Keith excited to be facing former team
Duncan Keith spent the first 16 seasons of his NHL career and won three Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks.
So it’s no surprise the future Hall of Fame defenseman acknowledged that he would feel weird sharing the ice with his former teammates when his Oilers played host to the Hawks on Saturday at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta.
His 8-year-old son Colton, however, seems to have no such qualms about switching from red and black to orange and navy blue.
“I’m sure he misses (Patrick) Kane and (Jonathan) Toews too, but he’s taken a liking to the guys here — wears his (Leon) Draisaitl jersey and (Connor) McDavid jersey around quite a bit,” Keith said Friday on a conference call.
“I don’t think he’s taken off his Oilers hoodie back in Penticton (British Columbia) since he left a couple weeks ago. So he’s an Oiler fan.”
This was Keith’s first game against the team that selected him with the 54th pick in the 2002 NHL draft. He is second to Stan Mikita on the Hawks’ all-time games-played list with 1,192.
“Put that jersey on for a long time,” Keith said. “Got a lot of friends on that team, but it’s going to be a fun game. It’s going to be different for sure.
“But I’m excited . ... It’ll be a new experience playing (against) an old team (and) old players I’ve played with. But it’s another game in the schedule where another two points are on the line.
“It’s a big game and they’re playing well.” Indeed, the Hawks won a season-high four straight entering Game 2 of a four-game trip.
It’s fitting that Keith, the Hawks’ longtime ironman of ice time, likely will see an increase in his minutes with Darnell Nurse having suffered a broken finger Thursday in a game against the Jets.
“He’s going to get a little more time now with Nursey out, and it’s not something he hasn’tdonebefore,”OilerscoachDaveTippet said of Keith. Keith said he’s ready if called upon.
Keith averaged 23 minutes, 25 seconds for the Hawks last season and has never dropped below 23 minutes in his career.
He averaged 20:16 in his first 16 games with the Oilers but played a season-high 26:49 against the Jets.
Asked if he thought he could handle the extra work, Keith said, “Yeah, I do . ... It’s obviously a little bit more, but it is what it is. Just take what I’m given and try to do the best I can with it.
“I feel good and feel ready for it.” Reduced ice time has been an adjustment for Keith, but while he has been adapting to a new role and new surroundings his teammates have adopted him.
“It’s been a unique situation for me, but it’s also been a good challenge and a lot of fun,” Keith said. “We’ve got a great group here. Guys have been great, welcoming.”
Said Oilers defenseman Tyson Barrie: “Duncs has been amazing. His leadership, guys in the room, we love him in there. He’s a calming presence.
“To get a chance to play with him and be in the room with him and see how he conducts himself, it’s been eye-opening.”
Tippett called Keith a solid veteran and said “he’s very respectful of the change in situation. He’s come in and he’s tried to learn how we’re doing things.”
The coach said Keith has been trying to tweak some aspects of his game — he entered Saturday with 15 giveaways — but for the most part Tippett has been able to count on him defensively.
“He’s always trying to find things he could do a little better, but if you look at the minutes he’s taken — him and (Cody) Ceci, that middle pair — they’ve been a key factor for us in getting off to a good start here,” Tippett said.
Added Keith: “I think me and Ceci have grown a lot as the season has gone on, together on the ice with the chemistry. It’s not to say we haven’t made mistakes, but overall we’ve just got to keep building and trying to get better.”
Keith had one goal and four assists in 16 games — and he wants it known that he and Ceci earned the assist they were credited with on McDavid’s latest highlight-reel score.
When asked if McDavid did most of the work dangling on Jets defenders, Keith shot back: “Timing is everything too, right?
“Don’t take too much credit away from that regroup (in the defensive zone). I thought we gave him some speed in the neutral zone.”
Then Keith added with a deadpan tone: “He had some room to skate — think about it.”
It’s that kind of sharp wit to which Hawks fans had become accustomed, but Keith was willing to leave them behind for the sake of his family.
In July, the Hawks traded Keith and prospect Tim Söderlund to the Oilers — acquiring defenseman Caleb Jones and a conditional 2022 third-round pick in return — in part so Keith could be closer to Colton in Penticton. His son has visited him several times.
“I saw him in Vancouver, so it’s just quick, easy trips for him,” Keith said. “I’ve been able to see him more frequently, which has been really nice, and other family members as well.
Even though Edmonton is still a 10 ½-hour drive from Penticton — or a 90-minute flight from nearby Kelowna airport — Keith said the shorter distance makes a pretty big difference.
“He’s getting older now ... so he’s got his own hockey and his school, so he’s got a lot going on himself,” Keith said of Colton. “We’re making it work and it’s been good. I think he’s enjoying it too.”
Keith is also watching his son’s games, though only on video for now. However, Colton is not walking the blue line as his father does.
“He’s a forward right now,” Keith said. “We’re developing his offense.
“He can always go back on the point.”