French blue-liner looking for opportunity with Oilers
Defenceman Johann Auvitu is a man of the world who speaks five languages and is currently working on his master’s degree in business, but what the 28-year-old wants to learn most is whether he’ll be in the National Hockey League next month.
In what was the team’s quietest off-season signing, the Oilers picked up the Paris-born Auvitu for one year. They signed the leftshot defender who started last season with the New Jersey Devils for 25 games until he was hurt against Edmonton and finished his first North American pro season in the American Hockey League.
The former Finnish League defenceman of the year could be the Oilers seventh defenceman; he’ll be battling local product and former Vancouver Canuck Ryan Stanton, farmhand Dillon Simpson and Russian Ziyat Paigin, 22, who has played three years in the KHL. At least on paper.
The five-foot-11, 191-pound Auvitu, one of only three French-born NHLers (Dallas Stars forward Antoine Roussel and Vegas Golden Knights centre Pierre-Edouard Bellemare are the others) started playing pro at 17, first in the French Alps, then in Finland a few years later.
“The coach (Alps, Mont-Blanc) was a Finnish guy and I begged him to play,” he said.
Leaving for the pros, alone, was different, though.
“I was young but I was living the dream. I just grabbed my equipment bag,” he said.
His parents were into hockey at the lower levels and put him on skates at four years old, but it wasn’t like he had pictures of Chicago Blackhawks defenceman Duncan Keith on his bedroom wall.
“Let’s put this in the proper context,” Auvitu said. “Fifteen years ago, the internet wasn’t the way it is now. It wasn’t like there were 120 (TV) channels. The only time you could see (North American) hockey on TV was at 4 a.m. No chance to see hockey there or on internet, only through magazines.”
He played for France in seven world championships and for JYP Jyvaskyla and IFK in Helsinki in Finland. In his first shot at the NHL last fall, the hard-working Auvitu dazzled in camp with the Devils and was in their opening night lineup against the Florida Panthers.
The puck-mover picked up an assist in his first NHL game and averaged 15½ minutes a game, sometimes on their second defence pairing and on the second power-play unit, until he got hurt.
Drafted players get three, four, five years to show what they can do, but guys coming from Europe at 27 have a shorter leash.
“Yes, but age is just a number. It’s not a barrier. I still have the potential to break through,” said Auvitu. “For sure, I’m a late bloomer. Five years ago if you had told me I would here (Edmonton) talking to the media, I never would have believed it. Not even two years ago.”
He was hurt on his first shift against the Oilers in a January game.
“Now I know a bit more about North American hockey … the differences on the ice shouldn’t be that much, but I’ve changed countries and I’m coming to hockey country,” said Auvitu, who got a one-way, US$700,000 contract from the Oilers. “Guys are bigger and the ice is smaller here so naturally it’s harder to play. They are the top players from everywhere. Russia, Canada, Sweden. You have to be more careful.” ON THE BENCH: Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl won’t reveal if he made a major purchase after signing his eight-year, $68-million contract last month, but teammate Mark Letestu jokingly says “he’ll be buying dinner (for the players) ... Leon and Connor.” McDavid signed a 12-year deal for $100 million in July. It doesn’t kick in until next season, but as Letestu kidded, “I think he’s got enough” for a dinner tab ... Draisaitl, who spent seven weeks this summer in Prague, says he won’t have any conversations with coach Todd McLellan on where he’d prefer to play — first-line right-wing with McDavid or No. 2 centre. His job is playing, not making out lineup cards. “I have no idea. I might start on defence,” Draisaitl said with a laugh. “That’s not my thing to do (talking to the coach on positions)” ... Forward Drake Caggiula won’t be wearing No. 36 this year because that’s veteran newcomer Jussi Jokinen’s long-time number. Caggiula, who likes the No. 9 from his college days at U of North Dakota, will trot out 91 this season. Anton Slepyshev is changing from No. 42 to No. 58, and Jujhar Khaira from No. 54 to No. 16. Nobody has taken Matt Hendricks’ old No. 23, as of now. Hendricks signed with the Winnipeg Jets. In camp, Kailer Yamamoto will be No. 56, Auvitu No. 81 and Paigin No. 92.
Age is just a number. It’s not a barrier. I still have the potential to break through. For sure, I’m a late bloomer.