Flood returns to Manitoba for shot at Moose lineup

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This article was published 26/09/2017 (3026 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg will always be a magical place for Mark Flood as the city where he played the most meaningful hockey of his life. But with his career at a crossroads, Flood has found his way back under much different circumstances.

The well-travelled defenceman is skating this week at Bell MTS Iceplex on a professional tryout offer from the Manitoba Moose. It’s quite a change for a player who suited up for 33 National Hockey League games with the Winnipeg Jets during the 2011-12 season.

“Honestly, it was the highlight of my career,” Flood, 32, said Tuesday about being a part of the return of NHL hockey to Winnipeg that season. “I really enjoyed my time here. It was special for me. To be part of that first season was really special. I still look back at it very fondly.”

The Prince Edward Island native has spent the past five years travelling the globe. He’s been with three different Russian teams in the Kontinental Hockey League, with a return to North America to play for the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League mixed in between. He spent last season playing in Austria.

“I would have loved to stay here in North America. It just kinda didn’t work out. I didn’t really predict I’d be all over the world. But I’m back here today and we’ll see where it goes,” Flood said.

He credits Moose general manager Craig Heisinger, with giving him another shot during a series of phone chats this past summer. Flood spent the 2010-11 season playing in Winnipeg for the Moose, putting up an impressive 11 goals and 29 assists in 63 games.

That led to a two-way deal the following season, in which he spent a good chunk with the Jets along with some time with their AHL affiliate in St. John’s.

“I was looking around in Europe. There wasn’t many options for me. There was a couple I wasn’t too keen on. I called Zinger, who was very good to me when I was here. He said he would get back to me. He called me back about a week after and said he’d offer me a tryout, but couldn’t guarantee anything,” Flood said.

He jumped at the chance, although where he could fit in with the Moose remains to be seen.

There appears to be a logjam at the defence position, with prospects such as Tucker Poolman, Jan Kostalek, Julian Melchiori, Nelson Nogier and Sami Niku expected to get ample playing time on the farm.

The Moose have also inked established AHL blue-liners in Cameron Schilling, Kirill Gotovets and Peter Stoykewych. Also in camp are promising youngsters out of college such as Jake Kulevich and Chris Dienes competing for jobs along with a handful of established ECHL-level defencemen here on tryouts.

Suddenly a position of weakness over the past two seasons for the Moose looks impressive and deep. Flood said he hasn’t studied the depth chart, preferring just to follow Heisinger’s advice to come here and compete as hard as he can.

“I understand they are trying, from an organizational standpoint, to get better and develop their young guys. I’m just going to come here, try and help out some of the younger guys, and if there’s a place for me, great,” said Flood, who is the oldest player in camp. “I’d love to stay. The staff are great, the city… I hope it works out.”

Flood said he would relish a chance to take on a mentoring and leadership role, even if it meant not being an everyday player to allow for the prospects to play. He’s got some familiarity with Moose head coach Pascal Vincent, who was an assistant with the Jets during his one season here.

“In my career I’ve never had anything given to me, I’ve had to work for it. So that’s nothing new for me if I had to start at the bottom here. I’m prepared to do that. I just have to play good and see where it goes,” he said.

There’s no denying Flood’s success at this level. He’s scored 56 goals and added 121 assists in 391 AHL games. In addition to his one stint with the Jets, he also dressed for six NHL games with the New York Islanders in 2009-10.

“I like to be a two-way guy, be responsible defensively, make a good first pass and jump up when I can and the opportunity is there,” Flood said of his playing style.

As for the constant moving around, Flood said his preference would have been to settle in one place for more than a season, but the nomadic nature of being a professional athlete made it difficult.

“I’ve kind of looked at it like a life experience for me. I’ve got to travel around and see some places that I probably never would have other than if I was playing hockey. So it’s been good. I’ve tried to embrace it because I’m not going to play hockey forever,” Flood said.

But he’s certainly not ready to hang up his skates and hopes a return to Winnipeg this season is in the cards.

“I’ve obviously played in some different countries and the States. It’s great, but there’s nothing like playing in Canada,” he said.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca