AHL: QA with T.J. Hensick

T.J. Hensick is accustomed to scoring in droves after a standout collegiate career at the University of Michigan, and he's again showing that form in his rookie-pro season. Splitting the 2007-08 season between the Colorado Avalanche and the team's AHL affiliate Lake Erie Monsters, Hensick is still in contention to lead the Monsters in rookie scoring despite missing many games while skating in the NHL.

McKeen's recently had the opportunity to talk with Hensick and discussed his rookie-pro season between Colorado and Lake Erie, his time as a Wolverine, playing for Team USA and the National Team Developmental Program, his youth hockey with Honeybaked, and being selected in the NHL Draft by the archrival of his childhood team.

McKeen's: You were assigned by Colorado to Lake Erie on February 25, just before the trade deadline. You have been doing fairly well since your re-assignment, how have things been different for you playing for Lake Erie and for Colorado?

Hensick: It's maybe a different level of guys, the guys are a little bigger and stronger up top, and the game's more positional up top, and if you make mistakes, it's going to find its way in the back of your net. Right now, it's kind of creeping into our game down here; we seem to be making mistakes that have been costly. Right now as a team, we've got to regroup and try and get back at it tomorrow.

McKeen's: You have spent time with both Colorado and Lake Erie, but what are some of the things that the Avalanche want you to work on in the AHL so that you can crack Colorado's lineup full time?

Hensick: I think one thing for me has always been consistency, playing at the top of your game. That's the difference, I think, between these guys down here at this level and the NHL players is that they bring it every night. That's something that I'm going to have to do if I want to earn a spot next year and I think become a better defensive player. With tonight's performance, it's an uphill battle. Like I said, we're making costly mistakes, myself included, and they find a way in the back of the net. Here, right now, it's getting back to consistency and working on my two-way play.

McKeen's: That said, what would you consider are your strengths as a player already?

Hensick: I think my speed, quickness, and vision on the ice, making plays off the cycle and off the transition. Those aspects have probably been my strengths.

McKeen's: What have been some of the biggest adjustments for you, coming out of college, to the pro game, both in the American League and the National Hockey League?

Hensick: I think the biggest jump is always the 82-game schedule. You're looking at the 45 to 48 games down at school. Right now, I think I'm at 62 or 63 games. I have played this, but it's been a while since I have played this many games, so it's a big transition. I don't know if my body is used to taking an 82-game pounding. As this year progresses, hopefully I can get myself ready to play an 82-game schedule next year, and that just goes back to being more consistent over an 82-game schedule.

McKeen's: You put up five goals and two assists in your first six games back in your last stint with Colorado. What helped you put up those numbers in those games?

Hensick: Well, I think just having confidence. That was my fourth time being up and playing a little more powerplay time with the injuries they had and playing on the top two lines, playing with more offensive guys, it was definitely a lot easier. It's easier every time you get called up. You're not as nervous, you're not running as much on excitement and adrenaline, you're more comfortable on the ice. For me, it seems to get better each time I get called up. But, I've got to get back to the basics if I want to get another chance.

McKeen's: Who were some of the guys that you were able to skate with during that early part of that stint in Colorado?

Hensick: I played with Ryan Smyth, Milan Hejduk, I was playing with [Andrew] Brunette on the powerplay and John-Michael Liles on the powerplay. Just being around those guys and the decision and playmaking abilities that they have, it's much easier to play that first or second-line role than that third or fourth-line role.

McKeen's: Before that most recent stint, you played for PlanetUSA at the AHL All-Star Game. What was it like to be named to that team and tell me how the skills competition and the game went for you personally?

Hensick: It was exciting for me. I've never been in an All-star-game atmosphere like that before, we really don't have that in school. Being picked, I hadn't played many games at the time of the roster announcement, I was pretty excited. I think I'd played 20 games at that point, but being able to go there and be around the best players in the American League was pretty exciting. I got to see some former faces like [Andrew] Ebbett and [Jeff] Tambellini that I played with at school. It was fun to relax and not have the pressure of the game-like atmosphere.

McKeen's: Plus, you put up two goals and two assists in that game.

Hensick: Yeah, it was nice playing with guys like Keith Aucoin and guys like Toby Petersen. Being able to play with guys of that skill level makes it a lot easier, and the fact that there's not much hitting and not much defense, it kind of goes in my favor.

McKeen's: Who were some of the Colorado players and also the Lake Erie players that have helped you the most in transitioning to the pro game this year?

