Lemieux eager for NHL debut

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This article was published 18/10/2017 (2380 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brendan Lemieux has planned for this his entire life — and another 72 hours of waiting won’t spoil the moment.

The rookie winger will, indeed, make his NHL debut with the Winnipeg Jets (3-3-0) tonight when they host the Central Division-rival Minnesota Wild (1-1-2). Game time is 7 p.m.

Lemieux was recalled from the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League on Tuesday and almost made his NHL debut that night against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

But when Brandon Tanev, bothered earlier by a back problem, was cleared to play, Lemieux watched the 5-2 defeat from the press box.

He’ll be a player against the Wild, Jets head coach Paul Maurice confirmed on Thursday following practice.

Lemieux, who was eager to get the word out to his family, including his dad — former NHL star Claude Lemieux — admitted this is an emotional time.

“Obviously, I was really excited the other day when I got the call and thought I was in. It’s a roller-coaster, but any day you spend in the NHL is a great day,” he said.

“It’s been a fun week so far, and I’m excited now.

“I’ve been waiting my whole life for this. It’s been a dream since I watched my dad play in the NHL. I’m really blessed to have the opportunity.”

Lemieux took line rushes on left wing, playing with Shawn Matthias at centre and Nic Petan on the right wall.

The 21-year-old forward, who was born in March 1996, mere months before his father helped the Colorado Avalanche clinch their first Stanley Cup, was off to a solid start with the Moose, scoring three goals and adding two assists along with nine penalty minutes in four games before his promotion.

He had 12 goals, seven assists and a team-high 130 penalty minutes in 61 games during an injury-shortened 2016-17 AHL campaign.

The former junior star with the Barrie Colts joined the Jets as part of the blockbuster trade with the Buffalo Sabres in 2015 that also brought Tyler Myers, Joel Armia, the now-departed Drew Stafford and the draft pick that turned out to be Jack Roslovic to town in exchange for Evander Kane and Zach Bogosian.

The road to the NHL wasn’t the direct route Lemieux envisioned for himself when he was younger, he admitted.

“It took a lot longer and it’s a lot harder than I thought it would be.

“But it was worth it.

“Some of the stuff that you learn along the way, you find out is almost as important as the game itself,” said Lemieux, a second-round pick of the Sabres in 2014.

“Obviously, I make it seem like I’m really old now but I’m still really young. I’ve wanted to play since I was 18 and I watched my roommate (Aaron) Ekblad (of the Florida Panthers) in the NHL and now he’s on his second contract. It feels like it’s been a long time, but really it’s been a great learning opportunity and I’ve been able to grow — grow my game and grow as a person.”

Lemieux immediately adds an edge to Winnipeg’s bottom-six forward group. He’s a dual-purpose performer who hits hard, isn’t shy about dropping the gloves and has scored greasy goals at every level he’s played.

“It’s hard to put into words. I just know that I bring something that not a lot of guys bring,” he said, when asked to define his skill set.

“I’m willing to go to hard areas and I’m hard to play against. That’s really the bottom line — that I try to be hard to play against and not make it easy for anybody to do anything.

“The word for it is sandpaper. That’s what my dad did and I’ve always looked up to him to want to be able to do (what he did). Hopefully, that’s what I can do.”

Indeed, father Claude was one of the league’s all-time great pests, but he backed up the chippiness by producing 379 goals and 786 points in 1,215 games over parts of 21 NHL seasons.

Brendan, 6-1, 210 pounds, said he hopes his folks can make it to Winnipeg in time for his milestone game, adding that their support has been the backbone of his growth, both as a person and a player.

“My dad has put in almost as much work as I have to help me grow as a player. Obviously, my mom (Deborah) has sacrificed a lot, with all of those early mornings, just like every other guy in this dressing room,” he said.

“It’s different for a player’s kid. There’s a lot that makes it easier when your dad played in the NHL and paves the way. But then there are some things that are more of a challenge. It’s been hard on my mom, but I’m sure they’re happy and it’s all been worth it to get a chance.

“It’s just one game. A lot of guys have played just one game. Obviously, I want to stick and want to be around to help this team. But you’ve got to start somewhere.”

After last season with the Moose, the young power forward felt he needed to up his speed game, and that meant shedding some weight without losing strength and stamina. He trained in Orange County, Calif., and dropped more than 10 pounds as he prepared for training camp.

Maurice said the youngster has done everything right to get to a place where the organization trusts he’s ready to step into an NHL lineup.

“He grew up in a hockey life and certainly values this opportunity. He’s practised well here. I saw his last Moose game and he played well. We’re looking for some energy on those third and fourth lines and he if he plays his game, he should be able to bring that,” Maurice said.

“He’s got a physical presence to his game. The big change for Brendan is his speed. He worked hard this summer and changed his body composition. He did a lot of really, really good work, so he’s faster. Hopefully, he can channel that and show that speed. (It) should be good, I’m looking forward to seeing him play.”

Petan said he and Lemieux weren’t on the same line during their brief time together with the Moose, but he’s anxious for the opportunity to share in his buddy’s debut.

“It’s always special to play that first game, so we’ll make him feel comfortable. We’re good friends, so he asked me a lot of questions and I know his energy’s going to be there, for sure,” said Petan, who worked out with the first power-play unit Thursday.

“He’s going to be super-excited and we’re super-excited for him.”

jason.bell@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @WFPJasonBell