Desnoyers loves to play like no other
For Caleb Desnoyers, it’s all in the wrist.
Both of them, actually.
The 18-year-old captain of the Moncton Wildcats is working his way back from August surgery to repair ligament damage in one wrist and a painful cyst that required rest on his right just last week. He played three games in three nights on the Wildcats swing through Quebec and picked up a goal and three assists in his return to regular season action.
He appeared briefly in one home game Oct. 25 against the Halifax Mooseheads, but left with an injury in the second period that was not related to his wrists.
“They feel great,” he said as he looked forward to three more games in as many nights this weekend, beginning with a 7 p.m. faceoff against the Drummondville Voltigeurs at the Avenir Centre.
“I had been dealing with wrist problems for a major part of the season since last year. It hasn’t been an easy road with it, but I’m on a good path.I’ve been taken good care of with the staff in Utah and here in Moncton.”
All of which makes his season last year even more remarkable: 35 goals and 49 assists for 84 points in 59 regular season games, 11 of them game winning goals, a +51 ratio; 30 points in 19 playoff games in which he led the Wildcats to the Memorial Cup tournament, where they lost in the semifinal to the eventual tournament champion London Knights.
“He didn’t take very many faceoffs after November, and he’s one of the top faceoff men in the league,” said coach Gardiner MacDougall of his captain.
In June, he became the highest NHL draft choice in Wildcats history, chosen in the first round, fourth overall, by the Utah Mammoth.
They’re keeping an eye on him: development coach Jeff Shantz had lunch with he and fellow Mammoth prospect Gabe Smith Thursday and will watch them play this weekend.
It’s still early for Desnoyers.
“It’s not just the process of getting the surgery done. Obviously, it’s to get all my strength back and everything that’s necessary to get them back to 100 per cent. I’ve been doing a lot of work with (athletic therapist) Graham Black. I’m fortunate to have all the resources that I need here.”
Now, it’s a matter of time.
“We’ve got to get him some mileage,” said MacDougall, “and have some patience.”
“There’s nothing in life that is going to come just like that and be easy,” he said. “Obviously, I haven’t played much hockey since the Mem Cup semifinal. I didn’t have any summer games or training camp or any of the first 15 games of the season. I’ve never seen anyone come back from an injury and be 100 per cent with their puck touch right away. It’s not about my speed or stuff like that. It’s mainly that the game is so fast, it’s just to adjust to the pace of it…not skating wise, but with your vision. It’s just to get my vision, and the details of my game with my stick and my positioning. But we’re going on a good path.”
“He loves to play like no other,” said MacDougall. “He loves everything about hockey…loves to practice and loves the games.”
“It’s been fun,” Desnoyers said. “We have a really nice group, so it’s been really fun so far for me.”
With more to come.
Article by Bill Hunt
Photo: Daniel St. Louis
