Paul Bissonnette, an NHL veteran of 202 games, is an engaging social media presence (with more than 700,000 Twitter followers) who has a thoughtful and unique perspective on the game. He plays for the Ontario Reign of the American Hockey League. Bissonnette will be contributing columns to USA TODAY Sports during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
When I signed a professional try-out (PTO) contract with the St. Louis Blues for the 2014 training camp, I understood I was there to be cut after a couple of weeks.
But after 24 hours, I wanted the Blues to adopt me.
NHL veteran Ryan Whitney was also there on a PTO. We would sit in the dressing room and look at each other like we had just discovered wonderland.
“When we get cut, do you think we could just hang out here all season?” I asked Whitney. “Maybe they won’t even notice.”
This roster was talented, and more important, it was a dressing room full of quality people. It was as alive and close-knit as any I’ve been in.
As the Blues prepare to play the Dallas Stars in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, I can't help but think back on that two-week stint with the team, one of the more fun times of my 11-year pro career.
At the time, I couldn’t find work after having my best NHL season with the Phoenix Coyotes. Tough guys had fallen out of style, and no one was hiring.
When Blues general manager Doug Armstrong called, it lifted my spirits. He is a well-liked GM. He made it clear that he just wanted to add a couple of veterans to help keep the mood light in training camp.
Everyone has a role on an NHL team, and Whitney and I told our new teammates that we had been brought in as the team jesters.
Whitney is one of the funniest people I’ve known in hockey, and I think the players appreciated our self-deprecating humor.
Given Ken Hitchcock’s reputation as a tough coach, I expected the physical testing to be just short of a torture session.
But Hitchcock called me and said there wasn’t much to the test because the veteran players didn’t see any reason for it. The players were in great shape.
I laughed when he told me. It didn’t fit the image I had of his coaching style. But it was true. He respected his players’ wishes on this issue.
Truthfully, I wasn’t there long enough to fully assess his relationship with his players. I’ve heard enough stories to know he can be hard on them, but my time with him was positive.
For a guy who never played, Hitchcock’s hockey IQ is impressive. When we had video sessions, Hitchcock made points that I had never heard before. He had a way of breaking down the subtle details that made sense to me. He had knowledge that you would expect only someone who had played to be able to comprehend and teach.
The Blues treated Whitney and I like we had been on the team for years.
Jay Bouwmeester was one of quietest players I’ve ever met. Alex Steen had the most insane work habits I’ve ever witnessed.
David Backes was an unbelievable teammate, a very articulate guy. Backes was hard to play against, and he can get under your skin. We didn’t love him in Phoenix. Then I got to know him, and discovered he was a gem of a guy. Kevin Shattenkirk is a great guy, too.
Steve Ott is one of the most despised men in hockey, but everyone who plays with him loves him.
When I was in Phoenix, St. Louis forward Ryan Reaves and I were paid to hate each other. So we did. We fought a couple of times. But when Whitney and I were with the Blues, Reaves invited us to his home to hang out after practice.
Even after a preseason game, 12 to 15 guys from the team would go out together to eat. That’s how tight this group is.
When I watched the Blues in the fall of 2014-15, it seemed like it was just a matter of time until they made a serious run at the Cup. Robby Fabbri could have made the team in 2014-15 had he not injured his shoulder. Jori Lehtera had just come over from the Kontinental Hockey League, and when I saw him wheel around the ice, I wondered why he hadn't done it sooner.
Their top-nine forwards may have been the best top-nine I've ever seen assembled in my pro career. Plus, they had an incredibly skilled defenseman in Alex Pietrangelo.
I was upset when I left. I hoped it was never going to end. I wanted to be in this family.
Even in the end, the Blues were classy. Armstrong said if any team called, he would offer a glowing recommendation. Hitchcock also had kind words.
Two years later, I still feel I owe the entire organization a "Thank you" for giving me a shot last season.
Now that the Los Angeles Kings, an organization that gave me a second chance, are out, I’m rooting for the St. Louis Blues to win it all. With the talent and bond they have, it is possible.
