Jody Hull had barely set foot in the Ottawa Senators' dressing room the other day when 21-year-old defenseman Christoph Schubert, a second-year pro, greeted him with a hardy, "How's it going, coach?"
Right then, Hull knew his 17th NHL training camp would be a little different.
"I'm still here, like every player, competing hard and trying to win a job," said Hull, a 34-year-old winger, "but this time, I know what the outcome is probably going to be."
Hull knew this summer when the Senators offered him only a two-way contract. Truth is, he knew even before that, when he found himself watching all but two of Ottawa's 18 playoff games from the rafters after playing in 70 of 82 regular-season affairs.
Clearly, Hull's days as a full-timer on a Stanley Cup contender are numbered, so with his wife and two children living here, he hatched a plan to stay with the Senators as, first and foremost, a player/assistant coach with their minor-league club in Binghamton.
Still, that doesn't mean he has to dive headfirst into coaching. Not when there's a training camp to attend and a chance, no slimmer than Britney Spears, of winning an NHL job.
"Funny things can happen in this game," Hull said before the Senators' annual Red and White scrimmage Wednesday night. "I'm not just going to Binghamton to be a coach. Playing is still my number one priority. If something happens here, I've got to be ready to step in and play for this team."
That's why Hull came to camp in better shape than any 15-year NHL veteran should. Senators coach Jacques Martin said Hull's scores from last Saturday's fitness tests were "off the charts," and hasn't ruled out Hull sticking around if injuries occur or unsigned winger Martin Havlat's holdout is prolonged.
Hull knows he can still play. A member of the original 1992-93 Senators, his three goals and eight assists last season gave him 261 points in an 830-game career spent with a half-dozen organizations.
Curtis Leschyshyn, a 33-year-old defenseman, is the only player in camp who has skated in more NHL games.
And while he's not yet ready to be fitted for a wheelchair, the wheels inside Hull's head are turning on his post-playing career. He sheepishly admits to taking a few sneak peeks lately at Ottawa assistant coach Perry Pearn diagramming practice drills and B-Sens head man John Paddock, the AHL's winningest active coach, tutoring young players.
"Jody has tremendous knowledge of the game, tremendous perception," Martin said. "He has always been very observant on the bench, much more than some other players. He's a well-grounded individual, and he's always had a keen interest in his teammates."
Even ones he hardly knows. Upon being sent to the minors for three games two seasons ago, Hull roomed with then-rookie Josh Langfeld. Realizing Langfeld's potential to someday play in the NHL, Hull took time after practice to work with the kid on retrieving pucks shot deep into the corner of the offensive zone.
"He's one of the smarter players I've been around as far as knowing where to be in every situation," Langfeld said. "He's always been willing to help me."
Sure sounds like coaching material, even if Hull has yet to engage Paddock in material discussion about his role on a B-Sens staff that also includes longtime Paddock henchman Mike Busniuk. That won't happen, Paddock said, until Hull is officially sent down.
There are obvious challenges to wearing two hats, so Hull has phoned former Senators captain Randy Cunneyworth, for whom it is old hat after he walked the tightrope between being "just one of the guys" and an authority figure for two seasons with the Rochester Americans.
"Maybe I'll just have my own stall in the corner of the room so no one has to talk to me," Hull joked. "Randy said the key is just being professional. The guys have to know that what happens in the room stays in the room. I'm not going to sit and listen to what one of the guys has to say and then go rat him out. That's not who I am."
Senators general manager John Muckler knew that when he re-signed Hull and signed off on his experiment. Muckler initially offered the role to tough guy Rob Ray, but Ray, who lives near Buffalo, expressed doubts about moving to Binghamton just to learn how to coach.
Hull volunteered.
"I think there are three things that give Jody potential to be a good coach," Paddock said. "Number one, he's interested. Number two, he's been the type of player who listens. And number three, he's spent a lot of time around Roger Neilson."
Neilson, the Senators' assistant coach who died in June after a bout with cancer, coached Hull with the New York Rangers, Florida Panthers and Philadelphia Flyers before helping to bring him back to the Senators two seasons ago. Hull and Neilson even resided in the same town -- Peterborough, Ontario.
And in last season's Senators media guide, Hull's picture includes Neilson, fittingly perched on the bench in the background, like an angel over Hull's left shoulder.
