“My dream was to play for him. He taught me a lot about how to become a man and how you handle yourself on the track. He was a great mentor and still is in my life. ‘ – Canucks rookie Will Lockwood on retired Michigan coach Red Berenson.
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If rookie Will Lockwood lands a spot on the National Hockey League roster, a legendary coach will get the first assist.
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The impressive right winger for the Vancouver Canucks still applies the lessons learned from former University of Michigan bank chief Red Berenson and stays in touch with the award-winning mentor. He retired four years ago after 33 years and 36 NCAA tournament appearances.
His messages of growing up, growing your game and being respectful still resonate with Lockwood, 23, who was a Wolverines freshman in 2016-17 and achieved 20 points (8-12) in 30 games. The tutelage has helped bring Lockwood to a place where he is making the most of his quest for a fourth-line position.
When he sent hulking defender Luke Schenn with a hefty check at a training ground in Abbotsford, his eyebrows arched in appreciation. And when he beat speedy forward Matthew Highmore in a discus chase, it was another check mark from Canucks coach Travis Green and another tip on the 81-year-old Berenson’s cap.
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“My dream was to play for him,” Lockwood said of Berenson after a camp session. “He taught me a lot about how to become a man and how you handle yourself on the track. How you treat your teammates and how you face your days and how you manage school. He was really great on the school side and took advantage of that college.
It worked. During his senior season, Lockwood was captain and second at Michigan scoring with 23 points (9-14) in 33 games.
“He was a great mentor and still is in my life,” Lockwood added. “Before camp, I usually call him and talk about things, and he still helps me today.”
Lockwood recorded two NHL games in the final sprint. And even in that brief cameo, you could see how the 5-foot-11, 172-pound Royal Oak, Michigan native combined speed and advantage to handle pucks and chase opponents at the bow check.
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“Will has a lot of willpower,” Berenson said. “He brings it.”
One of his best teaching lessons was that you have more time with the album than you think. And Berenson should know.
The Regina native was a dependable center who amassed 658 points (261-397) in 987 career games with four NHL clubs and twice broke the 30-goal plateau. He also coached two NHL teams and knew that panic often plagued young players too eager to impress.
“That’s something he told me about in my first camp and first game,” recalled Lockwood, who scored 11 points (4-7) in 24 games last season as a rookie in the American Hockey League. “The guys here (NHL) are always in the right position and they don’t run as much.
“You have a little more time and it’s important to have that balance, especially as a winger on the wall, because those plays are really important to get the puck out. You don’t want to panic and just throw it down the wall or into the middle. A lot of that is having that poise. “
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The speed and determination ratios will give Lockwood a long preseason look. He’s exempt from the exemption, so starting this season in Abbotsford with the AHL Canucks is an option, but not one he’s considering.
“The team looks stronger this year and there’s a lot of competition, but I’m a competitive guy and I’m looking forward to it,” Lockwood said, knowing that pro test veteran Alex Chiasson along with Matthew Highmore and Zack MacEwen are also in the fourth mix. of lines “.
To his credit, Lockwood has never backed down from the physical game.
“It goes back to my nature,” he recalled. “I remember our first year of batting, it was something that I really enjoyed and was always a smaller kid growing up. And in this league, I’m not going to be one of the biggest forces, but that (advantage) helps my game and it also helps the team.
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“If I can provide that little piece on the ice, I think it is beneficial. My skating also provides separation and it is something I have to do. It’s been a part of my game for a while. It can still improve. “
Lockwood looks at NHL players he would like to emulate, smarter and more productive players like Brendan Gallagher of the Montreal Canadiens, and that’s a good goal for his career.
Green has been suitably impressed by Lockwood.
“Quick guy, good at the forecheck check and he had a really good year last year in terms of improving and learning the professional game,” Green said. “Guys like that have to understand what will get them into the league and allow them to stay.
“I think he’s getting that and if he’s in that fourth-row role, he has to be strong in certain areas of the game.”
It hasn’t been a perfect transition for Lockwood, a 2016 third-round draft pick. Shoulder splits in college and surgery slowed, but only in 2017-18.
“It has shaped who I have become today,” Lockwood emphasized. “Guys are going to get hurt and there are things you can control, like injury prevention. Some situations are just going to happen, this is how you react. I won’t take being healthy for granted. “
Reference-theprovince.com