http://dispatch.com/bluejackets/blue...206-E4-01.html
Quote:
Foote expected to be named captain
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Michael Arace
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
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The Blue Jackets will name their captain today, coach Gerard Gallant said, and all indications are that defenseman Adam Foote will get the "C."
If Foote gets the nod, he’ll become the team’s fourth captain, after Lyle Odelein, Ray Whitney and Luke Richardson.
Richardson surrendered the captaincy on Nov. 26, a day after he was a healthy scratch. Richardson hasn’t divulged his reasons, although he told Gallant that he thought it was the right time to step aside.
Foote, Trevor Letowski, Sergei Fedorov and David Vyborny have served as assistant captains this season.
Foote healing
Foote has been out because of a groin injury since Nov. 23.
He managed to get through an entire practice yesterday without incident. He is expected to play the next game Thursday night, against the New York Islanders in Nationwide Arena.
"It felt good," Foote said. "I was able to do everything except turn and chase. You know, the quick start. I’ll try that (today)."
Forwards Manny Malhotra (back) and Vyborny (knee) did not practice. But they’re scheduled to practice today and Gallant considers them probable for Thursday night.
At first, it was thought that Vyborny might miss a month. He has missed one game.
"We were worried right after the game was over (last Wednesday in Minnesota), but he has responded real quick to treatment," Gallant said.
Down on the farm
Forwards Nikolai Zherdev and Dan Fritsche, sent down to play a couple of games for Syracuse during the weekend, were recalled with center Geoff Platt.
Zherdev had a shootout goal Saturday night in Hershey and scored a goal Sunday night in Philadelphia in helping the Crunch to two victories.
Goaltender Pascal Leclaire was the star in Philly, where he turned away 42 of 44 shots in a 4-2 victory. He also had an assist. Although Leclaire wasn’t recalled, there remains a chance he’ll get the call later in the week.
The Crunch is 8-1-1 in its last 10 games.
Disa and data
The Blue Jackets had 10 forwards, seven defensemen and two goaltenders at practice. . . . Fedorov, after a weekend collecting his things in Anaheim, was back on the ice. He skated between Zherdev and Jaroslav Balastik, who has scored the team’s last two goals. . . . During their six-day layoff, coaches and players are going over systems that have been in place since training camp. Some film work is involved. "We’ve got a lot of new faces and we just want to reinforce some things," Gallant said. "When we’ve run our systems well, we’ve played well. We’re showing the guys a lot of positive clips on this."
marace@dispatch.com
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Quote:
BLUE JACKETS
Platt’s rapid rise to NHL is story of hunger, heart, determination
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Michael Arace
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
<!--PHOTOS--><TABLE class=phototableright align=right border=0><!-- begin large ad code --><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE align=center><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>TOM GANNAM | ASSOCIATED PRESS </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Geoff Platt ran into some resistance in his NHL debut, but he already had beaten long odds. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Sergei Fedorov came from the other side of the world, defected from Russia, to get to the NHL. Next to his locker in the Blue Jackets’ dressing room sits Geoff Platt, who came from off the map.
Four months ago, Platt was penciled in as a center for the Dayton Bombers of the East Coast Hockey League. Last week, he made his NHL debut. That’s like the DeSales quarterback getting a start for the Browns.
"I’m not sure how it all happened," Platt said. "I guess it’s a case of a guy getting rewarded."
That’s a pretty good guess. Platt, 20, has truly earned his chance.
Platt went undrafted in 2003. The knock on him was his size. At 5 feet 9 (and 171 pounds), he has long known that his play would be the primary feature of his resume. No one was going to take a flyer on him because he was muscular.
"This is the size I was determined to be," Platt said. "Once I finished junior, my career was on the line. Every night I’ve got to go out there and earn my keep."
As a 19-year-old, in his last junior season, Platt had 45 goals and 79 points in 68 games with the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League. The best he could do was an offer from Dayton. Once there, Bombers coach Don MacAdam lobbied hard to get him tossed onto the roster for Blue Jackets rookie camp in September.
"He was the final invite," said Jim Clark, the Jackets’ assistant general manager and director of minor-league operations. "All he did was score seven goals in four games. He was as good as anyone in the rookie camp. That earned him a looksee at NHL camp."
Platt got a look — and an American Hockey League contract with the Crunch. Once he got to Syracuse, all he did was score 12 goals in 12 games. That earned him a two-way NHL contract.
Even the contract wasn’t easy. By most accounts, Platt’s agent handles mostly football and baseball contracts. His first pitch was for a one-year deal. According to the NHL collective bargaining agreement, all entry-level contracts must be three-year deals.
Once everyone was on the same page, Platt had a contract worth the annual minimum $450,000 at the major-league level and $75,000 at the minorleague level. He also got a small signing bonus.
"The money didn’t even matter," Platt said. "I just wanted a contract that would give me the quickest way to prove myself."
Platt has 15 goals and 24 points in 21 games with the Crunch. He ranks third in the AHL in power-play goals (eight), fourth in goals and 14 th in points.
After David Vyborny got hurt, Platt made his NHL debut against the Blues last Thursday in St. Louis. He was sent back down, scored a goal during the weekend — and, in a mild surprise, was recalled again yesterday. Here, kid, sit next to Sergei.
The Blue Jackets like the way Platt buzzes around the puck. They also like his major-league shot, which he gets away in a blink.
"You see him on the ice," coach Gerard Gallant said. "Some guys, you don’t notice all the time. But this kid, you see him every shift."
If Platt is dizzy over his quick rise to notice, he’s not letting on.
"You get the taste, and now you want the whole meal," he said. "You can’t just get the appetizer. Now you’re looking for the main course and the dessert, too."
marace@dispatch.com
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ps is anyone still reading this with any regularity??
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