Columbus Blue Jackets defenceman Grant Clitsome was drafted out of Tier II Jr. A in the ninth round of the 2004 NHL draft (the draft has since been shortened to seven rounds). He played four seasons of collegiate hockey at Clarkson and nearly three years in the AHL before finally getting a chance in The Show. His statistics were never gaudy; his size was always an issue. Aside from a booming slapshot that produced precious few goals, and a high intelligence level – he made the all-academic team in college – there was nothing about Clitsome that made you think he'd succeed in the NHL.
But he has.
Over parts of two seasons, he has 22 points in 42 NHL games with the Blue Jackets – good point totals for a blueliner. He signed a two-year contract extension with the Jackets in the off-season and has enjoyed an excellent training camp. All signs point toward the 26-year-old being a key player for Columbus this season.
With the NHL's regular season set to begin this week, keep in mind that more than 100 players will make their debut in the top league in the world. Some will be high draft picks, but many will be late-round picks and free agent signings who'll play no more than a handful of NHL games before continuing their career in the AHL, or perhaps heading over to Europe where the pay is better and the season shorter. At any event, dozens of players will realize their dream this season, however fleeting it might be.
"I had to take it one game at a time, one shift at a time. There was always a mental battle I fought with myself." - Grant Clitsome
For these players, how they audition in their first few NHL games determines whether or not teams will continue to view them as a prospect when they are sent back down to the minors. This makes their rookie experience inherently different that of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Gabriel Landeskog or Adam Larsson – three high 2011 draft picks expected to crack the NHL this season despite not being able to legally buy alcohol in the city in which they play. These players are young and supremely skilled. And even if they don't make it on their first try, they'll get a second chance, and a third one, and heaven knows how many more opportunities after that.
"When I got called up, I knew I had to be at my best at all times," said Clitsome. "I had to take it one game at a time, one shift at a time. There was always a mental battle I fought with myself. If I made a mistake, I couldn't afford to dwell on it because my focus had to be on my next shift. The players here are so skilled and so smart – they make plays at such a high speed. I always had to be on the ball mentally."
Nate Thompson of the Tampa Bay Lightning is another player few observers expected to make it to the NHL. He was drafted by the Boston Bruins in the sixth round of the 2003 draft. In four seasons in the Western League, he never scored more than 19 goals. He was known as a gritty defensive forward who set a good example with his work ethic. Thompson scored a combined 16 goals in his first two AHL seasons and then broke through with 19 in his third campaign. Along the way he saw action in four NHL games.
Thompson wasn't in the Bruins plans, but the New York Islanders saw something in him and claimed the Anchorage Alaska native on waivers before the 2008-09 season. A year-and-a-half later he was on waivers again. This time he was claimed by the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he has established himself as a valuable role player for coach Guy Boucher. Last season Thompson had 10 goals and 25 points in 79 games.
But why did Thompson make it when other similar players didn't?
"I approached every game like it was the biggest of my life," said Thompson. "I knew I had to find my niche as a player, so I focused on playing well defensively, winning face-offs and blocking shots. In my first season with the Islanders, I got the feeling I was contributing and it made me want to keep it going. I just kept things simple and didn't look beyond the next game. That mental approach really helped."
"...it took a while before I felt like an NHL player. There was always the possibility I'd get sent back to the AHL, and that really motivated me." - Joel Ward
Joel Ward, now with the Washington Capitals, is perhaps the NHLer who overcame the greatest odds to make it. While other prospects his age were playing the AHL, Ward was plying his trade for the University of P.E.I. Panthers in the Canadian collegiate ranks. In the past 25 years, you can count on two hands the number of NHLers who've come out of the Canadian university system. Most players go there to get educated; some will go on to play professionally while most will never play competitively again.
Ward, now 30, was walking around a Houston shopping mall with a teammate just before Christmas in 2006 when he found out he was called up to the Minnesota Wild. But like Thompson, his stint with his first NHL team was short-lived. It lasted just 11 games. He spent the next season in Houston (AHL) before signing as a free agent with the Nashville Predators. Even though he was a rookie in terms of NHL games played during his first year with the Preds, Ward was too old to be eligible for the Calder Trophy. He went on to score 17 goals in 79 games to establish himself as an NHL regular. After three seasons in Nashville, Ward signed a four-year contract worth $12 million with Washington this summer.
"Making the NHL was a dream come true," he said. "But it took a while before I felt like an NHL player. There was always the possibility I'd get sent back to the AHL, and that really motivated me. I remember coach (Barry) Trotz calling me into his office and telling me to get a place. Before then, I'd been staying in a hotel. That was a big moment for me. I felt like I'd made it for good."
The road to the NHL is a straight line only for a gifted few. Understandably, it's the prodigies who get most of the attention. They have the unique ability to turn a franchise around - change the direction of an entire organization. They are remarkable athletes, but their stories are somewhat predictable: they've been coddled since childhood, parents of other players were insanely jealous, success came easily to them.
And then there's Grant Clitsome, Nate Thompson, Joel Ward and others – players who've had to earn a chance, or even a second or third one. By the time they made it, all three players were grown men with professional experience. They understood the importance of a game-day routine. They could cook for themselves, play their own bills, run their own lives.
All three readily admit they wasted little time being in awe of players they'd grown up watching on TV. There was simply no value in it. They instead focused on what they could control. Every shift became the most important of their lives. Every shot block, face-off win, or outlet pass was worn like a badge of honour. For many players, it's these little things done exceptionally well that serve as the building blocks that transform a childhood dream into reality.