Sunday, December 02, 2007
Sports

Leading by example

Garnet Exelby helps spearhead Thrashers’ comeback

By Earle Macdonald

If attitude is everything, then Thrashers fans certainly appreciate the hard-hitting and tenacious brand of hockey defensemen Garnet Exelby brings to each contest. Without question, he’s such a hometown favorite due in part because of his on-ice attitude. His aggressive, doggedly determined approach has won him supporters throughout the Atlanta organization, not to mention all of Blueland.

“That's one of the reasons I signed him to a long-term deal this past summer,’’ general manager Don Waddell tells The Sunday Paper, referring to the three-year, $4.17 million deal Exelby signed with the club that originally selected him in the eighth round of the 1999 NHL draft . “We need that presence out there on the ice.”

After a disastrous 0-6 start to the season, something in the Thrashers organization had to change. Waddell fired head coach Bob Hartley, stepping in as interim coach. Under Waddell’s leadership from the bench, the Thrashers mounted an exciting 11-4 run, restoring hopes that Atlanta could build off of last season’s division title. It’s not as if Waddell didn’t have experience in his new role—he coached five seasons in the IHL, as well as 10 games for the Thrashers five years ago. But he knew he couldn’t right the team’s course alone; he needed someone with attitude, presence and a willingness to put the squad first. Not surprisingly, he turned to Exelby, known for his take-no-prisoners mindset, asking him to take team leadership responsibilities.

“I've always had a lot of respect for Exelby,” Waddell says.

ATTITUDE AND ADJUSTMENT

So have the fans. The attitude Exelby brings to a contest is the essence of why we root for sports in the first place. He’s not a showboat. He hits opponents and hits them hard. He’s steady and blocks pucks. He doesn’t get many headlines, but his teammates depend on his often unnoticed critical contributions. He never takes it easy on the ice—he plays hard and hits hard every minute he’s out there. For those who’ve watched his career, his story will make perfect sense.

“My parents are hard-working people,” Exelby says proudly. “They both still work, back home in Ste. Anne, Manitoba—in an area known as ‘the coldest corner in Canada.’ I started playing hockey when I was 5 years old.”

Nearly every young hockey player growing up in the ’80s and ’90s wanted to be Wayne Gretzky. But not all. “When I was 14 or so I realized that defensemen were really sparse,” Exelby recalls. “I had alternated each year playing forward and defense, but then I figured I'd focus on defense.”

This marked Exelby’s first instance of doing whatever was needed, an approach that has served him well. By working hard at a role largely ignored by so many young players, Exelby found himself in a great position to further his hockey career.

“When I was 15, I started getting noticed a little by junior teams and scouts,” he says. “So I decided to put all my eggs in one basket, dedicate myself to being the best defenseman I could, and see how far it could take me.”

“WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET”

Exelby remains modest and subdued off the ice, the antithesis of his on-ice persona. “What you see is what you get with me,” he says. “I'm much more mellow off the ice. But on the ice, I try to be hardworking and dedicated. I try to play in a way that reflects what I believe in. ... I hope that shows in the way I play.”

It does. After the 2004 season, Exelby was presented with the inaugural Dan Snyder Memorial Trophy, the award named in honor of the former Thrasher given annually to the team’s player who best embodies perseverance, dedication and hard work without reward or recognition, so that his team might succeed. Coming off his best year as a pro despite missing the first 18 games due to a bout with mononucleosis, he’s now playing his fourth full NHL season, a lynchpin of the team’s hopes for a second straight division crown (or at the very least, a consecutive playoff spot).

“He's our most physical defenseman,” Waddell says of Exelby. “He’s getting a reputation in the NHL as one of the hardest hitters, but he's a clean hitter. He’s a very important part of our hockey club. We need him.”

Yes, we do. SP