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Mike Cook spends much of his time writing about politicians and pucks. In addition to his full-time job covering the Minnesota House of Representatives, he does freelance sports writing – including pro and college hockey – for the Associated Press and other entities. A lifelong resident of the State of Hockey, he grew up a fan of the Minnesota North Stars and still misses Met Center. He looks forward to when his three young children are on skates at 6 a.m. practices.
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| Pair of wild cards could boost offense in Minnesota |
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| Northwest | |
| Written by Mike Cook | |
| Tuesday, November 30, 2010 16:01 | |
The Wild can't score, but the solution could lie within the trainer's room. Pierre-Marc Bouchard might dress today, while a rehabbing James Sheppard nears closer to playing – and being paid.
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Getting goals has been problematic for the Minnesota Wild, but help is on its way. | AROUND THE NORTHWEST |
Bouchard, the eighth overall pick in the 2002 Draft, is the fourth-leading scorer in team history with 77 goals and 267 points, including 225 points in his previous four seasons. He averaged 16.5 goals per season in that stretch.
Minnesota averages just 2.44 goals per game, and has just five players who have at least five goals this season, led by seven from Cal Clutterbuck.
"I'm really excited, that's for sure, but I'm also a little nervous," Bouchard said. "It's been a long time and I've been waiting for that day to play again. It seems like it's going to be my first NHL game all over again. … In practice, there's so much you can do. My hands feel good. I have good jump on the ice. Hockey-wise, I feel good. It's just going to be a question of getting back in game situations like battles behind the net and defensive zone coverage and getting my timing back."
James Sheppard wanted this to be the year he proves that he belongs with the Minnesota Wild.The ninth overall pick in the 2006 Draft, Sheppard has just 11 goals and 49 points in 224 career games. After missing just four games in his first two seasons, he played in just 64 contests last year, spending much of the season’s final weeks munching on press box popcorn watching his teammates on the ice.
Nonetheless, Minnesota management chose to give the 22-year-old one last opportunity, signing Sheppard to a one-year deal.
However, he suffered a fractured patella in his left knee in an ATV accident in Vail, Colo. a week before training camp while doing some high-altitude training with other players. He insists there was no horseplay involved.
“It was an important time for me mentally and physically to get off to a good start with my rehab,” he said last week in his first public comments since the incident. “I’m happy to finally be able to talk to everyone and thank the fans for waiting so long. It was just necessary for me to get back to what I want to be to contribute to this team. I appreciate your patience.”
So, James, how is the rehabilitation going?
“I’m ahead of the curve. The range of motion, the swelling is going down, and I’m getting my left leg as strong as my right leg,” he said standing near a wall without crutches. “I’m working on an underwater treadmill right now. … I think it’s a real help to me to be in that water and kind of feel like a normal person again, being able to walk, being able to run.”
The initial prognosis for recovery was sometime around four months. Sheppard is having more good days than bad, but has no date in mind. “There’s so many things that go into this to your nutrition, the way you rehab, the amount of rest you get. It’s difficult to pinpoint a time, but I’m definitely on the right track.”
Because it was in violation of his contract, Sheppard was suspended by the team Oct. 6, meaning the Wild won't have to pay his $803,250 salary and is relieved of his cap hit. The team is helping with his rehab.
Sheppard refused to comment on a possible grievance, saying money has never been why he plays the game, and that he wants to focus on getting better physically.
“I was excited for this year, but I’m excited now because I want it even more right now,” he said. “In everyone’s career there’s setbacks whether it happened on the ice or happened off the ice. … I love hockey and I wish I could be playing right now, but I know that I’m taking the right steps to get where I want to be. Sometimes taking steps backwards can make you take more steps forward.”
Notes
Jay Bouwmeester and Jarome Iginla scored 18 seconds apart in Calgary’s 3-0 win over Minnesota Monday. It was Bouwmeester’s third goal of the season, matching his total of last season. … RW Ales Kotalik (knee) and D Adam Pardy (shoulder) took part in Monday’s pre-game skate and should rejoin the Flames’ lineup sometime this week. Kotalik has been out all season; Pardy since the team’s second game. … Calgary coach Brent Sutter said G Miikka Kiprusoff has “been rock solid” the last three games. Kipper stopped 100 of 105 shots, including a glove save on a penalty shot by Sidney Crosby. … C Olli Jokinen has just two goals and nine points, but he remains optimistic. … Chris Stewart, the Avalanche's leading goal-scorer, will have surgery and miss four to six weeks after breaking his left hand while beating up Minnesota’s Kyle Brodziak Saturday. Stewart was 11-14-25 in the team’s first 23 games. Coach Joe Sacco said Monday he wasn’t sure who would replace Stewart on Colorado’s top line; however, Kevin Porter skated alongside Paul Stastny and Milan Hejduk at practice, while Greg Mauldin was with David Jones and Matt Duchene. … The Avs scored four goals in a 6:44 span of Saturday’s 7-4 win. … The Avs traded veteran D Scott Hannan to Washington Tuesday for under-achieving F Tomas Fleischmann. "In my mind he's a top-six forward in the National Hockey League,” Sacco said. … Colorado acquired D Matt Hunwick from Boston Monday for D Colby Cohen. … D Adam Foote has missed three straight games after injuring his right knee last week in Vancouver. … G Craig Anderson, who tweaked his groin in the same game, is expected to be ready for Friday’s game in Carolina. … T.J. Galiardi remains out indefinitely with a wrist injury suffered on Nov. 9, while David Van Der Gulik is working his way back from a knee injury he sustained during that same contest. Both were on the ice before Monday’s practice wearing no-contact jerseys. … Oilers C Andrew Cogliano wore a full visor in two games last week to guard against pucks or sticks hitting his bruised jaw, but no more, saying he had trouble breathing because of it. … Edmonton prospects Olivier Roy and Curtis Hamilton were among the 39 players Hockey Canada and the Canadian Hockey League invited to take part in Canada’s National Junior Team selection camp in December. Roy is a goaltender, and Hamilton is eighth in Western Hockey League scoring with 36 points in 25 games and is plus-27. … G Martin Gerber stopped 22 shots in a 4-1 win Monday at Ottawa, although he knows he’s heading back to the AHL when Nikolai Khabibulin returns. … GM Steve Tambellini said Magnus Paajarvi will not play for Sweden in the world junior hockey championship in Buffalo. … C Alex Bolduc could soon be back for Vancouver. He suffered a high ankle sprain in the season’s first game. … Coming off a 30-goal season, RW Mikael Samuelsson has just four in his first 20 games this season and was moved from the first to third line with Manny Malhotra and Raffi Torres. Samuelsson had an assist in his first game there, and added two more goals in the second. … For the second time in three years, Vancouver C Rick Rypien has been given a leave of absence, reportedly related to mental health. “He's doing good. He's in the right hands right now. He's got the support of his family and team and everyone behind him, and he's getting better. Obviously, it's not easy. Whatever it is has taken him away from the game he loves to play, and we miss him around here. He's a great teammate and a great friend to me. We want him back as soon as possible,” D Kevin Bieksa said Monday. … Bieksa has lost 8 pounds battling pneumonia, but he plans on playing Wednesday in Calgary. … Winger Peter Schaefer was granted a full release by the Canucks Friday, two days after he was suspended for refusing to report to AHL Manitoba after clearing waivers a first time. … D Sami Salo wasn’t expected back until Christmas at the earliest after tearing an Achilles tendon last summer. But he has been making better-than-expected progress and could be back by the middle of December.
Photos by Getty Images
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