Clarkson credits DeBoer

Devils right wing David Clarkson said he ran into his former junior coach, Pete DeBoer, when he was leaving Prudential Center on Wednesday. DeBoer, who coached Clarkson for three seasons in Kitchener, is now the head coach of the Florida Panthers and his team practiced at The Rock on Wednesday in preparation for tonight's game against the Devils.

Clarkson said his trade from Belleville to Kitchener early in the 2002-03 season saved his career,

"Probably the reason I'm here today is because of him," Clarkson said of DeBoer. "I got traded from playing one shift a game in Belleville and I was going to go play Tier II and Pete guided me the right way."

Clarkson noted that it was ironic that DeBoer's assistant coach with the Panthers, Jim Hulton, was the coach in Belleville that traded him to Kitchener.

"I had (17 goals) my first year (in Kitchener) and (DeBoer) just gave me the confidence that he believed in me. Even the off-ice things that happened to me, he was there for me when my grandparents passed away. He was somebody that I would always go to for advice. I looked up to him. What he did with me was unbelievable."

Clarkson said he can see the similarities between DeBoer and Devils coach Brent Sutter.

"I'd say they're very a like," Clarkson said. "There's a lot of things different too, but when I came here I knew they were kind of the same because (DeBoer) and Brent are good buddies. Him and Brent are really close."  

Clarkson said DeBoer also got the Carolina Hurricanes to invite him to his first NHL training camp when he was 18 and no one thought he would play in the league.

"Nobody was giving me a tryout and Pete made a phonecall for me and got me a tryout with Carolina," he said. "I couldn't get a tryout. I was 18 years old and people didn't think I was tough enough and Pete got me a tryout. So, he's always pushed for me. I'd go through a wall for him. It's similar here with (Sutter). I would do anything he asked of me.

"During the season and tonight there's going to be no friends, but away from the rink I really look up to him and hope to be like that one day, if I were to coach, to be that type of coach." 

***

Sutter said going through this season so far with the rash of injuries the Devils have endured has been a challenge for the entire team, including him.

"Believe me, I critique myself after games over and go through them," he said. "I lie in bed at night and go through them if there was anything I could have done better or where could we have done things a little differently to allow your team a better chance. You go through that on a hourly basis.

"But, as a coach, you work with what you've go and every day whether it's practice or games you try to get the maximum out of each individual and sometimes it's in ways you don't like it, but at the end of the day you have to do what's right for the whole team."

Comments

[Pearl Jammed(RJ Arditti)]

nice little trip down memory lane for Clarkson huh? oh well hopefully he plays his best tonight against his former coach!

[Wakka]

It would be nice if clarkson scored a goal tonight. It would be nicer if Parise scored 3.

[joe]

so your telling me if clarkson stayed in belleville he wouldn't be a devil right now? not sure if thats good or bad

[Wakka]

clarkson isnt bad, i think he's still got a lot to learn but i think he's going to a decent player. I dont think anyone is expecting jaw dropping out of him are they?

[Sarah]

I agree, Wakka.

Parise was seriously snakebitten against the Caps, hopefully he breaks out of it tonight. Can't afford to have him not scoring.

[HotDogs]

AHHHH....gotta love the college night promotion....15 dollar tickets means plenty of beer for me!!!!

[Wakka]

wow, i meant to say "be a decent player" and "no one is expecting anything jaw dropping out of him"
Man, It must be gettin late in the week, cause I'm fried.

[Falcone]

David has got to become a better skater, possibly learn more balance. Against Washington he actually passed a little more, which I like. David needs to keep his head up, build up the strength in his legs, work on his balance and he'll become a better player. I think his fists helped him get where he is, and having a little scoring touch certainly doesn't hurt. But he needs to learn how to maximize his talent. Once he does I really do think he'll become a solid player.

[Kellyn]

I think it may become a little harder for Zach to score from here on out because he had such a strong start and now that he is among the league leaders in goals scored with twelve, he isn't going to be able to fly under the radar as much anymore. I am sure coaches are going to be telling their defensemen to keep an eye on him and try to keep him from using his smaller size to sneak past them and slip in close to the net for the rebounds. What's great about Parise though is that even though he may be considered 'small', he has a lot of fire and isn't afraid to give a hit or battle with bigger players along the boards or in front of the net. That's one thing I love about the Devils forwards - no matter how many goals a guy scores in a season, he is still expected to chip in defensively and get his hands dirty. It makes them more complete players and thus leads to them getting poached by other teams when they become free agents. Sigh.

[JJ]

Zach wasn't flying under anyone's radar. Every coach & player in the league knew from day one that he's the best Devils forward. Once we get Rolston back then teams will have to choose their poison as to which line to put their best checkers/D-men against but for over a month they've been matching up against the Zajac line but they still seem to find ways to score regularly. It's the other lines and the special teams that need to step up, particularly the PK.