing a Hall-of-Famer in Chris Pronger, who is a leader and a Stanley Cup winner, it’s going to be a big blow. But getting a 25-goal scorer in Joffrey Lupul and a young defenseman, I think that is where the Ducks are coming from right now. It’s not really a rebuilding year, but starting fresh with some new guys and new, young talent. Losing Francois Beauchemin, who was a big part of the Stanley Cup run, that can happen when you become an unrestricted free agent. You want to stay with the team that you came up with, but sometimes it’s a little bit of business and you have to go where it’s going to help your family.
I think me coming into my fifth year, Whitney coming into his fifth, sixth year, Scott Niedermayer who can skate all day long, signing a veteran defenseman in Nick Boynton, Sheldon Brookbank, Luca Sbisa, Brendan Mikkelson, Brett Festerling, you have a lot of guys back there that I think are ready to make the jump and ready to take on the challenges.
On what he likes most about the team going into next season
You have to look at our goaltending. People might questions our defense, but I would have to beg to differ. All six d-men can skate and move the puck. You have four great lines up front. We have two absolutely fantastic scoring lines, a great checking line and a grinding line. That is exactly what you need to win championships. You’re always looking to win the Stanley Cup every year. That is the goal for everybody. I think the organization has put it into our hands and given us the tools to do so.
On his comfort level coming to Anaheim last season at the trade deadline
Coming over for Samuel Pahlsson, I think Anaheim saw something in me that Chicago lacked. Right away they put me with Scott Niedermayer, a future Hall-of-Famer. That was a big step and an honor. They looked at me right away to come up and play big, important minutes. When a team does that to you, you just feed off that and you generate the confidence that you have to play and why you made it there. It was really exciting to come and be a part of a team coming from 12th place to make the playoffs, then knocking out San Jose and taking Detroit to a Game 7. It was quite an accomplishment and really fun to be a part of. I’m glad I can come back for at least one more year.
On his past injuries
It’s never had anything to do with how good I’ve been in shape. I’ve always come into Chicago’s camp in the top five in the fitness training and the test. I think it’s just more of bad luck. The first injury was when I was 18. It was a fluke thing in Slovakia playing with the USA team. The second one, it was the same thing. The third one was due to a fight where I stepped on a stick. You can’t help that. That is not saying my knees are bad. You step on a stick and slightly tear it. I was in the offseason training with the Blackhawks trainer and doing an exercise that I probably shouldn’t have been doing, I fell wrong on my knee and it popped again. I’m of the opinion that all bad things happen in three and hopefully I’m done with mine. Last year after coming back, I played 64 games injury free, except the puck to the lung. That again was another fluke instance. I was pretty much healthy when I got back into the lineup.
It’s sometimes rough going off a whole bunch of one-year deals. I can understand where Bob (Murray) and the Ducks are coming from. They want to see me play a full season of injury-free hockey. That is what I have to do and then hopefully I can become a Duck for a long time after that.
On avoiding arbitration
You always want to come to an agreement and not have a middle party do that for you. It just shows confidence in yourself and confidence the organization has in you to be able to come up with an agreement that seems fair. You go from there. There are no hard feelings are anything like that.
On the Ducks’ current defense
I just look at it like more ice time for me. Obviously, losing a Hall-of-Famer in Chris Pronger, who is a leader and a Stanley Cup winner, it’s going to be a big blow. But getting a 25-goal scorer in Joffrey Lupul and a young defenseman, I think that is where the Ducks are coming from right now. It’s not really a rebuilding year, but starting fresh with some new guys and new, young talent. Losing Francois Beauchemin, who was a big part of the Stanley Cup run, that can happen when you become an unrestricted free agent. You want to stay with the team that you came up with, but sometimes it’s a little bit of business and you have to go where it’s going to help your family.
I think me coming into my fifth year, Whitney coming into his fifth, sixth year, Scott Niedermayer who can skate all day long, signing a veteran defenseman in Nick Boynton, Sheldon Brookbank, Luca Sbisa, Brendan Mikkelson, Brett Festerling, you have a lot of guys back there that I think are ready to make the jump and ready to take on the challenges.
On what he likes most about the team going into next season
You have to look at our goaltending. People might questions our defense, but I would have to beg to differ. All six d-men can skate and move the puck. You have four great lines up front. We have two absolutely fantastic scoring lines, a great checking line and a grinding line. That is exactly what you need to win championships. You’re always looking to win the Stanley Cup every year. That is the goal for everybody. I think the organization has put it into our hands and given us the tools to do so.
On his comfort level coming to Anaheim last season at the trade deadline
Coming over for Samuel Pahlsson, I think Anaheim saw something in me that Chicago lacked. Right away they put me with Scott Niedermayer, a future Hall-of-Famer. That was a big step and an honor. They looked at me right away to come up and play big, important minutes. When a team does that to you, you just feed off that and you generate the confidence that you have to play and why you made it there. It was really exciting to come and be a part of a team coming from 12th place to make the playoffs, then knocking out San Jose and taking Detroit to a Game 7. It was quite an accomplishment and really fun to be a part of. I’m glad I can come back for at least one more year.
