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Walt » pát 25. led 2013 09:01
Wade Redden made his Blues debut on Thursday night, which is noteworthy for those who follow the team. But it especially was meaningful for Redden.
Redden played 17 minutes 23 seconds in the 3-0 win.
“I was pretty happy, obviously, with the game,” Reddens said. “We played a pretty solid one, it was a nice one to mix into and be a part of. It’s been a long time coming so it was nice to get one under my belt and get a win.”
Redden admitted to a slight case of nerves before the game.
“Oh yeah,” Redden said. “Even at the best of times, there’s always a little bit of butterfiles. That’s what you play for and in a lot of ways, the excitement is a different environment than what I’ve been used to, so it was a lot of fun.”
Redden scored his last points in the NHL against the Blues. He had a goal and assist as the Rangers lost 4-3 to St. Louis in New York on March 18, 2010. .
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Redden has 13 years to his credit in the NHL, which includes 994 games, 106 goals and 450 points. Not long after that two-point night against the Blues, he was banished to the American Hockey League and the Rangers’ affiliate in Connecticut.
Over the next three years, his $6.5-million salary was dispersed over 12 goals, 50 assists and 119 AHL games.
“The AHL is not the same level, but it’s still a pretty good league,” Redden added. “It’s obviously a lot different atmosphere, and I’m looking forward to being a part of it tonight again.”
The atmosphere he experienced in New York was hostile. After leaving Ottawa to sign a big free-agent contract with the Rangers in 2008, the former All-Star failed to impress his new employers. He soon became portrayed as the NHL’s poster boy for bad contracts.
When expectations don’t get met in large media markets, the contract baggage gets heavy. Redden was ready to move on.
“I don’t hold any grudge or anything like that. The Rangers are a class organization, and sometimes things don’t work out. They had expectations of me, I had expectations to do well. It didn’t happen, and they went another way. Obviously, in New York, they don’t have a lot of time to be real patient in certain situations.”
Redden was the captain of the Connecticut Whale in Hartford, Conn., this season. He signed a one-year, $800,000 contract with the Blues last week. On Thursday, he skated alongside Alex Pietrangelo, Redden’s first NHL shift since April, 2010.
“He has experience, a veteran presence, a calming effect in the dressing room,” Pietrangelo said. “He’s a guy who’s been through everything in this league.”
A student and fan of the game as much as he is a coach, the Blues’ Ken Hitchcock has contacts in Connecticut. The Whale is coached by Ken Gernander, managed by former NHL player and coach Jim Schoenfeld. Hitchcock is aware of how hard Redden has been working to get back.
“I’m proud of him, that he stayed with it, proud of him that he’s getting a second opportunity like this,” Hitchcock said. “He played with arguably one of the best defensemen ever in the game in (Zdeno) Chara (in Ottawa). ... Both guys kind of went in different directions.”
Chara went to Boston, where he has won a Stanley Cup. Maybe Redden can do the same in St. Louis.
“It’s a chance to come back and show I can play and just be a part of the team,” Redden said of the Blues. “We’ve got a good team here. I’ll try and help the team win and have some success."