Boston happy homecoming for Schaller, Gaudette
BOSTON — In a sports-crazed city that embraces its heroes, Tim Schaller and Adam Gaudette have close ties to the area and their own legion of admirers.
Schaller not only played for the Bruins last season, but a lasting bond with his older brother Dave, who required a life-saving bonemarrow transplant from his younger sibling 10 years ago, spawned a charity to benefit cancer-stricken children. It’s why giant Timmy Heads will pop up on your television screen today when the Vancouver Canucks visit the TD Garden.
Gaudette not only played here at Northeastern University, which doesn’t get the recognition of rival Boston College of Boston University, he won the Hobey Baker Award last season as the top NCAA player and tossed out the first pitch at a Red Sox game in fabled Fenway Park.
It’s also a happy homecoming for Schaller and Gaudette because of what they’ve already accomplished this NHL season. With a roster ravaged by injury and a coach willing to place his trust in improving forward, Schaller has leapt from the fourth to first line and the rookie Gaudette has lapped up more minutes as his game grows. Neither has scored yet — Schaller had a dozen goals in 2017-18 — and this is the perfect place for both to pot their first.
After all, Schaller chose the Canucks in free agency because he was with the Rochester Americans of the AHL at the time Green was coaching the Utica Comets. Schaller admired the approach and Green admired Schaller.
“It was always a battle and it’s a kind of game I want to play — hard-nosed and fast-paced,” recalled Schaller, who signed a two-year, $3.8-million US contract July 1. “The way Travis coaches kind of fits my style of play.”
It’s why Schaller became a fourth-line fixture at left wing and why the gritty 27-year-old Merrimack, New Hampshire, native was bumped up to the first line on Oct. 31 against the Chicago Blackhawks.
On Tuesday in Detroit, he was there again. Schaller had one scoring chance and fanned on another during a 3-2 shootout loss, but he also wasn’t on for a goal against. Schaller, Bo Horvat and Jake Virtanen were often matched up against the trio of rookie Michael Rasmussen, Jacob de la Rose and Gustav Nyquist.
“He’s a good, heavy body and a smart player,” Green said of Schaller. “We’re trying to use Bo a bit in a matchup role with [Brandon] Sutter out and he’s the most capable of that. [Schaller’s] good at holding onto pucks down low and getting pucks on the wall.”
And a lot of what makes Schaller tick has to do with that charity. He was in his second season with the Buffalo Sabres in 2015-16 and nervous about a game in Boston. His brother wanted to lighten the mood and made photocopies of his brother’s NHL mugshot.
“It was my first game in Boston and going out for warmups, I’m trying not to fall and make a fool of myself,” recalled Schaller. “I look at the glass and there are 12 big Timmyheads and my brother and my buddies were banging on the glass.”
Schaller’s brother received requests for the likeness and giant 3 1 ⁄2 foot Timmy heads popped up around the NHL. The demand led to a website — tim-schaller.com — to sell Timmyheads and Timmyheads T-shirts to benefit The Jimmy Fund charity for cancer care.
That story is hard to match, but Gaudette’s determination to crack the roster wasn’t lost on Green.
He liked how the 22-year-old Braintree, Massachusetts, native kept working at every aspect of his game. He had an assist, two shot attempts, four hits and won 50 per cent of his six draws Tuesday in 12:32 of ice time.
“He’s in the right spot, he’s working hard and there are a couple of little things in his game that we hope he picks up on,” said Green. “But he’s doing a lot of good things. He gives you everything he has, which as a coach goes a long way.”
Gaudette admits he’s a work in progress, but he’s willing to put in the work.
“It definitely hasn’t been easy — it’s been tough,” added Gaudette, who has two assists in his first 15 career NHL games. “But the best way for me to learn is to be thrown right into the fire and figuring it out for myself.”