Henry hopes goals keep Coming
Nick Henry is anxious to pick up where he left off.
The Regina Pats sniper played his best hockey of 2017-18 during the Memorial Cup in Regina, helping the host team reach the CHL final before losing to the QMJHL’S Acadie-bathurst Titan.
Henry finished in a tie for the tournament lead with five goals in five games. He was also tied for third with seven points, numbers that put a much-needed exclamation point on an otherwise challenging season.
“That week of the Memorial Cup was unbelievable,” Henry said. “It was a complete blast and I was excited that I was able to contribute and play some good hockey. Hopefully I can just build off that.”
Henry is way ahead of the game compared to this time last season. He had major off-season shoulder surgery last summer, keeping him out of Regina’s lineup until Nov. 10.
When Henry returned, he wasn’t the same player who had been among the WHL’S top rookies a year earlier, notching 35 goals and 81 points in 72 games.
“Last year was hard,” said Henry, who finished with 14 goals and 29 points in 53 WHL games. “It took a toll mentally. You’re behind the eight ball when you’re not training all summer. I tried to get as good as I could and come back. It didn’t go like I wanted or as planned but I got better as the year went on. It carried on into a good summer. Hopefully I can continue that at the start of this year.”
Henry was forced to be a spectator when the Pats opened training camp last August. He eventually returned home and continued his rehab in Winnipeg before rejoining the team in the fall.
This year, he’s right in the thick of things.
“It’s exciting to be part of camp (after) not being able to be with the guys last year,” said Henry, who had two goals and an assist in Monday’s Blue and White intrasquad game. “Getting a whole summer under my belt, I was able to work on things that I needed to work on. I was really happy with the training I put in and the time I put in the gym and the work I put on the ice. So, it was a successful summer.”
The Pats are anticipating Henry will be back to his old self again.
“Everything he has done over the course of the summer looks like it’s paying off for him,” said head coach Dave Struch. “He skates well, he’s shooting the puck the same as always. These guys that are a year older that have been a part of the program, they carry themselves like pros. Nick is a great example. He has always been a mature guy.”
That’s why the Pats feel so good about asking Henry to accept more of a leadership role this season. They know he can score, but he’ll now be expected to help fill the shoes of graduated captains like Sam Steel and Josh Mahura.
“He has always been a top-end player,” noted Struch, whose team opens the pre-season on Friday (7 p.m., Brandt Centre) against the Swift Current Broncos. “(Now) he gets a chance to take a highend leadership role and be one of our top contributors. We’re going to ask a lot of him but he also asks a lot of himself. It’s going to be a good season for him. We hope in the end we all reap the benefits.”
Henry is also preparing for his first training camp with the Colorado Avalanche, who selected him in the fourth round of the 2017 NHL draft. He was unable to take part in last year’s camp due to injury, so he can’t wait to make up for lost time.
“It’s going to be a really good experience for me,” added Henry, who is slated to leave for Denver next week. “It would have been nice to get into it last year and be really comfortable this year, but I’m 19 years old now — not just drafted, not a baby coming into the organization. I’m hoping I can have some success there and bring that back here and start off strong.”