FAIRBANKS – It showed both jubilation and relief.
After netting his third goal of Friday night’s 6-2 win for his first career hat trick, Michigan senior T.J. Hensick raised his hands in the air and covered his face.
“Just saying, it’s about time,” said Hensick, describing the emotion. “It’s just a good feeling to get that out of the way and not have to worry about it now.”
And, for a moment, the Howell native stood by himself in the middle of the Alaska zone, waiting for his teammates to join in the celebration. After, junior Chad Kolarik, who scored back-to-back hat tricks earlier this season, asked the referee for the puck as he pulled it out of the back of the net.
Before Friday, Hensick had been in the midst of a nine-game goal drought, dating back to Nov. 25 at Minnesota. He might lack goals, but his unselfish play-making skills (he has tallied an NCAA-best 31 assists) are the primary reasons he has been mentioned as a contender for the Hobey Baker Award.
“He could lead our team in goals just as easily as he does in assists,” Michigan coach Red Berenson said. “It’s good to see him getting chances. It’s good to see him shoot the puck.”
The alternate captain busted out of his goal slump in the first period by depositing a rebound behind Alaska goalie Wylie Rogers to put Michigan up 2-0.
He added another in the second period by tipping in a cross-crease pass from Kolarik.
“I think my little sister could put that one in,” Hensick said.
The final marker came on the power play at the beginning of the third period. It was the goal that most displayed his unique play-making abilities. Hensick skated around the Nanook net and found space in the circle where he fired a wrist shot past Rogers, giving Michigan a 5-1 lead.
Injury update: Hensick’s Friday night offensive production was contrasted with an injury that prevented him from playing in most of Saturday’s game.
“He’s got a lower-body injury,” Berenson said. “It’s not an injury, but it’s just a condition. Hopefully it’s just a bruise.”
His status for next week’s games is uncertain.
He first left the ice in the middle of the first period of Saturday’s contest. Although he appeared in the second period, his playing time was limited. He didn’t play in the third.
Defenseman Steve Kampfer didn’t travel to Fairbanks this weekend because of a knee injury that Berenson described as “at least the 10-day variety.” He hopes that Kampfer will return for next week’s games against Ferris State.
Full disclosure: At Yost Ice Arena, the crowd quickly files out of the building after the game.
At the Carlson Center, the fans file from the stands to Alaska coach Tavis MacMillan’s post-game press conference, where they can listen to the coach’s thoughts on the game and ask questions of their own.
“I know there are a lot of coaches in our league who think I am nuts for doing this,” MacMillan said.
A few minutes after a game ends, about 100 Nanook aficionados gather in a room off the rink. Whether it’s a 6-2 loss to Michigan or a win over intra-state rival Alaska-Anchorage, the crowd always welcomes the players and coaches with a standing ovation. MacMillan offers an opening statement and opens the floor to the media’s questions, which is the standard post-game procedure at any arena.
But after media queries the floor is opened to the fans to ask anything they want to the players.
Following Friday night’s game, when Nanook senior Curtis Fraser scored his 100th career point, a small child asked why Fraser was not participating in the press conference. MacMillan told him Fraser was receiving some well-deserved rest and asked the youngster if Fraser was his favorite player. In a squeaky voice, he responded that Fraser is his mother’s favorite player. Everyone enjoyed a good laugh.
Even after the press conference ends, MacMillan hangs around to schmooze.
MacMillan said the press conferences are the brain-child of Alaska’s former assistant athletic director Kip Harmon and hockey coach Guy Gadowsky, who started the tradition five or six years ago.
“There’s no communications class that our players can take that will prepare them for something like this,” MacMillan said. “This is as good a test for them when they have to go out there in the real world.”
MacMillan added that the hockey program is such an embedded part of the community that this allows the fans to get a glimpse inside the team.
“When you talk about the program, you are talking about the community,” MacMillan said.