Jack Skille refusing to get caught up in the numbers game as decision day nears

 Jack Skille has fallen in love with the city of Vancouver
during his brief stay on a professional tryout with the Canucks. From walks on
the Stanley Park seawall to time in downtown shops and restaurants, he’s grown
fond of a place he desperately wants to call home for the coming hockey season.
It could happen, but Skille knows there is still plenty of work to do before he
can call himself a Vancouverite or a Canuck.

With
just two preseason games to go before decisions are made and the final roster
is set, the 29-year-old from Madison, Wisconsin is pleased with the way his
tryout has gone to this point. He is well aware, though, that time is ticking
and he’s likely a longshot to grab one or two of the forward spots up for grabs.

  “I know I have showed up every
day and worked hard and put my best product on the ice every single night,”
Skille says of his camp so far.” As a player on a tryout that’s all you can do
and leave the decisions up to them. I just want to be noticed everywhere and
the fact that I’m still here doesn’t change a thing.”

  Last season, Skille played 74
games for the Colorado Avalanche averaging 8:49 of ice time, scoring eight goals
and recording 14 points. Like his team as a whole though, Skille struggled with
puck possession as Colorado generated just 41.7% of all even strength shot
attempts while he was on the ice. In 313 NHL games with Colorado, Columbus,
Florida and Chicago, where the Hawks made him the seventh overall selection in
the 2005 draft, Skille has posted 38 goals and 75 points.

  He believes he’s learned through
the years of shuttling between the NHL and the American Hockey League what it
takes to stay and play at the highest rung of the hockey ladder. He’s lived the
good life of charter jets and five-star hotels and is doing what he can to
prove he can contribute to the Canucks.

  “I learned the most in my career
by playing NHL games and that’s what has made me a smarter player all around the
ice and helped me realize what my role is and how to be effective out there,”
he explains. “The more NHL games I’ve played, the more comfortable I’ve been
out there. Early on in my career, it was hard to get that experience in certain
places just because the line-ups were jam packed I think I’ve played my best
hockey the past few years, to be honest. Once I got some NHL experience under
my belt and got some confidence I was able to be myself out there and use my
speed and be a north south player. But I’ve also learned it’s all about buying
into the team structure and I’ve found when you really want to win badly and
all you care about is the team having success, everyone succeeds.”

  In three preseason appearances in
Canucks colours, Skille has yet to hit the scoresheet, but that’s not how he’s
going to make the hockey club anyhow. He has to use his speed and be physical
on the forecheck and find a way to wear down opponents and play most of his
shifts in their end of the ice.

  He earned praise from teammates
and the coaching staff when he came to the defence of Brendan Gaunce in Calgary
dropping his gloves and engaging in a brief scrap with Flames prospect Garnet
Hathaway. Skille believes that’s where his experience paid off and was a
demonstration of his willingness to do whatever it takes to be a good teammate.

  “If you’re making high risk plays
and that’s not what you normally do, you’re going to get a lack of trust with
that coaching staff — and you’re done at that point,” he says bluntly. “Trust
is a huge key for any coach with his players. You want to find that balance of
playing within the team structure but also being yourself. That comes with
experience of games played at the NHL level. That’s why you see young guys
sometimes take longer than most because they’re trying to find that balance.
But sometimes it takes being thrown into the fire. If you make mistakes, you
have to learn from them and move forward and not let it affect you in a
negative way.”

  Skille survived the latest roster
reduction on Wednesday afternoon and is now one of 19 forwards still in camp
with the Canucks. He’s in a battle with another veteran on a PTO Tuomo Ruutu
along with the likes of Brendan Gaunce and Emerson Etem to be here when the
regular season begins on October 15th. Gaunce may have the inside
track based on his impressive preseason so far and perhaps Ruutu has done more
in all situations with his tryout.

  Regardless, Skille has been
through the wringer before and doesn’t need reminding of what’s at stake or
where he sits on the depth chart. In fact, he doesn’t allow himself to think
about the numbers game at all.

  “I can’t control that and I
refuse to try,” he says. “The second you do that is when you start slipping. So
I refuse to go there. Those are not my decisions. I’m just a foot soldier and
do what I’m told.”

  Through
the first 10 days of the preseason, Skille has followed orders and done enough
to earn consideration for a contract. However, he’s not there yet. With just
two games remaining on the preseason schedule, the journeyman will need to show
well once again if and when his number is called. So the battle continues to
prolong his NHL career.

   Plus he
wants more time to check out the city he’s taken a shine to.

  “I’ve got a lot more exploring to
do,” he laughs. “I love this city. It’s been really enjoyable going on walks
around Stanley Park in my free time. It’s a lot like Denver was except you’ve
got the ocean here in your backyard. It’s been awesome. You see the people and
how active everybody is. Everyone I’ve run into has been really friendly so it’s
been a great all around experience. I’d love to stick around.”

     By the
weekend, Jack Skille should find out if he will.