De Haan hopes injuries are finally behind him
The moment Calvin de Haan fell to the ice Dec. 10 in Las Vegas, he knew.
His shoulder was separated. Again.
The Blackhawks' defenseman — who was just starting to feel comfortable on his new team — took a hit from Mark Stone late in the first period that night, then fell backwards onto the ice.
De Haan grasped his right wrist, skated gingerly to the dressing room and right back into the third shoulder rehab of his career.
“I remember the play like it was yesterday,” de Haan said after the Hawks practiced at Fifth Third Arena last Friday. “It was an unfortunate hit.
“I got interfered with along the boards and fell awkwardly and I knew right away — as soon as my shoulder came out. I'd felt that pain many times before.”
De Haan's season was supposedly over, but because the coronavirus pandemic shut down the NHL for four months, the 29-year-old D-man will likely be on the ice when the Hawks take on Edmonton in Game 1 of a play-in series Saturday.
“As the spring went on, there was more talking and talking, and you're like, 'OK, maybe this is going to be a possibility,'” de Haan said. “You turn your brain on again and you're like, 'I've got to start training, really focusing. The vacation's over now.'”
De Haan, who missed more than a week of this training camp due to a family emergency, began practicing with the team again Thursday.
Incredibly, it didn't look like he missed a beat. He was blocking shots, poking pucks away, closing gaps quickly, directing traffic and barking orders in the middle of plays.
“You never really want to go on a week hiatus for the reason I had to during training camp, but I feel good on the ice,” said de Haan, who did not talk about why he had to leave. “I don't know how I look. It's up to you guys to make that decision, but health-wise, I feel good.”
The Hawks' top six defensemen against the Oilers figure to be Duncan Keith, Adam Boqvist, Connor Murphy, de Haan, Slater Koekkoek and Olli Maatta. De Haan and Murphy, who will likely be paired together, also play key roles on the penalty kill.
“We have good chemistry just as buddies off the ice, and anytime we've been out there I think we think similarly,” said Murphy, who missed time with a tweaked groin. “So if the opportunity comes, it would be awesome to play with him.”
De Haan spent the first five years of his career with the Islanders, then played 74 games for Carolina in 2018-19 before separating his shoulder late in the season. He managed to play in 12 postseason contests, then was shipped to the Hawks in an off-season trade that caught him off guard.
After a somewhat slow start in Chicago, de Haan found his stride and owned a team-best 73 blocked shots at the time of his injury. He was also averaging more than 22 minutes in the eight games before the Vegas game.
Now, he just hopes his career can go on without further interruption.
“Hopefully all these unfortunate injuries are behind me and I can be healthy for years to come and play a long time in this league,” said de Haan, whose contract carries a $4.55 million cap hit through 2021-22. “I hope no one has to go through what I had to these past three seasons, but it's part of the game and what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
“I believe in that.”
Day 1 in Edmonton: The Hawks held a low-key practice Sunday in Edmonton, then had Monday off. Coach Jeremy Colliton wanted his players to just get a quick skate in and get acclimated to their surroundings.
“It's an important day to get here, to start getting comfortable, start that process,” Colliton said during a Zoom interview Sunday night. “It was really good energy and enthusiasm and guys are excited to be here and that's what we're looking for.”
The Hawks practice Tuesday then play an exhibition game against St. Louis on Wednesday. Colliton said most of his regulars will be on the ice vs. the Blues.