nivek_wahs
05-04-2007, 09:04 AM
http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/sports/story.html?id=fe8598a7-ef40-464d-9213-2c7d4c5b9546
Dorsett's just itching to make trouble
Tough winger is one player his opponents love to hate playing against
Steve Ewen, The Province
Published: Friday, May 04, 2007
MEDICINE HAT, Alta. -- Derek Dorsett is so good at getting under opponents' skin that rival clubs should have a dermatologist on staff.
The Medicine Hat Tigers winger is an Eastern Conference version of Vancouver Giants sparkplug Garet Hunt, a guy who isn't happy unless he's scrappy and yappy.
Too bad Hunt's still recovering from the broken leg he suffered Feb. 9. It would have been interesting to see two guys only the home fans can love battle it out in the WHL final starting here today.
"They can expect my normal play -- a feisty style," Dorsett said of Vancouver's backers. "I'll be there every night. I'm not going to go away, no matter what happens."
Vancouver is well aware of that.
Giants defenceman Brendan Mikkelson is known much more for his skating than his scrapping, but he got angry enough at Dorsett that he dropped the gloves with him last season.
Hunt had that much-publicized bout with him at the start of a Nov. 3 game here this year.
What's more, Dorsett has fought Vancouver winger Michael Wuchterl twice over the last two years while Wuchterl was with the Lethbridge Hurricanes, and also tossed fists with Giants winger Kenndal McArdle when he was with the Moose Jaw Warriors at the start of the current campaign.
Is it hard to agitate a team you don't play very often?
Apparently not so much.
"Everybody playing right now has a competitive side to them," said the 5-foot-11, 178-pound overage. "We expect that from them, too. This is for the championship, so you have to do anything you can."
Scoring goals and setting them up are also among the things that Dorsett, a Columbus Blue Jackets prospect, can do.
Besides his 206 penalty minutes in 61 regular-season games, he had 19 goals and 45 assists.
In the playoffs, he has eight goals and six assists in 11 games.
"I don't think even he understands how skilled he is," Tigers GM/coach Willie Desjardins said. "He's a pretty skilled guy. That's something he's got to bring to his game. He still doesn't use it all that much. But he plays with that edge -- there are lots of guys with skill, but it's that edge that makes him special."
Dorsett added: "My first year coming into the league, I was more just an agitator. Over the years, I've progressed into an all-around player. I just have to keep that up in these finals."
steve.ewen@gmail.com
© The Vancouver Province 2007
Dorsett's just itching to make trouble
Tough winger is one player his opponents love to hate playing against
Steve Ewen, The Province
Published: Friday, May 04, 2007
MEDICINE HAT, Alta. -- Derek Dorsett is so good at getting under opponents' skin that rival clubs should have a dermatologist on staff.
The Medicine Hat Tigers winger is an Eastern Conference version of Vancouver Giants sparkplug Garet Hunt, a guy who isn't happy unless he's scrappy and yappy.
Too bad Hunt's still recovering from the broken leg he suffered Feb. 9. It would have been interesting to see two guys only the home fans can love battle it out in the WHL final starting here today.
"They can expect my normal play -- a feisty style," Dorsett said of Vancouver's backers. "I'll be there every night. I'm not going to go away, no matter what happens."
Vancouver is well aware of that.
Giants defenceman Brendan Mikkelson is known much more for his skating than his scrapping, but he got angry enough at Dorsett that he dropped the gloves with him last season.
Hunt had that much-publicized bout with him at the start of a Nov. 3 game here this year.
What's more, Dorsett has fought Vancouver winger Michael Wuchterl twice over the last two years while Wuchterl was with the Lethbridge Hurricanes, and also tossed fists with Giants winger Kenndal McArdle when he was with the Moose Jaw Warriors at the start of the current campaign.
Is it hard to agitate a team you don't play very often?
Apparently not so much.
"Everybody playing right now has a competitive side to them," said the 5-foot-11, 178-pound overage. "We expect that from them, too. This is for the championship, so you have to do anything you can."
Scoring goals and setting them up are also among the things that Dorsett, a Columbus Blue Jackets prospect, can do.
Besides his 206 penalty minutes in 61 regular-season games, he had 19 goals and 45 assists.
In the playoffs, he has eight goals and six assists in 11 games.
"I don't think even he understands how skilled he is," Tigers GM/coach Willie Desjardins said. "He's a pretty skilled guy. That's something he's got to bring to his game. He still doesn't use it all that much. But he plays with that edge -- there are lots of guys with skill, but it's that edge that makes him special."
Dorsett added: "My first year coming into the league, I was more just an agitator. Over the years, I've progressed into an all-around player. I just have to keep that up in these finals."
steve.ewen@gmail.com
© The Vancouver Province 2007