Hensick: I think up top, [Ian] Laperriere is just an amazing person, an amazing guy. He's always there to make sure you're doing alright. If there's any questions you need answered, he's there. Then, Ryan Smyth. I was there for Christmas break, he asked me to come over for Christmas dinner and hang out with his family. Those two guys have been pretty good to me when I'm up there. Down here, I think it's a little more of a different atmosphere. We've got a lot of rookies on this team and then a lot of vets, so there's not much in between. Everyone down here, it's been a good mix. Even talking to guys in and out, you know "Smitty," Wyatt Smith down here has been huge for us, I think, with the leadership he's brought. It varies on when I'm up and down depending on which guy I talk to.

McKeen's: Obviously, you had an incredible collegiate career. You were twice a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, CCHA First-Team All-Star three times and Second-Team the other time, NCAA West First All-American Team, led the nation in scoring. What were some of the things that helped you accomplish those things during your four years at Michigan?

Hensick: I think, you go to a school like that with the skill level that they can bring to the player, you get to play with some pretty good players. Guys I've already mentioned like Tambellini and Ebbett, playing with those guys my first two years, Kevin Porter is leading the nation now in scoring, guys like Jack Johnson and Matt Hunwick on "d," so it's pretty easy to get out there and make plays when you're playing with such skilled players. I think Red [Berenson] saw the skill level I had and he put me in situations where I could succeed. That program itself, best four years so far in my life. I'm looking forward to them hopefully getting the National Championship this year. It was just a great time. I always looked forward to going to the rink, always had fun. I don't regret going to school one bit.

McKeen's: That perfectly leads into my next question, because pretty much every night you played for the Wolverines, half of your roster was NHL draft picks. Tell me more about that program and what hockey life is like at Michigan.

Hensick: Well, it's obviously the second sport, behind football, but they say our tickets are the hardest to get, just because we only have 7,000 seats and it's lined up every night to get people in that building. The student atmosphere, I think, is the best in the country hands down. It's always fun to be able to go the rink and play in front of that crowd and play in front of that school. You're talking 45,000 students plus, and their alumni base is huge. Hockey is a big deal at that school, always has been, and I think always will be. Then, Red Berenson, obviously speaks for itself and the coaching presence he has. He taught me a lot there, but also his play. I think there's only been two guys to score six goals (in one game) in the NHL, so he knows the game inside and out, and being around good players, it's easier to recruit when you go to a school like that. Obviously, it's tough for the smaller schools, but Michigan always gets those top recruits just based on who they are. Like I said, you get a pretty good skill level when you go to a school like that.

McKeen's: You've already touched on a couple of these guys, because you were able to skate with a number of highly talented teammates, but who were some of your Wolverine teammates that stuck out and impressed you the most?

Hensick: Obviously, [Andrew] Cogliano is having a pretty phenomenal year in Edmonton. I think right now the biggest, I'm not surprised, but finally came around is [Mike] Komisarek there in Montreal. He's having an unbelievable year and leading the NHL, I think, in hits, maybe blocked shots. So, those two guys, [Mike] Comrie, [Mike] Cammalleri, guys like that have had stints. Jack Johnson's having a pretty good rookie season. You always see Michigan guys here and there. Jeff Jillson here has been called up to Colorado some, and David Oliver is our GM, so they seem to be everywhere. It's always good for the program to see guys like that have a chance to play.

McKeen's: Tell me more about your relationship with Matt Hunwick, because you played with him at Honeybaked, the U.S. National Team Developmental Program, and the University of Michigan. What has it been like to not be skating with him?

Hensick: Yeah, I skated with him for 12 or 13 years. He's more like a brother to me, forever. Our families are real close. I know his brother real well, he knows my sisters real well. So, it's a pretty good relationship, talk quite a bit. He had a stint up there with Boston, played pretty well, but they're fighting for a playoff spot, so they went with more of a veteran kind of group, but he'll get a chance. He's a pretty phenomenal player and he'll be fine. He's one of the hardest workers I've ever played with, so he'll get there at one point.

McKeen's: I understand he was your roommate in college.

Hensick: Yeah, roommate, best friend, brother. I roomed with him for three years. Freshman year was the only year that I didn't live with him, because coaches wanted me to meet a new freshman. We probably would have if they would have let us. My sophomore year was probably the most chaotic. We lived with five seniors, we were sophomores at the time, so it was pretty different there. But then, the last two years we just lived together. We always did everything together.

McKeen's: Living in the hockey house… You played two seasons with the Developmental Program. What was it like playing there and what were some of the biggest things you learned while you were there?

Hensick: Probably the biggest is that it's not all offense. Moe Mantha was my coach for two years and I enjoyed him tremendously and that program, off ice and on ice, speaks for itself, the players that they've put at D1 schools I think is at about 96 percent. So, being able to go to that school and actually live at home was huge for me. It was a pretty easy question, no-brainer, to go to that program. I loved playing the international games. You get up for those games. You get to play the Under-18 year, you probably get to play probably 25 Division One schools, so it's more like your freshman year and then you go to school as a sophomore, really. So, it really prepares you for the next level and how, ultimately, it gets you hopefully to the NHL.

McKeen's: Tell me about some of the off-ice training regimens that they put you guys through.

Hensick: It's a developmental program, so we might have a game Friday night, we're doing squats Thursday. They're not so much worried about winning and losing, except when the international games come around, then you take a couple weeks off before that tournament or those games. So, they're trying to get you better. No matter if you've got a game the next day, they still want you doing those three sets of squats. It pushes you, they're always pushing you. They have Darryl Nelson, who's been there forever, pretty good guy, knows his stuff. Definitely a challenging workout in itself. We took boxing, too, just to get the confidence. Not so much to fight, just to be able, if it does arise, to defend yourself. It's exciting, a little nerve-racking going in there your first year, but you grow into it and you get to play with some pretty good players.

McKeen's: What are some of your favorite memories with Team USA, be it at the World Junior Championships or with the Developmental Team?

Hensick: Obviously, with the Developmental Program the biggest is playing the Under-18 tournament. Mine was in Russia. We played Canada in the semis, lost in overtime, would have had a real good chance of beating Slovakia in the finals if we had beaten Canada. It was a tight game and they had some pretty good players there. It was a pretty big disappointment to end your two-year run at the national program, but fun and exciting, and then, obviously, playing on the World Junior team in North Dakota, playing on your home soil playing in front of that U.S. crowd at a pretty nice rink there in North Dakota. Those two experiences are probably the highlights of my playing for Team USA.

McKeen's: You were a third round pick of the Colorado Avalanche, but your childhood team was the Detroit Red Wings. What was it like to be drafted by one of Detroit's primary rivals and what did Colorado tell you when they called you?

Hensick: Obviously, I was a huge Wings fan growing up, going to games all the time with my parents, especially my dad. To get drafted by their archrival, my agent calls me and tells me that he doesn't have to go very far to sign the contract, so my first instinct was, "Oh, I must have gotten drafted by Detroit," because that was during the lockout when it wasn't open to the public. But, he's (Kurt Overhardt) based in Denver, so that meant he didn't have to go far, not me. You've got highs and lows there, but, like I said, to be part of an organization like that that has a pretty good tradition, winning some Stanley Cups in the past 10 or 12 years, it's been a good adventure, good excitement every day. We'll see what happens, just got to get back to basics and hopefully get another chance.

McKeen's: When did you first start skating, when did you first start playing hockey, and when did you realize you had a strong chance of making a career out of this?

Hensick: Oh, I started skating when I was five, five or six. Then, you're not really thinking about it until you probably get to the national program, and then you think maybe you've got a chance to play, you get drafted and have a chance to play. I played a lot of sports growing up, so I was probably 13 or 14 when I realized my passion was for hockey. You always dream of playing in the NHL, but I don't think it hits you, at least it didn't hit me until I made the National Program and realize that you never know. You've got an opportunity and let's see what happens.

McKeen's: What were some of the other sports you played?

Hensick: Baseball. I played football one year, just because my dad played college ball, wanted me to try out, but I didn't really have the passion like he did for it. Mostly baseball and hockey growing up, a little soccer when I was three to six, but just those two sports really.

McKeen's: Prior to playing for the National Development Program you played for Honeybaked. How did you end up in that organization, because as a Michigan kid, there are a lot of options, and what were some of the highlights of your time there?

Hensick: We won the Quebec peewee tournament up there. That was probably the biggest highlight. Went to a couple of national championship games, didn't win any, unfortunately. I was always playing in Toronto, playing against good players, good tournaments. I always played with the same coaching staff for probably my entire six or seven years with the organization. Actually, two of the coaches are alumni of Michigan State, both players, and then our head coach, Doug Itami, unbelievable guy. He's the main reason I went to that program and obviously it worked out well for me. I checked out most of the schools. Little Caesar's was so far from my house, the parents didn't want to drive there. It was pretty much between Compuware and Honeybaked. I didn't really talk to Compuware too much, just fell in love with the coaching staff at Honeybaked and just went from there.

McKeen's: Lastly, who were your favorite players growing up and why?

Hensick: Favorites? Easily, Steve Yzerman. Local kid there in Detroit, always growing up watching him play. He was definitely my favorite. Joe Sakic is a close second. Those two guys, growing up, watched them quite a bit. Didn't see much of Gretzky there, I was a little kid, didn't really understand how good he was at that time. There's obviously some good players. It's still exciting to watch guys play. I was there retirement night for Yzerman and it was definitely a sad moment for a kid that grew up a Detroit Red Wings fan.