The road to respectability starts in Whistler
Struggling defenceman looking to get his groove back after a summer spent in the gym
Ben Hutton looked fit and sounded rejuvenated Thursday.
A ramped-up off-season fitness regimen with the high-scoring Claude Giroux, and a clean-slate pledge from Travis Green, could be keys to keeping the much-maligned Vancouver Canucks defenceman out of the coach’s doghouse this season.
Hutton often looked defeated and sounded at a loss to summarize a sorry NHL season in which he counted but six assists, lost the trust of Green, and lost his roster spot.
Scratched seven times in a span of 15 games — including four straight outings in February — he looked like he was at the career crossroads. Yet, he never asked to be traded.
“A year like that drains your confidence,” said Hutton. “It’s going to be about not gripping the stick too tight or thinking too much. It’s about getting that confidence back. I have to know I can make plays instead of just chipping pucks off the boards.
“It’s just playing the smart confident hockey that I know I can play and establish my spot.”
Green always contended last season that nothing changed his view of Hutton. He believed a guy who finished second in rookie assists (24) and third in points (25) in 2015-16 still has an offensive upside, even though he doesn’t play on the power play.
What he wanted from Hutton was better focus and a dedication to being a consummate pro, on the practice ice and in the gym. He had to change the optics.
Hutton’s happy-go-lucky manner was often seen as him not caring and the reason he no longer plays like a carefree rookie who once moved pucks at ease.
And because he was seventh in two defensive categories — 68 blocks and 40 hits — his physical presence and compete level were often questioned.
Green wanted Hutton to put in the work.
“We challenged him,” said the coach.
“He had a hard year and I’m not going to say I didn’t make it hard on him — I did. I wasn’t happy with some things and it didn’t put him in a spot to be the best player he can be. I thought there’s a lot more in his game.
“It’s a clean slate and, trust me, if Ben Hutton is ready to roll, he’s going to play.”
Green likes his left-right shot combinations and maybe that speaks to his belief in Hutton. With Alex Edler, Michael Del Zotto, Derrick Pouliot, Olli Juolevi and Ashton Saunter as left-shot options, Hutton and Pouliot could be in a roster battle — although Pouliot can also play the right side.
“Every player faces adversity, whether it’s getting hit with the injury bug, or for me, getting scratched,” said Hutton. “I thought last year was tough at times and I did my best to handle it.
“And Travis has been nothing but honest and straight up with me. If I have a good camp and pre-season, I can earn my ice. There’s a clean sheet. We have no hard feelings.
“I worked hard over the summer. I had a new trainer, did a lot of circuit training and my testing went well. I’m down in weight (203) and my body fat is real low.”
Giroux made quite the impression on Hutton. At age 30, the Philadelphia Flyers’ centre is coming off a monster 102-point season (34-68), finishing second in league scoring to Edmonton Oilers’ pivot Connor McDavid, who recorded 108 points.
“Giroux is from the Ottawa area and said he wanted me in his group,” said Hutton.
“We challenged each other and went eye-to-eye and hand-to-hand, and you see how hard he works. It really helped me because I want to be gritty to play against, take pucks to the net and be a guy you hate to play against.”
Hutton’s struggles are quite the departure of a rookie who was all about the power of positive thinking.
At the encouragement of his University of Maine coach, he was urged to read books about the triumph of mind over matter and how to accentuate the good and reduce the bad in any circumstance.
On Thursday, he joked about finding those books again for a refresher course.
“My coach at Maine (Dennis ‘Red’ Gendron) was really big on mindset, and he had us read a few books because you need confidence to make plays when I’m jumping in and out of the rush,” said Hutton.
He got everybody’s attention in the Canucks’ organization after scoring 15 goals in 35 games with the University of Maine during the 2013-14 Hockey East season, when he was named a first-team allstar.
But then a drop off next season to nine goals with the struggling Black Bears actually made Hutton a better defender.