Nelson's Geoff Kinrade locked in playing the waiting game
By The Nelson Daily Sports
By Bruce Fuhr,
The Nelson Daily Sports
Throughout his hockey career Geoff Kinrade has had to be patient.
Which is why the Nelson Minor Hockey grad didn’t throw sticks around the dressing room or skates through a window after being sent to the minors by the Ottawa Senators prior to the start of the National Hockey League season.
“I didn’t expect to make the Sens right out of camp,” Kinrade told The Nelson Daily. “I knew (making the NHL Sens) was going to require me to start in Binghamton, so I wasn’t disappointed (at all).”
This was the second NHL camp for the 25-year-old defenceman. And the second kick at the can went much like the first.
Kinrade remained with Ottawa for most of the training camp to rub elbows with the big boys. He played one exhibition game, that coming at the Bell Centre against the Montreal Canadiens.
In that contest the 6-foot, 195-pound Kinrade logged 13-plus minutes, was whistled for a minor penalty and recorded one shot on goal.
“The game in Montreal was my first real hockey game in a long time and I was, like many others, fairly rusty,” explained Kinrade, who has played one regular season game in the NHL, that coming April 9, 2009 for Tampa Bay against Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals. “But I thought I played fairly well.”
Unfortunately, that would be the only opportunity Kinrade would have to impress the coaching staff. Soon after Kinrade and 15 others were assigned to Binghamton of the American Hockey League.
“I would have liked another game or two but since they had their line up set it would just be delaying the inevitable,” Kinrade said. “So I wasn’t that disappointed. I felt like the game in Montreal was a way to quickly get back into game mode, and I would have to liked to play at least another knowing I would feel much more comfortable”
“But like I said, (Ottawa brass) had their team picked and I’ll need to play well in Binghamton early on and just do what I can and be patient,” added Kinrade, finishing his first AHL campaign with 27 points in 76 games.
The Sens’ management may need to take notice a little sooner than later after the team lost its first three games. Ottawa did win its first of the season Thursday, edging Carolina 3-2.
And on the farm in Binghamton, Kinrade is doing his best to make the big club notice. In the season opener, the former Nelson Leaf had two assists as the Baby Sens dumped Adirondack 5-1.
The next night wasn’t so good for Binghamton as Norfolk bounced the Sens 7-4. But Kinrade likes what he sees two games in.
“I’ve had a good start (although) it’s too early to tell for sure,” said Kinrade, winner of the plus-minus award last season in Binghamton. “But I have much more confidence and feel really strong on the ice so far.”
“The team looks really good so far,” he adds. “We have really good potential and are dangerous around the net. Scoring should not be an issue this year, though it’s early, we should have a really good team this year.”
But the goal of every AHL player is to get work in the big leagues. And Kinrade is no different.
“It will have to be a combination of things,” Kinrade confesses. “There are good players in Binghamton as well. We have a real strong defense and I’ll obviously need to be the top defenseman here to have the chance to get the call once there is an injury or a problem in Ottawa.”
That’s where being patient comes into play.
sports@thenelsondaily.com
