Ferland ready for next step of his career

CALGARY, AB -- The last, the only, worthwhile sample-size Glen Gulutzan has of Micheal Ferland can be traced back 16 months.
Gulutzan was then perched on the opposition bench, staring in equal parts admiration and disbelief as munitions expert Ferland gleefully set about blowing up cranky Kevin Bieksa on virtually every shift; drove all the Vancouver players either to distraction or through the woodwork while bundling the Canucks straight into the off-season.
"I thought in that series he played with just a ton of heart,'' says Gulutzan, a full season and one allegiance switch later. "I can tell you, the first game now that I've coached him, in Winnipeg (Tuesday) - guys knew he was out there.
"He was moving around and he was finishing checks.
"You talk about intimidation in this league. A lot of the fighting has gone out. We all know that. But … intimidation is becoming that guy who can fight but moreso can hit, get in on the forecheck and make people pay.
"That's new intimidation.
"And Ferly has that quality.
"I noticed it in the Winnipeg game and I noticed it in that series a year or so back."

Success, fame, the whole blessed celebrity thing, all rushed up on in a happy blur for Micheal Ferland that spring.
Well, the lawn signs campaigning him for mayor that attracted headlines back then were long ago put in storage in the garage.
"Those playoffs," says Ferland, "were a long time ago.
"Everybody keeps bringing up the playoffs. I've moved on.
"I'm preparing to play this season, not thinking about what's in the past."
In the the summer of 2015, after no small amount of haggling, the Flames agreed to a two-year, one-way $1.65 million deal.
There followed the inevitable, jarring reality of adapting to the slog of an 82-game trek - an entirely different animal - instead of a short, electric jolt of post-season.
Ferland had scored three goals during his playoff push to notoriety. He scored four over 71 regular season skates last year.
Given the unrealistic build-up, a disappointment to many.
"As hard, as intense, as it gets in playoffs,'' reminds Flames' general manager Brad Treliving, "there's always momentum to carry you along.
"Momentum can take you a long way.
"Playoffs are a special time. They're a fun time. Everyone understands the importance; responds to that. That's when people raise their game.
"There's emotion, there's adrenalin.
"Then you get to a run-of-the-mill Tuesday in January - you're tired, a bit banged up, maybe, and playing your third game in four nights - and you're just trying to grind through. And it's tough.
"Whereas in junior you can get by on talent alone, because you're better than everyone else, now you're playing in the best league in the world.
"With Micheal, as a long of young players, it's about finding a consistency level.
"Here, you've got to bring that juice every night."
To that end, Ferland set about preparing himself in the best possible manner.
"This is a really important year for myself,'' he acknowledges. "I had a really good summer. I'm trying to give myself the best chance to have a good camp and a good season.
"Gully's been awesome. I've known him a little since junior. He's going to be a fun guy to play for.
"Last year I learned you're not going to get eight hits a night over a whole season. Playoffs you can put everything on the line. Regular season, maybe five hits and you don't beat up your body too badly."
So far, in the early stages, everything's been encouraging.
"I've really liked his camp,'' praises Treliving. "I think he came in excellent shape. He's moving better. He's not a big talker but he's a bit more vocal now.
"He understands he's got to step a little ways out of the comfort zone and grab a hold of it."
Even standing 6-foot-2 and weighing in at 225 pounds, a judicious rationing of the overtly physical stuff helps ease an accumulation of wear and tear over the long haul.
"We've talked to Ferly about that,'' says assistant general manager Craig Conroy. "If he played an entire regular season the way he did those playoffs, he'd wind up in a hospital. Impossible. Can't do it.
"But you can throw a couple of huge hits, finish your checks, put pucks to the net and play hard each and every night.
"And watching the first exhibition game, he did that. We had the 'A' on him, he had a bunch of people in town for the game (Ferland was born in Swan River, MB and played junior in Brandon).
"He skated well. His shift lengths were longer. He's in better shape.
"For me, he played to his identity in that game, just looked like a really good NHL player."
Gulutzan's predecssor, Bob Hartley, was a big Ferland booster, championed the latent potential, helped the young man sort through his personal demons.
Now there's a new guy toting a whistle to win over.
Could be that's precisely what Ferland needs.
"I wouldn't say he took a step back last year, exactly,'' hedges Conroy. "Let's just say he didn't build on that success he had in the playoffs.
"For me, (Troy) Brouwer might be the best example for Micheal Ferland to follow. Big guy. He's won. Physical when it's there. A pro. Competes hard every game. He plays the game the way Ferly has to play.
"If Micheal follows him, watches him, he'll learn a lot. I'm so happy we got Brouwer not just because he's a really good player, but because he's a great example for young guys like Ferly."
As Ferland himself will tell you, that short, electric spring of 2015 seems like a long time ago now.
He's looking through the front windshield, not a rear-view mirror. And advises everyone else to do the same.
"We want him evolve to a point where (physicality) is always a part of his game,'' says Gulutzan, "but the details, the energy, the way he plays, the way he defends, is also there every night.
"If he can do that …"
Then you can start rescuing those mayoral campaign signs out of garage storage and plant 'em on the front lawn again.