Excitement?
Nerves?
None of the above, or some combination of the two?
You could understand the emotions of the freshly drafted were all over the place right now. They’re only 18, after all, and with their first-ever taste of the NHL on tap tonight, it can be a lot to take in.
Unless you’re Jaden Lipinski and Etienne Morin, who clearly had the steady hand at Monday’s morning skate.
“No nerves. None at all,” laughed Morin, who was taken in the second round – 48th overall – back in June. “It’s like any other hockey game as far as I’m concerned, so I can’t really be stressed about it. This whole camp, it’s been super exciting being around the pros and getting a chance to play with them, learn from them.
“It’s going to be an exciting game tonight and I can’t wait to show people what I can do.”
Ditto the 6-foot-4, 205-lb. Lipinski – although, admittedly, he had a bit of trouble getting to sleep last night.
But after a stellar showing at last week’s Young Stars Classic, tonight’s twirl at the Scotiabank Saddledome should feel like the natural progression for the Flames’ fourth-round prize.
“I'm starting to settle in," Lipinski said. "I worked really hard this off-season, so I thought I was able to take a big step forward in my game in Penticton and gain some confidence.
“This will obviously be a big step up, but I'm ready for it. It's one step closer to my goal.
“For me, it’s about playing with confidence and not letting the nerves get to me. But at the same time, you want to take in the moment, because I’ve worked my whole life for this moment.
“I’m a bigger guy, too, so if I’m (engaged) in the 1-on-1 battles and assert myself that way, I can walk away tonight having played a good game.”
Both Lipinski and Morin did that exceptionally well in the Okanagan, frequently factoring into the offence and showcasing the skill that made them a draft target only a few months ago.
Now, Flames fans will have their first chance to see what the new recruits have added to the pipeline.
“I found in Penticton, I got a little bit better with every game I played,” Morin said. “Until then, I played only one preseason game in Moncton but that was it, and it was more of a rough one in terms of cardio coming back from the summer.
“But once I got into it, I could feel myself adapting to the speed.
“It's probably going to be the same thing for me tonight in the first period – but after that, I'm going to start being more comfortable playing my game.”
Morin is an offensively minded, smooth-skating blueliner that has an excellent first pass. His lateral mobility is particularly strong, making him an effective powerplay quarterback that can either distribute the puck or get it through traffic to create a scoring chance. Last year, he had 72 points (21G, 51A) in 67 games to finish second in scoring with the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats.
Morin, though, said he’ll be focusing on the defensive side tonight.
“Just being quick and fast. That’s my goal,” he said. “That's what we've been talking about with the coaches. I want to show that I'm as reliable defensively as I am offensively. I'm known as an offensive defenceman, yes, but I want to stay back home, defend well and steal the puck from the forwards.
“Either way, I’m here to learn.
“Every pro guy in here, they all have different routines – but they're always going to be the first ones in the gym to stretch it out. If they're older, 30, 31, 35 – they're still going to be in the gym and have that passion. Every guy that plays in the NHL has been a model for me and all the younger guys coming in are the same for me.”
“It’s such a big thing to be able to share the ice with these guys,” added Lipinski. “They've all been so nice and have helped me with anything I've needed.
“This is something I've worked my whole life for, so it's going to be exciting tonight.”
