Talk about putting your money where your mouth is:
March 15, 5:30 p.m.: Upon his arrival at Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, to play the Flyers, Cam Atkinson is interviewed by New England Hockey Journal to discuss the big contract he signed last November and how he really hasn’t played up to the numbers.
7:30 p.m.: The Blue Jackets’ right wing scores to make it 3-1 Columbus.
8:30 p.m.: Scores his second goal to make it 4-2 Columbus.
9:30 p.m.: Completes the hat trick into an empty net for 5-3 victory, Columbus’ eighth win in a row.
Well, so much for that story angle about Mr. Atkinson not giving the Jackets enough bang for their buck.
Atkinson entered the game with just 13 goals in 53 games, far from the improving numbers (21, 22, 27, 35) he has posted over his first four full NHL seasons.
But that hat trick, the fourth of the Greenwich, Conn., native’s career, just might have been his way of telling the world that he shouldn’t be judged too harshly, given all that’s happened this year.
There was that Ryan Kesler skate cut to his face early in the season, then a broken foot that sidelined him the better part of January.
Plus, the Blue Jackets as a team weren’t exactly lighting it up, perhaps a bit of a hangover from last year’s disappointing first-round playoff loss to eventual Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh.
But on this night, the Ides of March no less, critics beware. The diminutive (5-foot-8, 179-pound) Atkinson appeared locked and loaded for the final stretch drive and the playoffs.
So, Cam, about that sevenyear, $41.125 million deal you signed last Nov. 17 … are you feeling a little better about things now?
"It was no secret I wanted to be here," he says. "I started my career in Columbus and want to finish it here."
As Johnny Gaudreau of Calgary by way of South Jersey recently pointed out, when you take on the big money, it’s just assumed you’re taking on a bigger leadership role.
Is that true in Atkinson’s case?
"Yeah, that’s definitely the next step," he says. "Obviously you’re financially secure, you want to win … that’s your main goal, to help the team win a Stanley Cup. Be a leader. Being one of the older guys (he will be 29 in June) on the team, I definitely take pride in that.
"I try to be as vocal as I can in the locker room and outside of the rink. Make it so that young guys can come up to me and ask me anything. Those are the next steps, and I think I’ve taken them."
The injuries have been vexing. When you’re his size, you have to keep your head on a swivel and avoid the NHL’s big hitters.
To his credit, Atkinson has been pretty good at that. But there’s not much you can do about a freak errant skate blade or a slap shot to the skate boot.
"When you break a bone or suffer a severe injury like that, you’re going to be several strides behind when you come back," he points out. "But I feel like now I’ve been able to play my style of game again, get on the scoresheet and help this team win.
"I haven’t been scoring as many goals but I definitely have been doing what I can offensively and defensively to help this team win."
The Columbus roster is dotted with kids, and Atkinson says he looks forward to offering advice in the critical final games heading into April.
"I think it’s crucial," he says. "That’s what it is, being a leader. It’s not so much coming down really hard on a player or a teammate. It’s knowing when to use positive motivation at the right time.
"That’s what I do. The guys know what they bring to the table, their roles, their jobs. Sometimes everybody needs a little kick in the butt, but you can use it as a positive way to do so, not a negative. People tend to react better when it’s positive energy. That’s what I’ve tried to do and will continue to do down the stretch."
While it’s been a challenging year for Atkinson, it’s also been a good learning experience. He’s found out some things about himself, which just about anyone who’s gone through adversity does.
"It’s definitely been an interesting year," he says. "The first half I try not to remember as much. Getting injured was no fun but it gave me a chance to reflect, sit down and realize what I needed to do, what I’ve done when I was successful in the past.
"It (being sidelined) gave me a chance to clear my mind and sort of turn the page. When I came back, I started having fun again, playing my style of hockey. Darting through those holes, trying to find a way to make a great play or get a good shot."
Atkinson was plus-13 last season and was plus-13 at the time of this interview, matching the number 13 he wears on his jersey.
Apparently he doesn’t believe too much in luck. It’s more about results, and he’s starting to deliver them at just the right time.
