The morning skate-around before a game can be a somewhat-casual affair, and today was no different. Neither Gerard Gallant nor Jason Garrison chose to step on the ice, but afterwards, Gallant affirmed that Garrison would be in the line-up tonight against the Red Wings.
Perhaps it shouldn't be a surprise that Garrison took the morning off -- he leads the league with 5.0 Shot Blocks/Game.
Speaking of Detroit, Gallant
once noted that his first encounter with a big-time NHL star was as a nine or 10-year-old, meeting Darryl Sittler.
Little did Gallant know that just a decade later, as a rookie, he'd be skating alongside Sittler at Joe Louis Arena. 1984-85 would be the future Hall of Famer's final NHL season.
"Yeah, I met him as a kid at the Boys & Girls Club. I used to go there a lot when I was a kid in Summerside, my hometown. He was a real gentleman," remembered Gallant. "I was a young kid, getting an autograph at the Boys & Girls Club. It was the first one that I ever got.
"I didn't know that [about] 10 years later, I'd be playing with him in Detroit. It was a big thrill. Darryl's a class guy."
In their primes, both Gallant and Sittler were hard-nosed, scoring forwards. Did the rookie pick up anything in particular from the 484-goal scorer?
"He was a pretty good player. I'd like to pick up a lot from him," laughed Gallant.
***
Meanwhile, down on the farm, there's been a flurry of activity. And in the case of Vadim Shipachyov, inactivity. Alex Tuch and Shea Theodore scored three goals apiece last weekend for Chicago. There were rumors that Theodore was being called up to Vegas. Keegan Kolesar got sent down to the ECHL. And of course, Shipachyov, who was assigned #22 by the Wolves, has yet to play or practice.
This morning,
Sarah Avampato headed down to Wolves practice to chase these stories, speaking with Head Coach Rocky Thompson, Tuch, and yes, Theodore. Make sure to follow Sarah!
Rocky Thompson
HockeyBuzz: A couple days ago, Keegan Kolesar was sent down to the ECHL. What was the thinking behind the decision? Are there particular elements in his game that you would like Keegan to work on in Quad City before he's ready for this level?
Rocky Thompson: He's played our first two games. I wanted to get some other guys into the line-up.
The way the schedule is, it's not like we're playing an abundance of games. He's a first-year pro. The ECHL is a very good league. And they're going to play three games in the next four nights.
That was an opportunity for him to play some real hockey in a situation in our schedule where we're not going to see many games. The idea is for him to go down there, have success, play hard, and then he comes back.
(HockeyBuzz note: Between October 7th and 21st, the Wolves only play one game, tomorrow against the Ontario Reign.)
HB: Vadim Shipachyov is on your roster, but he hasn't played yet. Is there any plan for him to play games in Chicago?
RT: I don't know. That question would be better served to the management. As of today, he's not here, so I don't know what the situation is.
HB: After watching Theodore & Tuch over the weekend, do you think they're NHL-ready? Or are their facets to their games that you think need some polishing before they're called up for good?
RT: I do believe that if they do get that opportunity, they're going to be effective at the next level. I still believe the AHL is so good that even maybe when you should be in the NHL, or you're ready to be in the NHL, it's not a detriment to be in the AHL. I think they look great. They've had great attitudes down here.
HB: Does your system of play mirror Gerard Gallant's in Vegas? Or do you choose your system of play independent of the Golden Knights?
RT: With special teams, it changes. Because you have to coach your personnel. But from a structural standpoint, within our 5-on-5 play, it's just like Vegas. They're very aggressive and we're the same way down here. It was easy for me to implement their systems and how they want to play. So it's seamless when they go up.
It focuses on aggressiveness and puck possession, so we're all on the same page.
Alex Tuch
HockeyBuzz: When Vegas sent you down, what was their message to you?
Alex Tuch: Just [keep up] the same way that I was playing in the exhibition games. They thought I played really well. They wanted me to keep it going and not change my mentality on or off the ice.
HB: Did they share any sort of plan as to when they would call you back up?
AT: It's a numbers game. There are a couple other guys who might be on the team, but aren't, because they're also waiver-exempt. It's a little different situation. The times are not the best. It happens, it's part of the business.
Shea Theodore
HockeyBuzz: When Vegas sent you down, what was their message to you?
No, nothing really.
HB: Did they share any sort of plan as to when they would call you back up?
It's just a day to day thing. I'm just waiting to hear and they're trying to work something out.
***
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