No worries for Stempniak
9/24/2006 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
On Oct. 5 last year, Lee Stempniak sat in the visitors' locker room at Joe Louis Arena, wondering if he would be in the lineup for the Blues' season-opener against Detroit. That afternoon, veteran winger Keith Tkachuk, who was battling a groin injury, deemed himself healthy enough to play, and so hours away from his first NHL game, the 22-year-old rookie winger was assigned to Peoria.
Stempniak would spend the better part of the season in the NHL -- 57 games compared to 26 with the Rivermen -- and he made quite an impression on the coaching staff with 14 goals and 13 assists.
As he embarks on his second professional season, Stempniak not only is on the Blues' opening-day roster, he will be playing alongside left winger Tkachuk and center Petr Cajanek when the Blues face the San Jose Sharks in the regular-season opener Thursday.
"I obviously love it, playing with two great players," Stempniak said. "I'm learning a lot from them every day, spots to be in, where holes are going to open up. Hopefully, I can keep improving and help those guys contribute."
Just before the start of training camp, the wing position opposite Tkachuk went from filled, with Vladimir Orszagh, to vacant when Orszagh decided to have season-ending knee surgery. Then it appeared to be filled again when the team signed free-agent Radek Dvorak on the eve of camp. But a few practices in, Stempniak was told to move up.
"Either way, if I wasn't there, I'd have tried to work my way up there," Stempniak said. "Now that I've started there, I've got to work just as hard to stay there. Playing with those guys, there will be more of an emphasis on scoring, generating opportunities. You're definitely excited about that, and being put in a spot to have an important role offensively."
Blues coach Mike Kitchen said: "I think it's a good fit. It gives him confidence that the coaches think he can play there. I don't know Radek real well yet, so it's something that will be a feeling out thing for me. You never know, Radek could get some time up there also, but right now Lee has it."
Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post Dispatch.
