YOU CAN BET GAUDETTE WILL DO HIS HOMEWORK
Northeastern alumnus expected to push for NHL role next year, writes Ben Kuzma
Adam Gaudette was back in school Wednesday.
The communications major has classes and exams at Northeastern University in Boston and will work toward his degree this summer. If the Vancouver Canucks’ prospect is as good in testing as he was in a five-game exam with the NHL club, he should ace everything.
His responses to questions about an emerging game were as thoughtful, detailed and as entertaining as his three-zone awareness. And because there’s an underlying self-confidence and self-deprecating sense of humour, a whirlwind spring won’t get to Gaudette next fall.
The Hobey Baker Award winner as the top NCAA player didn’t score in those five NHL games after signing an entry level deal March 26. But the 21-yearold Braintree, Mass., native had nine shots and was robbed of a few goals.
He adjusted quickly defensively and didn’t shy away from Milan Lucic in his first shift during his March 29 debut against the Edmonton Oilers.
For a guy who wants to emulate Selke Trophy winners Patrice Bergeron and Jonathan Toews, the centre gave glimpses that he could evolve into being reliable defensively and contribute offensively in transition.
That memorable shift against the hulking Lucic was an eye- opener, but also a window on his competitive world.
“I tried to pick up Lucic back door,” Gaudette said of the demanding defensive detail. “I watched him with the Bruins when I was growing up and it was something special to be out there. But he’s big and strong and I had to hop the boards and pick him up right away.
“I kind of laugh at it now and I think my parents were laughing when they saw me try to pick him up.”
Gaudette also attempted to rub Lucic out on the defensive wall in their next brush and held his own.
“It was later in the year and maybe he’s not trying to throw big hits,” added Gaudette. “But that’s my game. I try to play hard and be physical, no matter who it’s against.”
It’s not what you’d expect from a college hotshot.
Gaudette had 60 points in 38 games on a high-octane line with Dylan Sikura and Nolan Stevens — they signed with the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues, respectively, a day before Gaudette committed to the Canucks — and proved he could be an offensive juggernaut. He scored from the slot. He drove the net. He finished plays down low.
In his five games with Vancouver, Gaudette grew more comfortable and confident with each shift. He sped through the neutral zone and ripped a wrist shot just over the crossbar in his debut. He was also pinned in his own zone and quickly learned to adjust to the speed of NHL players.
It was Gaudette’s overall awareness that piqued the Canucks’ curiosity when they made a slight kid with a nose for the net in the United States Hockey League a fifth-round draft pick in 2015.
There was some discussion about Gaudette leaving Northeastern a year ago, but getting bigger, stronger and faster was the goal. It still is.
He started this season at 190 pounds and couldn’t keep weight on because he was logging 30 minutes a night and living off sandwiches. His weight dropped to 180, but despite a shellfish allergy, he has put on a few pounds because the Canucks’ lounge is stocked with chef-prepared meals.
More importantly, the lockerroom was stocked with Henrik and Daniel Sedin and the interaction left an unforgettable impression on Gaudette. He first met the twins two years ago when the Canucks were playing in Boston.
“It’s crazy to think they’ve been playing almost as long as I’ve been alive,” said Gaudette. “Even as a Boston kid, I idolized them. I just soaked it in and took as much as I could from them.
“They showed just how much work you have to put in to be a good pro. It’s not just hockey. It’s your life and it’s a job now. That’s something I really need to take in — live my life like a pro and not a college student.”
There were other flashes that placed Gaudette into a probable bottom-six role next fall, as long as he does the off-season work. In his second game, a speeding Gaudette fed a long cross-ice pass to winger Reid Boucher for a scoring chance. The centre was foiled on a wraparound attempt.
“He looked like a smart player and made some smart plays and not just offensively,” Canucks coach Travis Green said. “You can see he’s got a knack for thinking the game well all over the ice. I was excited in the five-game sample.
“The summer is going to dictate a lot in where he starts off next season.”
Gaudette has a leg up on a roster spot because he’s willing to do the work and willing to keep everything in proper perspective.
“They have trust in me, but I’m not going to take it for granted,” he said. “They have high expectations of me and I’m going to try and fulfil them.”