EDMONTON – Still very young in terms of NHL experience, but younger, younger, almost 28 years old, according to the parameters of today’s NHL, Vincent Desharnais reveals graying temples when he removes his protective helmet.
Quite a contrast to the shaved head he sported last year when the Oilers rewarded years of effort since his seventh-round draft (183e selection) in 2016 by offering him a first chance within their training.
“My wisdom has to come out somewhere,” the giant defender said, pushing his gray hair back with his hand.
Twelve months after taking part in his first career NHL playoffs, a lot has changed for Vincent Desharnais. Things that are less obvious than his graying locks, but which are oh so much more important.
Starting with trust. His self-confidence needs to be emphasized here.
“This is my biggest improvement,” he says with obvious pride.
It must be said that the confidence that Vincent Desharnais placed in him was always inversely proportional to his giant stature of 6 feet 7 inches and nearly 230 pounds.
“I have always deferred to others when it comes to trust. It came from my parents who never stopped believing in me, from the coaches and teammates I worked with from my minor hockey, to the minor professional leagues through the university ranks. Even last year, when I found a place on the team, I struggled to trust myself. To tell myself that I was in the National League and that I deserved to be there,” says Desharnais.
Full-fledged oiler
Today, Vincent Desharnais trusts himself. With this confidence without which it is difficult to survive in the NHL – as in any workplace – Desharnais considers himself a full-fledged Oiler. On the ice, in the locker room, in his everyday life.
The wisdom associated with his gray hair keeps him grounded. Prevents him from moving from a lack of confidence to an excess of confidence, which could be even more harmful.
But he trusts himself now.
An example: Wednesday, at the dawn of the second game of the series between the Oilers and the Kings, Vincent Desharnais decided to take advantage of the option offered by his head coach Kris Knoblauch. Instead of accompanying the reserves and spending around thirty minutes on the Rogers Place ice rink, Desharnais remained in the locker room to save his energy.
“Last year and even during the last season, I would never have dared to make this decision. This morning, I dare, because I know that it is the best to take to ensure that I am as ready as possible for tonight’s match,” Desharnais explained on Wednesday.
Because the Kings, thanks to Anze Kopitar’s overtime goal, finally won the game to level the odds 1-1, perhaps Desharnais will lace up the skates Friday morning, if Knoblauch offers his players the decision to skate or no, in view of the third meeting of the series.
But if he does, it will be his decision. He won’t feel obligated to go.
“I even allow myself this year to have conversations with my teammates when I find that there are things that could be done differently to improve our chances of winning. Last year, I spoke to the guys to greet them and it was pretty good,” says the defender.
Nurse and Bouchard impressed
Having self-confidence is a good thing. Also having the trust of your coach and also that of your teammates is an even better thing.
In a few questions asked to his fellow workers, it is clear that Desharnais benefits from their full and complete trust. He even benefits from a bit of admiration.
“Last year, Vinny made the best of the situation in front of him. But it’s not easy to be comfortable on the ice when you don’t know what the future holds for you. With everything he accomplished, he gained everyone’s trust. But above all he was able to develop his own self-confidence. It allows him to express himself in a different way on the ice,” said Darnell Nurse.
Vincent Desharnais first and foremost fulfills defensive missions within the third duo which he completes with former Canadian Brett Kulak.
The Laval resident also jumps on the ice with Mattias Ekholm as soon as the time comes to eliminate a numerical disadvantage.
His average usage time – 15:02 per game in the regular season – has fluctuated upwards since the start of the playoffs. He spent 17:15 on the ice in the first game of the series, 18:05 in the second. After these two games, he claimed 12 hits, nine blocked shots and the penalty kill specialists blanked the Kings in 10 minutes of massive attack.
It’s not nothing.
“Vincent is a big guy who hits and excels at blocking shots – Desharnais is second on the Oilers with 122, behind Darnell Nurse (172), but first with an average of 5.96 blocked shots per game last season – and take penalties, but don’t underestimate his offensive potential,” added Evan Bouchard.
“He’s also very good with the puck. He is one of the best in our group at restarting attacks. His first passes are precise and he does not hesitate to try more difficult plays to reach a teammate who is speeding through the center. It’s not easy to pull off this kind of pass. But this year, he is trying them whereas last year, he was more careful in managing the puck,” continued Bouchard, who knows his way around offensive support as evidenced by his 18 goals scored and 82 points. collected in 81 games this season. These are 17 goals and 71 points more than Desharnais.
A big thank you to Paul Coffey
Very happy to be able to count on the trust of his teammates on the ice and to feel that he is truly part of the group once back in the locker room or during activities when the Oilers find themselves abroad, Vincent Desharnais is happier yet to have been able to develop a bond with his new defenders coach, the great Paul Coffey.
During an interview conducted shortly after the arrival of Kris Knoblauch and Paul Coffey behind the bench to replace Jay Woodcroft and Dave Manson, Vincent Desharnais praised Coffey’s good humor and positive attitude upon his arrival.
This good humor and this positivism are still present now that the Oilers are in the playoffs.
“I owe him a lot. Paul taught me to accept making mistakes. Before, when I made a mistake, it would follow me for the rest of the game. It’s hard to play well when you spend your time thinking about what you did wrong earlier in the match, instead of thinking about what you need to do right the next time you play. It’s even worse when you’re benched for the slightest mistake.
“Paul is not from that school. He doesn’t accept mistakes. When you come back to the bench, he makes the remarks he has to make. But when it’s done, he tells you to immediately focus on your next one shift. When he wants to go into more detail, he does it in front of the video and not on the bench. When a guy like Paul Coffey, with everything he’s done in his Hall of Fame career, tells you to go out there, trust yourself, play hockey and it reminds you that mistakes are part of the game and you just have to correct them instead of repeating them, it’s hard not to develop self-confidence. And that’s really what has changed the most for me this year,” said the great defender.
Vincent Desharnais is completing the final weeks of a two-year contract worth $1.525 million.
In order to have a head for hockey and just hockey, Desharnais and his agent Philippe Lecavalier have postponed negotiations surrounding a next contract which could result in a nice salary increase.
Another sign of wisdom associated with his new gray temples. And if he has his way, Desharnais will soon look like a great sage.
“I just have a little gray in my hair, but the longer my beard grows, the whiter it will become. I hope it will be very long and very white when I cut it once the sets are finished. »
Desharnais’ graying locks aren’t here to stay. He will shave them, like his playoff beard, once the season is over. But it will be for a good cause: the “Shaved Heads” Challenge which allows Leucan to raise funds to support children defeated by cancer and their family members.
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