He was too small. He was too slow.
Apparently, Lawrence Nycholat was also too stubborn. For which the Washington Capitals are now thankful.
If Nycholat listened too closely to the words of those who have demoted him over the years, he might have quit hockey. Instead, he’s finally receiving extensive ice time for the first time in his career.
“If you listen to what people tell you, you’ll start to believe it,” said the 5-foot-11, 200-pound Nycholat.
So Nycholat, 27, didn’t listen to those in charge. Perhaps that’s why he still remains on the Capitals’ roster since his Dec. 23 promotion from Hershey. In nine games, including Tuesday night, Nycholat has two goals and four assists — his first NHL points. He’s also skated at least 20 minutes in each of the past six games.
There’s a chance he could remain on Washington’s roster the rest of the season, which would be quite an accomplishment for the career minor leaguer. After all, he entered this season with an eight-game stint with the New York Rangers in 2003-04.
Not that teammates are surprised.
“He’s got a sense of calmness and composure about him that I’ve learned from him,” said Caps defenseman Mike Green, who played with Nycholat in Hershey. “I knew once he had the chance he’d be himself and play his game not let the pressure get to him.
“That’s the most important thing, staying composed.”
That’s evident when Nycholat discusses his situation. There’s no bounce in his voice, just a matter-of-fact attitude when analyzing his hockey career that began as an undrafted player.
“I’m by no means old, but I’m not young,” he said. “If you start worrying about it all the time it eats you up. There’s a fine line between some guys being a career minor leaguer and others being an NHL player. Sometimes players deserving of a chance don’t receive it and others get it. I needed a break and a little luck to help me. You can’t sit around waiting for it, you have to play hard and keep doing the things that make people take notice.”
Consider himself noticed.
“Lots of players through the ages had opportunities and failed to respond,” Caps coach Glen Hanlon said. “He was the lucky recipient of us being short-staffed. He came in here and did a good job for us. Now the test for him is to do this for the rest of his career.”
Hershey’s Nycholat
» Nycholat played seven seasons in the AHL, one in the ECHL and another in the IHL. Injuries to several Capitals helped open the door for Nycholat. He was named to the AHL All-Star team this season.
» The Capitals play their next four games,and six of the next eight, on the road. But they’ll only play four teams in those eight games: Tampa Bay, Florida, Ottawa and Carolina.
» The Capitals have 45 points, good for eighth place in the Eastern Conference entering last night’s action. Six teams have between 43-45 points in the conference.