With Neilson looking in on him as he starts his new career, how can Hull go wrong?
http://www.pressconnects.com/today/sports/stories/sp091803s30886.shtml
Right then, Hull knew his 17th NHL training camp would be a little different.
"I'm still here, like every player, competing hard and trying to win a job," said Hull, a 34-year-old winger, "but this time, I know what the outcome is probably going to be."
Hull knew this summer when the Senators offered him only a two-way contract. Truth is, he knew even before that, when he found himself watching all but two of Ottawa's 18 playoff games from the rafters after playing in 70 of 82 regular-season affairs.
Clearly, Hull's days as a full-timer on a Stanley Cup contender are numbered, so with his wife and two children living here, he hatched a plan to stay with the Senators as, first and foremost, a player/assistant coach with their minor-league club in Binghamton.
Still, that doesn't mean he has to dive headfirst into coaching. Not when there's a training camp to attend and a chance, no slimmer than Britney Spears, of winning an NHL job.
"Funny things can happen in this game," Hull said before the Senators' annual Red and White scrimmage Wednesday night. "I'm not just going to Binghamton to be a coach. Playing is still my number one priority. If something happens here, I've got to be ready to step in and play for this team."
That's why Hull came to camp in better shape than any 15-year NHL veteran should. Senators coach Jacques Martin said Hull's scores from last Saturday's fitness tests were "off the charts," and hasn't ruled out Hull sticking around if injuries occur or unsigned winger Martin Havlat's holdout is prolonged.
Hull knows he can still play. A member of the original 1992-93 Senators, his three goals and eight assists last season gave him 261 points in an 830-game career spent with a half-dozen organizations.
Curtis Leschyshyn, a 33-year-old defenseman, is the only player in camp who has skated in more NHL games.
And while he's not yet ready to be fitted for a wheelchair, the wheels inside Hull's head are turning on his post-playing career. He sheepishly admits to taking a few sneak peeks lately at Ottawa assistant coach Perry Pearn diagramming practice drills and B-Sens head man John Paddock, the AHL's winningest active coach, tutoring young players.
"Jody has tremendous knowledge of the game, tremendous perception," Martin said. "He has always been very observant on the bench, much more than some other players. He's a well-grounded individual, and he's always had a keen interest in his teammates."
Even ones he hardly knows. Upon being sent to the minors for three games two seasons ago, Hull roomed with then-rookie Josh Langfeld. Realizing Langfeld's potential to someday play in the NHL, Hull took time after practice to work with the kid on retrieving pucks shot deep into the corner of the offensive zone.
"He's one of the smarter players I've been around as far as knowing where to be in every situation," Langfeld said. "He's always been willing to help me."
Sure sounds like coaching material, even if Hull has yet to engage Paddock in material discussion about his role on a B-Sens staff that also includes longtime Paddock henchman Mike Busniuk. That won't happen, Paddock said, until Hull is officially sent down.
There are obvious challenges to wearing two hats, so Hull has phoned former Senators captain Randy Cunneyworth, for whom it is old hat after he walked the tightrope between being "just one of the guys" and an authority figure for two seasons with the Rochester Americans.
"Maybe I'll just have my own stall in the corner of the room so no one has to talk to me," Hull joked. "Randy said the key is just being professional. The guys have to know that what happens in the room stays in the room. I'm not going to sit and listen to what one of the guys has to say and then go rat him out. That's not who I am."
Senators general manager John Muckler knew that when he re-signed Hull and signed off on his experiment. Muckler initially offered the role to tough guy Rob Ray, but Ray, who lives near Buffalo, expressed doubts about moving to Binghamton just to learn how to coach.
Hull volunteered.
"I think there are three things that give Jody potential to be a good coach," Paddock said. "Number one, he's interested. Number two, he's been the type of player who listens. And number three, he's spent a lot of time around Roger Neilson."
Neilson, the Senators' assistant coach who died in June after a bout with cancer, coached Hull with the New York Rangers, Florida Panthers and Philadelphia Flyers before helping to bring him back to the Senators two seasons ago. Hull and Neilson even resided in the same town -- Peterborough, Ontario.
And in last season's Senators media guide, Hull's picture includes Neilson, fittingly perched on the bench in the background, like an angel over Hull's left shoulder.
With Neilson looking in on him as he starts his new career, how can Hull go wrong?
http://www.pressconnects.com/today/sports/stories/sp091803s30886.shtml
