Demitra wants Wild to become road warriors

Originally published on EuroReport.com in 2007

By Lucas Aykroyd

Pavol Demitra is a big Metallica fan, but in recent weeks, the shifty forward has been banging his head in frustration when the Minnesota Wild hit the road.

Minnesota has sold out every home game in team history and put together the league’s best home record so far this year, but the Wild lost 11 straight road games dating back to November 20 versus Ottawa. The club barely avoided tying its franchise-record road winless streak by defeating Vancouver 5-2 at GM Place on January 11, and Demitra chipped in two assists.

“It’s been a long time since we won a game on the road, and it’s a great feeling,” Demitra said afterwards. “We finally got a lead in a road game, and after that, we just stuck to our game plan. Obviously we haven’t scored enough goals away from home. It’s tough to win when you’re only getting one or two. But now both our first and second lines are chipping in.”

The 32-year-old Slovak sniper was delighted to see his friend and linemate Marian Gaborik score his first two goals since October 18 against the Canucks after missing 34 games with a groin injury: “It’s nice to play with one of your best friends. We know each other very well on the ice, and we’ve played a lot of games together. I’m glad he got those goals. It shows he’s getting back his confidence in his hands.”

Demitra won the 2000 Lady Byng Trophy as the NHL’s most gentlemanly player, but he’s never let his success go to his head. He’s quick to note the influence of Gaborik on his own 2006-07 campaign: “My training camp went unbelievably well, and I had a great start. But then when Marian got hurt, things didn’t go the way I wanted. My linemates were switched around a lot, and that was tough. In previous seasons with St. Louis, for instance, I was used to playing with the same guys all the time. I really like playing with guys I know, so they can read my game. Now in the second half, Marian and I are going to pick it up and finish the season off strong.”

Demitra honestly didn’t expect to be playing in Minnesota this season. In August 2005, he signed a three-year, $13.5-million free agent deal with the Los Angeles Kings. He wound up as L.A.’s third-leading scorer with 62 points despite appearing in just 58 games due to assorted injuries. But the Kings traded him to Minnesota at last year’s NHL Draft for prospect Patrick O’Sullivan and a 2006 first-round pick.

“That was a huge shock,” Demitra said. “I was really surprised because I did not expect it. I had a good season there, and they struggled when I got hurt.”

You might think that this Dubnica native, known for his offensive flair, would similarly struggle to adjust to playing the Wild. Coach Jacques Lemaire perfected the neutral zone trap in his 1995 Stanley Cup victory with the New Jersey Devils, and has continued to preach defense first even in the new NHL.

But Demitra speaks highly of Lemaire: “I’ve got a lot of respect for the guy. He knows the game, and obviously he won a lot of Stanley Cups. You can learn a lot of stuff from him. When I play with Marian, he gives us a little bit of freedom, and that’s nice.”

Despite missing two and a half weeks with a concussion, Demitra is on pace to record his ninth straight NHL season with 20 goals or more, and he hit 600 NHL career points with a goal versus Vancouver on December 16. Overall, he’s logged more than 600 games at the highest level in North America, and he has no regrets about his career path.

“Obviously I miss my friends and family back in Slovakia sometimes,” said Demitra. “But I’m having a great time in the US with my wife [Maria] and kids [Lucas and Zara]. We really like it here. It’s a huge bonus that our kids are learning English, and they can benefit in so many ways from being in this country.”

With a few more road wins, the Wild will be back in the hunt for the Northwest Division crown, and that will have Pavol Demitra nodding his head with true satisfaction.