On his past injuries
It’s never had anything to do with how good I’ve been in shape. I’ve always come into Chicago’s camp in the top five in the fitness training and the test. I think it’s just more of bad luck. The first injury was when I was 18. It was a fluke thing in Slovakia playing with the USA team. The second one, it was the same thing. The third one was due to a fight where I stepped on a stick. You can’t help that. That is not saying my knees are bad. You step on a stick and slightly tear it. I was in the offseason training with the Blackhawks trainer and doing an exercise that I probably shouldn’t have been doing, I fell wrong on my knee and it popped again. I’m of the opinion that all bad things happen in three and hopefully I’m done with mine. Last year after coming back, I played 64 games injury free, except the puck to the lung. That again was another fluke instance. I was pretty much healthy when I got back into the lineup.
LIFFITON BACK IN NORTH AMERICA: Windsor-native and one-time Whalers defenseman David Liffiton (2001-04) has resurfaced after signing with the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League. After playing with the New York Rangers and in their system from 2004-08, Liffiton played in Denmark last season.
In all, Liffiton played in three games with the Rangers. He recently spoke with Syracuse.com:
His style of play: "I take care of my own end first. I like to finish my hits, clear my net front. Shutting down a team's top line, killing penalties, protecting a lead in the last couple of minutes, that's my bread and butter there. My last little while in Hartford (two years ago) I was battling through some injuries. But I do think I have more offensive upside than some people give me credit for.''
His shot, which has been timed in the mid-90s: "My grandpa gave me a tractor tarp from the farm. I threw it up on a clothesline. I'd shoot off a piece of plywood in the backyard. I'd always shoot a couple of buckets of pucks after school.''
Playing in Denmark last season: "I had wrist surgery last summer. I wasn't cleared to play until November. I wanted to let it heal up. Over there, I was playing 25-30 minutes a night, allowed myself to get healthy because it's not as physical over there as it is here. It was a great experience, but I'm glad to be back over here and be with an organization that's on the way up.''
LaROSE STAYS WITH HURRICANES, THORBURN RE-SIGNS WITH ATLANTA: Two other Whaler alumni from the early part of the decade re-signed with their NHL teams.
Fraser-native Chad LaRose (2000-03) re-upped with the Carolina Hurricanes after enjoying the best offensive year in his NHL career. LaRose, 27, established career highs in games played (81), goals (19) and points (31), and matched his career-best in assists (12) in 2008-09.
“Chad has grown into a key player for our franchise,” said Carolina President and General Manager Jim Rutherford. “He had his best year last season and is an important penalty killer and popular player in our locker room and with our fans.”
Another Whaler alum – goaltender Justin Peters (2005-06) – also re-signed with Carolina.
Like LaRose, Chris Thorborn (200-03) enjoyed his best offensive season in the NHL last year, scoring 15 points (seven goals, eight assists), in 82 games with Atlanta, so Thrasher GM Don Waddell decided to resign him.
MARA SIGNS WITH MONTREAL: Paul Mara has moved from the New York Rangers and has signed with the Montreal Canadians.
“Paul Mara will bring size and experience to our group of defensemen. He can contribute to all facets of the game,” said Canadians’ GM Bob Gainey.
Last season, the 6-4, 212-pound defenseman scored 21 points (5 goals, 16 assists) with 94 penalty minutes in 18:57 time on ice average in 76 regular-season games with the New York Rangers. In 10 NHL seasons, the 29-year-old has scored 239 points (63 goals, 176 assists) and served 640 penalty minutes in 639 regular season games, with Tampa Bay, Phoenix, Boston, and the New York Rangers.
Mara was selected in the first round by the Tampa Bay Lightning, 7th overall at the 1997 NHL Entry Draft.
Last season, the 6-4, 212-pound defenseman scored 21 points (5 goals, 16 assists) with 94 penalty minutes in 18:57 time on ice average in 76 regular-season games with the New York Rangers. In 10 NHL seasons, the 29-year-old has scored 239 points (63 goals, 176 assists) and served 640 penalty minutes in 639 regular season games, with Tampa Bay, Phoenix, Boston, and the New York Rangers.
Mara was selected in the first round by the Tampa Bay Lightning, 7th overall at the 1997 NHL Entry Draft.
LET’S GO TO COLLEGE: Patrick Lee started last season with the Whalers and was traded to the Niagara IceDogs with Jeremy Smith at the OHL Trading Deadline. Lee finished a solid OHL career with the IceDogs.
Lee has decided to go the CanadianCollege route and will join ex-Whaler Joe McCann at the University of Western Ontario.
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