DetroitRedWings.com’s Arthur J. Regner examines Joe Hicketts’ 2018-19 season outlook as based upon his 2017-18 “numbers” and comments, and Regner notes that Hicketts has spent his summer trying to improve his skating and conditioning–two things he needed to address.
Hicketts says this about year two of his AHL career…
Quotable: “It was exciting. I knew a little bit more about the league (AHL) and in that regard the league knew a little bit more about me. I wasn’t that small defenseman that people take for granted. I had some big hits last year and kind of put a number on my back, especially the amount of times we play each other in our division. Maybe a slump (last season), but I thought it was good, I progressed nicely. Getting that chance in Detroit was really exciting. I thought I played really well considering the time of year it was and how the team was doing, but it was very exciting for me.
And this about his summertime to-do list, which involved utilizing a skating coach and working out with NHL’ers in his hometown of Kamloops, British Columbia:
“Everything I did this summer was going towards making Detroit as a full-time roster member. Last year I wanted to make the team but knew in the back of my head, it was going to be another year in Grand Rapids with the reputation Detroit has of developing players. With that being said, they’re definitely in a rebuild. Coming into this summer I knew there was going to be a really good opportunity to open the door and get my foot in. It started last year when I got my five games, but again everything about this summer was getting myself in the best possible shape and mindset to play a full 82-game schedule in the National Hockey League. I’m going to get my work done in the summer and I’m going to make sure that I am coming to training camp ready to earn a job.” – Hicketts
I’m pulling for him. I really admire his tenacity. I hope he’s had a really good summer of training and comes into training camp ready to compete for a roster spot. He’s proven his critics wrong at every level along the way. We’ll soon see if he can prove them wrong once again.