Wolves' Schultz gets game turned around

The Chicago Wolves weren't sure which Jesse Schultz they were getting this season.

Was it the brilliant Schultz of two years ago who had 37 goals and 67 points in Manitoba? Or would it be the lesser one who totaled 39 points last season with Manitoba?

Schultz himself wasn't even sure.

Now with nearly three-quarters of the seasons gone, Schultz and the Wolves have their answer, and both are pleased with the results.

A change of scenery, as well as Wolves coach John Anderson's offensive-minded system and a strong start to the year, provided Schultz, a right wing, with just what he needed to turn himself and his game around.

Schultz ranks third on the team with 20 goals and 54 points and has been one of the major reasons for opponents being unable to simply key on one line.

"Players go through that," Wolves GM Kevin Cheveldayoff said of Schultz's slump last season. "Players go through different things for different circumstances. We're just pleased how things have gone with him. Every player is just looking for that "C" word -- consistency."

Looking back, Schultz can't explain what happened last season. He had gone from a player on the verge of the NHL to playing so-so at the AHL level.

When the off-season came, he realized he probably wasn't going to be sticking around in the Vancouver Canucks' organization.

"It was frustrating," said Schultz, 25. "You look over your previous year and you want to get better. It was a big year for me (two seasons ago). I showed I could score. Obviously the next year, you want to build on your numbers and get better as a player.

"I think it was time for a change. I was there for three years. I loved every minute of it, but you got to go somewhere else sometimes and get a fresh start. That's what I needed here."

The Atlanta Thrashers traded defenseman Jimmy Sharrow for Schultz in September and placed him with the Wolves. The thought was with Schultz's creative offensive game and strong scoring ability he might just flourish under a coach like Anderson, who encourages offensive freedom.

"If you talk about pro hockey, everybody talks about structure," Cheveldayoff said. "When you talk about structure, you talk about limitations, and when you talk about limitations, it starts to hurt some players who maybe need some free flowing. That's the thing about Johnny's structure. His systems are there for players to be creative."

It worked.

Playing alongside two other gifted players in Bryan Little and Brett Sterling, Schultz's addition gave the Wolves a second dangerous line. Offensively, the Wolves were set.

"He has great vision," Sterling said. "He has a good shot, too. He kind of has the full package. That definitely added to us."

While Anderson has been pleased with Schultz's offensive game, he would like him to get a stronger grasp of his temper. Anderson has seen Schultz too often return to the bench after a bad shift and take it out on his equipment.

"He's very hard on himself," Anderson said. "He gets very angry at himself. A lot of guys will let it go; he can't. That's one of the things he has to learn, you're going to make mistakes and you're going to have shifts that aren't good, so get over it.

"He gets so made he breaks sticks on the bench. He's got to way from that to function properly."

Schultz understands his problem.

"When I make a mistake or something, I kind of get down on myself," he said. "I don't want to do it. It's not good. It's something I have to work on."