| Blake Wheeler | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Oct 16 2006, 05:15 PM (103 Views) | |
| Ryan | Oct 16 2006, 05:15 PM Post #1 |
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Men's hockey: U has big plans for Wheeler The 6-4, 215-pound sophomore has the frame to be a physical presence on the offensive end. Dean Spiros, Star Tribune Last update: October 12, 2006 – 7:38 PM To suggest that the Gophers men's hockey team is Blake Wheeler's team is overstating the case. But this much seems clear: Its fate rests in his hands. The Gophers are counting on the 6-4, 215-pound sophomore forward to be the catalyst for an unproven offense wracked by early departures. A move from wing to center has him playing a new position. It's not the only change that has the Gophers crossing their fingers. "Blake's game will go to the next level when he becomes a difficult guy to play against," Gophers coach Don Lucia said. "He's got to develop some of that nastiness." To do so requires persistent reminders from the coaching staff that they're looking for a little less beauty and a lot more beast. "I've been blessed to have a big body," Wheeler said. "It's about time to start using it." It was because of Wheeler's blend of size and skill that Wayne Gretzky and the Phoenix Coyotes selected Wheeler with the fifth pick in the 2005 NHL draft. Under an umbrella of great expectations, Wheeler scored nine goals as a freshman, the majority of which would have come if he was 5-11 instead of 6-4. Wheeler showed flashes, but he was a nonfactor on enough nights for some observers to conclude he underachieved. "I wasn't disappointed until the end of the season came," Wheeler said. "It's tough to be disappointed when you go on the incredible streak we went on. It became more of a shock when it was all over, when you have regrets about what you could have done and how you could have contributed." Lucia said Wheeler's goal total can at least double this season if he learns to go through defenders instead of always trying to go around them. "You look at his size and you expect him to be more of a power forward than he is," Lucia said. "He's a skilled player, but I think he can be more of a physical force with the puck. Whenever there is a battle for the puck, Blake should be the one coming out of the corner with it." To aid the transformation, Lucia and his staff have been putting their heads together to try to find the right linemates for Wheeler. Ben Gordon and Mike Howe skated with Wheeler the first two games. Freshman Jay Barriball, off to a good start offensively, replaced Howe on right wing during practice this week. Wheeler has Lucia's blessing to handle the puck a lot, but he needs to pick up his share of "ugly" goals. "You have to get in front of the net, establish a low center of gravity and just fight for pucks," Wheeler said. "You can't just be a perimeter player." Practices have been a lot more physical than in recent years, with the hope all the Gophers forwards learn the benefits of going hard to the net. "It's easy in an Olympic rink to go up and down without contact," Lucia said. "We're having more of those one-on-one battles in practice so it becomes more natural in games." Wheeler said he does not set any personal goals for points or goals in a season, but with the amount of ice time he is expected to get -- including on the power play -- 20 goals doesn't seem too much to ask. "It's been a mind-set all summer to try to improve my production from last year," Wheeler said. "Last year I kind of learned where you can score the goals and where goals aren't scored. Hopefully I can use that to my advantage this year." Dean Spiros • dspiros@startribune.com http://www.startribune.com/512/story/739367.html |
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