Kirby Dach would never have imagined the scenario he is experiencing this season during his summer preparation.
Pumped up for the new season – his second with the Montreal Canadiens – and after an excellent training camp, he instead tore two ligaments in his right knee in the first period of the second game of the campaign.
There is no question of wasting time with the Canadian, especially when we are talking about an important young element of the team. Despite a long convalescence which should prevent him from playing until the end of the season, Dach has taken the means to continue his progress.
The 23-year-old Albertan was notably invited to participate in opponent analysis and match review sessions by the coaches.
“I’ve had several good discussions with Martin about the game, the way he sees it, the way I see it,” Dach said Sunday in the press scrum. Having good discussions like that will be beneficial for me in the long run. »
“It allows me to learn about the game, to see things from another angle, to understand why you want to do certain things on the ice, where to find the spaces to make certain plays,” he continued. It’s the same thing as a player during these meetings. But you don’t see the behind the scenes, the number of sequences that are revised. Some mornings it’s a bit long! You have to arrive early! But it’s worth it and it helps me a lot. »
On this subject, Dach said he appreciated the open-mindedness of St-Louis and his deputies, who did not hesitate to ask him his opinion on certain things.
“When he watches the game from above, he is able to see what we are talking about. Even more than the players on the bench,” said St-Louis. “It keeps his mind engaged on the things we’re working on,” he added.
In his role on the sidelines, Dach also didn’t hesitate to share his views with his teammates, notably Juraj Slafkovsky.
“To be honest, I see myself in “Slaf” a lot, he said. He’s a good young man and a big guy. It arrived quickly. Maybe he was ready, maybe not. We do not know. But I see similarities with myself again. There are great expectations on his shoulders. It also comes from him. He wants to demonstrate that he deserves to be there. When you see a young person having difficulty, you want to intervene to help and advise them. »
St-Louis praised Dach for wanting to help his teammates.
“I think not everyone is comfortable talking to a player about their game,” St-Louis said. It’s good to have. His understanding of the game is very good (in Dach). That’s the beauty of playing a team sport, having discussions with colleagues, teammates and talking about the game.”
Still, Dach said he was disappointed to have lost another important segment of development in his young career.
He missed 24 games due to various ailments last season. This is without forgetting a significant wrist injury which forced him to miss 38 games in his second NHL campaign with the Chicago Blackhawks.
” It’s a shame. I had a good summer, I felt good, I had confidence in my game, said Dach. I was the victim of an unlucky game. I can do nothing. It’s not a good feeling when you lose a season like that. But the sun rose the next morning. »
Dach, who started skating again on February 14, said he feels good physically and does not feel any delay in his development at this level.
And despite his involvement in team meetings and with coaches, he admits that the challenge of this long absence is mainly mental. He therefore thanked the members of his entourage for their support.
“My family has been great. I have a friend who came to visit me and my mother spent quite a bit of time here, he said. It’s nice to have home-cooked meals! »
Dach, who had surgery on October 31, said his recovery time frame was eight months. Although he has started skating again, so it would be surprising if he plays a game by the end of the season.
He also put an end to participating in the World Hockey Championship. Instead, he hopes to take advantage of the summer to prepare for the next campaign.
Dach is looking forward to helping his teammates win games.
“The support from the fans, from the city, has been phenomenal. It made it easier at times, but yeah, it makes me wonder where we would be if I had played this season. It would be nice to play with the guys and go to war with them,” he concluded.