Back in 1997, when he first came to the NHL, Daniel Cleary’s arrival was much heralded. He was selected 13th overall in the entry draft by the Chicago Blackhawks.
Nearly two decades later, Cleary’s NHL tenure is hanging by a thread, but instead of pouting, he’s providing insight to many of the Detroit Red Wings’ up-and-coming stars.
This is what you have to do,… said Cleary, 36, who will make just his 12th appearance of the season as the Wings play the Florida Panthers Tuesday at the BB&T Center. “There’s nothing else you can do.
“You bring a bad attitude to the rink, that’s no good. You have to bring a good attitude, a good work ethic.…
Don’t for a moment think he’s happy about sitting out. Cleary clearly isn’t. But that’s the role he’s assigned and as a good pro, he’s prepared to fill it.
“Listen, no one likes to not play, no matter what age, what level you’re at,… said Cleary, who shows 1-1-2 totals and a minus-three rating in 11 games. “Everybody wants to play and just be a pro about it.…
Being a pro about it is exactly why Cleary is still in Detroit. He may not be playing a major role on the ice, but off the ice, he’s showing the ways of the game to the newcomers to the Red Wings dressing room.
“I think it’s excellent having veteran guys around that know how to play and know what to expect and know how young guys need to become good pros,… Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. “It just doesn’t happen overnight.
“Becoming a good pro is a guy who does it every single day. Young guys have the success disease all the time. As soon as it gets going good they’re so busy feeling good about how they’re doing and they don’t play anymore. That’s not the Red Wing way.
“The Red Wing way is you do it every day and you do it right. You need people to help you do those things. They don’t happen by accident. So having good veterans around is key.…
In the grand scheme of things, it’s better to put a veteran into such a part-time role than a younger player still learning the game and in need of regular ice time to develop his skills.
“I feel fine doing that,… Cleary said. “I always talk to the younger players, things about being a professional, how to be on and off the ice.
“These guys are really good young kids, good pros. It’s good to see.…
Jurco Not Ready The main reason for Cleary’s insertion into the lineup is that forward Tomas Jurco (back disc ailment) wasn’t able to answer the bell after returning to practice just one day earlier.
“I’d like putting Jurcs in but the trainers won’t let him go,… Babcock said. “I’m hoping he’s ready to go Thursday (at Tampa Bay).
The Wings will go with the following lineup:
Gustav Nyquist-Henrik Zetterberg-Justin Abdelkader;
Tomas Tatar-Pavel Datsyuk-Darren Helm;
Luke Glendening-Riley Sheahan-Stephen Weiss;
Drew Miller-Joakim Andersson-Cleary;
Jonathan Ericsson-Niklas Kronwall;
Kyle Quincey-Danny DeKeyser;
Brendan Smith-Xavier Ouellet.
Petr Mrazek starts in goal, backed up by Tomas McCollum. Brian Lashoff is the lone healthy scratch. Besides Jurco, Jonas Gustavsson (shoulder), Jimmy Howard (groin), Johan Franzen (upper body) and Jakub Kindl (elbow) are the other walking wounded.
Streak? What Streak? The Wings and Anaheim Ducks both entered the NHL All-Star break riding five-game winning streaks, but as far as Babcock is concerned, those wins are a distant memory.
“That’s over with,… Babcock said. “To me, we’ve got a new game. It’s like starting all over. We’ve got a 35-game push here and let’s get started.
“These next five games for us are real important. If I’m not mistaken four of them are on the road, so let’s get off to a good start and do well.…
“We’ve got a five-game segment like we always have starting right now and we want to get off to a good start. We try to break it down into real small windows so we all understand how important things are. The priority for us is just getting started on time and make sure we’re focused.…
The Wings certainly have enjoyed their trips to play the Panthers. They’ve garnered points in each of their last 13 visits there, going 9-0-4 since Feb. 16, 1997. In 15 games at Florida, the Wings have lost in regulation time just once, a 3-1 setback on Feb. 8, 1996.
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