Moose rookie Wahlin impresses as he learns pro game

Lucas Wahlin has adopted a simple but smart mindset when it comes to his hockey career.

“That every day is a tryout,” he told the Free Press on Sunday.

So far, so good for the rookie Manitoba Moose forward, who has given head coach Mark Morrison every reason to keep him in the lineup even as the stakes have gotten higher for the hockey club.

“It’s an honour to be playing,” said Wahlin. “There’s so many different guys here and there’s so many different skilled guys here with so many different attributes that they can throw in. You just have to capitalize on every opportunity, and that’s what I’m trying to do day-by-day.”

Wahlin has impressed since joining the organization last month after wrapping up a four-year college career with the University of St. Thomas, where he served as captain.

The undrafted Minnesotan scored his first professional goal and added his first two assists in six regular-season games with the Moose down the stretch, and has now appeared in all five playoff games for Manitoba while some more experienced players at this level are sidelined as healthy scratches.

“I think the urge to win is just that much higher,” he said of the biggest difference he’s noticed in jumping to pro hockey.

“So you expect more from your teammates and your teammates expect more from you. That’s how it should be. You just want to do as much as you can for the coaching staff, for the organization and for your teammates as well.”

Wahlin celebrated his 25th birthday on Sunday as the Moose fell 2-0 to the Grand Rapids Griffins to even their best-of-series 1-1. His parents and fiancée were in town to watch the action at Canada Life Centre.

“Obviously the intensity is ramped up so much more, the expectations are so much higher and you want to win every game,” he said of his first taste of professional playoff hockey

Wahlin seems to be well-equipped for the intense environment. He has a motor that never seems to stop and doesn’t shy away from physical play despite his 5-11, 160-pound frame. There’s also some offence to be found, as proven by the 131 points (56G, 75A) he had in 137 career NCAA games.

“We like his compete level. He’s learning the league and he’s learning the pro game. And he competes hard on pucks,” said Morrison.

“(Doesn’t) always make the right play right now, but once he starts making the right decisions, with his compete level he’ll be good.”

The fact Wahlin is bit older than a typical first-year prospect straight out of junior, for example, helps the cause.

“I find all the guys that we get from college are a year or two older. It’s a little bit easier, just from a strength point, battling on pucks,” said Morrison.

“That’s what the league is. It’s battling for pucks and scrums. It’s not as organized I guess as the NHL, and sometimes you’ve got to beat two and three guys that are in the corner.”

Wahlin signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Winnipeg Jets which kicks in next season. He hopes to follow in the footsteps of other college free agents such as Brandon Tanev and current Moose teammate Parker Ford who have made it to the big leagues with this organization.

Knowing that the likes of Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff and head coach Scott Arniel have been watching every Moose playoff game from the press box at Canada Life Centre only adds more fuel to his fire,

“It’s really cool. The guys I’ve been playing with, Lambo (Brad Lambert) and Yags (Brayden Yager), they just came back from the NHL. It’s noticeable with guys that get called up,” said Wahlin.

“I think it’s something to look forward to. Hopefully I see myself filling some of those shoes someday.”

For now, the focus is on the present and Wahlin is trying to soak up as much as he can of the playoff experience.

Manitoba is in tough against a Grand Rapids team that finished 29 points ahead of them in the regular season, but a weekend split on home ice has given the group some hope. And, not surprisingly, Wahlin has a simple but smart way of looking at things.

“I’ve heard the term underdog thrown around a little bit. Obviously they had a really good regular season. But if you look at the points, everyone’s back to zero,” said Wahlin.

“Yeah, we didn’t get as many wins as they did in the regular reason, but the way I look at it is it’s a good team versus a good team. We split the first two, now we’ve got to get after it.”

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