Lemieux trying to refine his game

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This article was published 05/04/2016 (3455 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brendan Lemieux’s pro debut Tuesday night for the Manitoba Moose won’t likely go into any highlight packages.

His 2015-16 season, though, could mark an important turning point in his development.

The 20-year-old left-winger, known as an agitator and a physical player with the gift of good hands, moved his focus from the extracurricular to things that make him more productive and valuable.

He kept scoring — 32 goals in just 45 regular-season OHL games — and reduced his penalty minutes to just 65 from 145 last season, when he scored 41 times in 57 games.

“My game as a fourth-year guy in junior was definitely as a goal-scorer,” Lemieux said before his first pro game with the Moose against the Milwaukee Admirals at the MTS Centre. The Moose lost 4-2. “I had established that the previous year. But there was a lot of other stuff and the discipline was probably the main thing that needed to improve and it did. So I was happy with that and I know the Jets were as well.

“Moving forward, it’s important for me to keep that same pace going. Junior’s about learning and growing as a player and person. I think I did a lot of that this year. There are a lot of good things in my game that have come along and I’m proud of so I’m excited to be here and looking forward to the opportunity.”

Lemieux still ran afoul of OHL authorities this season, first for a head check that netted a 10-game suspension and, in Game 1 of the playoffs, he was handed a two-game sentence for what was called a slew-foot.

“It was tough,” Lemieux said. “That league’s changed a lot over the years and it’s hard for guys like me to survive, frankly, in that environment where you’re labelled and once you’re labelled, anything you do you’re going to get dinged for it.

“I had 37 penalty minutes (in Windsor, 65 total) and 12 games suspended so it was a tough year for me in that sense where I was really trying to play more of a skilled game and get away from the physical stuff just because of the suspension issues I kept running into.

“But in the playoff series, I’m not going to pull up on a guy because that’s just not my game or how my team’s going to win. I got dinged and it was unfortunate and you can’t really comment on the call but it was unfortunate. In the end, Kitchener (winners 4-1 in that series) had a good group.”

While he was suspended early in the season, Lemieux had a helpful chat over lunch with Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff.

“We talked about a lot of things,” Cheveldayoff said in an interview about his prospects around mid-season. “It was a good opportunity. What’s going to make Brendan an exciting player is the package he brings from skill, skating and physical standpoint. That will never change. But there are rules in this game that have to abided by and to be successful, you’ll have to find a way to abide by them.

“The discipline side of the game, he’s really matured. As a 19-year-old player on those teams, you’re counted on to be a leader. And I think it’s hard to lead from the box at times. He’s done his leading on the ice.”

Lemieux was the first pick of the second round of the 2014 draft by Buffalo. The Sabres put him in the package deal 14 months ago for Evander Kane and he’s now among a growing list of Jets’ blue-chip prospects.

He started his pro career with the Moose on a line with captain John Albert and winger Austen Brassard, had no trouble keeping up but showed chemistry counts for something at this stage of the season.

He also saw how sticks are not tolerated near the hands of opponents in the AHL and NHL, taking what looked to be a marginal hooking penalty, and also drew a tripping penalty by driving the net in the third period.

So now as one of the pack of youngsters who will be driving for spots in the NHL lineup, Lemieux said he likes the sound of competition ahead.

“Any time you have intense competition, it means that your group is strong,” Lemieux said. “So obviously I don’t just want to play, I want to win and if I was to play, the stronger the group the better.

“I want to earn a job; I don’t just want to walk into one. I think right now what’s in my control is to come here and show that I’m ready to play the pro style of game. I need to work my way in and I’m ready to do so.”

tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca