Eyssimont focused on staying in NHL

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This article was published 25/11/2022 (1017 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

DALLAS — It was a birthday present that changed his life.

The year was 2001 and Mikey Eyssimont was celebrating turning five in his hometown of Littleton, Colo. His parents, George and Nancy, got him a shiny new pair of rollerblades. A naturally active and energetic kid, Eyssimont strapped them on and went for his first spin. He really hasn’t stopped moving ever since.

Now, 26, Eyssimont is using those skills he began honing more than two decades ago to make the most of a major opportunity that recently came his way when a rash of injuries struck the Winnipeg Jets and he was called up from the Manitoba Moose.

“My goal isn’t to play in the NHL. It’s to be an NHL player,” Eyssimont told the Free Press following Friday’s morning skate at American Airlines Center. “I just try to do all the right things and control what I can control.”

He’s having quite the memorable week, to say the least. Eyssimont scored his first NHL goal on Monday in a home game against Carolina, coming in behind a David Gustafsson breakaway chance by swooping in the rebound. He followed that up with his first NHL assist on Wednesday in Minnesota, helping set up Kyle Connor’s goal, then dropped the gloves for his first NHL fight against Mason Shaw.

“Mikey Ice continues to play involved! Worst thing you can do when you get your shot is play safe! Keep ‘er going,” his agent, Scott Norton wrote on Twitter earlier this week.

So what did he have planned for Friday night in Dallas?

“It’s important to stay focused,” Eyssimont said. “Earning everything and just trying to be really diligent with the way I prepare and the way I come out first shift. Just do my best to bring energy and to keep playing hard.”

In other words, all of the things that made him stand out to Jets coach Rick Bowness during training camp, then earn himself a well-deserved promotion after Mason Appleton joined Nikolaj Ehlers and Morgan Barron on the sidelines.

“He’s a scrappy little guy, he’s fearless,” Bowness said earlier this week of the 6-foot, 180-pounder. “He’s on the forecheck, he’s not the biggest guy, he’s not the fastest guy, but he’s in there and he’s effective — he does the job we need him to do.”

Eyssimont was in tough to make the Jets out of camp with so many forwards seemingly ahead of him on the depth chart, but he opened plenty of eyes — including those of the team’s new head coach.

“We sat down with a coaching staff and went over everybody coming into training camp. I needed input from the Moose coaches on all of these guys I knew nothing about. They all said the same thing — lots of energy, he’s on the puck, he’s good with the puck and he’s just going to keep working,” said Bowness. “Everything I was told about him in August, he lived up to in training camp. Those are the qualities I was looking for, and he had a very good training camp. We gave him a good look at training camp and he didn’t disappoint at all.”

The game against the Stars came with a bump from the usual fourth-line slot. Eyssimont skated on the third line along with Adam Lowry and Jansen Harkins.

“I think I prepare the same in the AHL. The transition, I just keep trying to do the same thing I do every off day, every game, and try to put myself in the best position possible to be mentally and physically ready for the game,” said Eyssimont.

A look at his background and professional resume screams “late bloomer.” Eyssimont used those rollerblades to play street hockey for a few years, but didn’t begin playing hockey until he was eight. He became a scoring sensation in the Colorado minor hockey ranks before spending parts of four years in the USHL — the American equivalent of the Canadian Hockey League — with both Fargo and Sioux Falls. After that came three years of college hockey at St. Cloud State, followed by four years in the Los Angeles Kings farm system after they drafted him in the fifth round, 142d overall, in 2016.

After becoming an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2021, it was fair to wonder if Eyssimont had reached his peak. A two-year, two-way deal with the Jets turned out to be a terrific career move. Eyssimont became a key player on a strong Moose team last year, and made his NHL debut in a single game last April.

“I owe (the Moose coaching staff) so much, just the way they’ve prepared me. But also the opportunities they’ve given me down there to do the most that I can and to hold me accountable as well. It puts me in a better position for this opportunity,” said Eyssimont, who led the Moose in scoring last year with 42 points (18 goals, 24 assists) in 58 games. He was also tied for the lead this year with nine points (two goals, seven assists) in nine games.

In addition to being an energy player with some offensive skill, Eyssimont also takes pride in being a valued teammate. He was universally praised by coaches and peers on the Moose, and has quickly fit in with this tight-knit Jets group.

“It’s everything. It’s definitely something that should be preached to young players, just how important it is to be a good guy to be around in the locker room,” said Eyssimont. “Just how much that can mean to a team. Because hockey is such a long season and it’s really a brotherhood how much you’re around each other. To be in a group where it’s been really easy to gel up here, that’s made it easier for me, too.”

The number of family and friends rooting for him speaks volumes as well, and he’s felt the love during this big week with his phone blowing up with calls and messages. Although he’s thankful for the support, Eyssimont said he can’t afford to lose focus or perspective.

“Yeah, I’m ready for that part to be over and for it to just be a normal thing,” said Eyssimont. “It’s important to be a little selfish and focus on what I can control and not the cheering section.”

With six games now under his belt with the Jets this year, Eyssimont is looking to extend his stay at the big-league level for a lot longer.

“I expected to make the team (out of camp),” said Eyssimont. “That’s what I trained for all summer. That’s the mindset I had during the off-season, that every practice, that opportunity was going to be coming any day. That’s why I prepared. That’s why I feel like I’m ready for this and ready to keep elevating my game and playing better and better and better.”

Barron is getting closer to a return, perhaps as early as next Tuesday when the Jets begin a homestand against Colorado. With one extra forward in Dominic Toninato currently a healthy scratch, a roster decision may have to be made.

“It’s been a couple of years in the minors. You want to be up here. Once you get a taste, there’s no better place in the world to play,” Bowness said of the mindset of a player like Eyssimont who has waited for his chance and taken the long road. “This is the best sport in the world. This is the best league in the world. It’s a thrill and an honour to play here every day and he wants to be a part of that.”

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mikemcintyre