Fowler looking for respect

As if he hasn't already gained it with his stellar and somewhat surprising play through xx games, Anaheim rookie defenseman Cam Fowler, who is all of 19 years old, is hoping to use the Honda SuperSkills competition as an opportunity to earn some more stripes for himself around the NHL.

"The experience and being with these guys, the stars of the game, I'll hopefully gain their respect," Fowler told NHL.com. "The skills is just for fun, but it would be cool if you do accuracy shooting and go 4 for 4 and have the guys ooh and ahh. That would be pretty cool, but I don't have high expectations."

Fowler admitted being here is strange for him because every other time he's been to an NHL-sponsored event -- the Scouting Combine in Toronto, the Entry Draft in Los Angeles -- he's been one of the most sought after guys by the media.

Here in Raleigh, he's hardly even recognized.

"It's a little different dynamic, but it's awesome to be around the superstars of the League and they're the ones that keep the show running," Fowler said. "It's cool to see how the guys are off the ice. They're superstars of the League but they're still laid back guys and they don't treat us any different. It's a great experience.

"You might get a chance to sit next to anybody in the locker room, guys you grew up watching, and that's pretty cool."

Follow Dan Rosen on Twitter at: @drosennhl

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