AROUND IN THE CIRCLE
Faceoff focus key for Turris
The game within the game is often a prime motivator for NHL players.
Ottawa Senators No. 1 centre Kyle Turris is a case in point. Early last season he was mired in what he termed a faceoff “slump,” having won just 44 per cent of his draws by early November.
With a focus on improving those numbers, Turris was dominant in the faceoff dot through much of the second half of the season, finishing the year 16th in the NHL in faceoffs won with 737, and an overall percentage of 50.1 per cent, a full six points better than he had been in November.
With reason, coaches put an emphasis on faceoffs, because they drive puck possession. Players also know the hottest hand on a given night is going to be taking draws late in the game.
And the keys to winning those draws?
“It’s timing and rhythm combined with strength,” says Turris, who is visibly stronger because of his off-season training. “If one of those three is off, it screws up the whole faceoff. I was better at doing that in second half.”
Faceoff artists Turris admires include Boston’s Patrice Bergeron (tops in the NHL at 60.2 per cent last season) and Chicago’s Jonathan Toews (56.5 per cent). While Turris feels it’s important to respect the top centres, “when you come into the dot you want to make sure they know who you are, too.”
Similarly, the league is getting to know the young Senators. During a blistering late run, the Senators earned a playoff spot before being eliminated by the Montreal Canadiens, a five-game defeat that still doesn’t sit well with Ottawa players.
The late run, though, was fun. “It would be tough to go 23-4-4 again, but hopefully we don’t put ourselves in the situation where we have to finish the year like that to make the playoffs,” Turris said Wednesday, prior to a visit to Senators youth camp players. “Have a good first half and build on it and grow over the second half of the year going into the playoffs.”
Turris likes the idea of having virtually the entire team back, with Dave Cameron as head coach from the outset of training camp. It remains a youthful group, that should benefit from having gone through that playoff push.
With Mike Hoffman now bound to an arbitration-dictated deal of US $2 million, the Senators have everybody under contract, a far cry from a year ago when negotiations were still going on with veterans Clarke MacArthur, Craig Anderson, Bobby Ryan and Marc Methot.
This summer, the organization has had a terrific run, getting some good young players signed to reasonable contracts, including Mark Stone, Mika Zibanejad, Hoffman, J.G. Pageau, Alex Chiasson, Chris Wideman and Shane Prince.
Turris, who turns 26 next week, is himself a bargain at $3.5 million, through 2017-18. And what do you suppose defenceman Erik Karlsson would be worth on the open market today? Last summer, P.K. Subban of the Canadiens signed an eight-year deal worth $72 million.
Karlsson, fresh from winning his second Norris Trophy, will earn $6.5 million for the next four seasons, through 2018-19.
Though Ottawa’s payroll has grown beyond $62 million, the organization has room and flexibility for down the road, whether it’s re-upping in-house talent or adding a player at the deadline.
“Our staff has done a great job of keeping young guys under contract at a good price for a considerable amount of time,” Turris says. “We’re very excited about the group we have and the future that comes with it.”
When he isn’t training, Turris is enjoying family time with his wife, Julie, son Beckett and dog, Leo. Beckett doesn’t turn one until mid-September and is already walking. It won’t be long until he is terrorizing the outdoor rinks.
HAPPY CAMPERS
Like his teammates, Turris gets a kick out of visiting young players at the Senators summer camps. “I think most of the guys understand it’s important to do,” Turris says. “We were those kids not long ago, and I have fond memories of a camp like this or going down and banging on the glass for a game and having a guy throw the puck over the glass in the warm-up. It’s memories like this that last with you a long time.”
On Friday, Turris will have the honour of throwing out the ceremonial opening pitch for the launch of the Canadian Little League Championship, hosted by the East Nepean Eagles. The Turris toss will be part of the pregame Friday before the 11 a.m. game at Ken Ross Park in Barrhaven between B.C. (the White Rock All-Stars) and Quebec (Notre-Dame-de-Grâce).
“It will be neat to see the team representing B.C., my home province,” Turris said, “and I’m a big baseball fan so it should be a lot of fun to throw the opening pitch and see part of the game.”