Last season, the 6-foot-1, 205-pound Korpikoski
recorded six goals and 11 points in 36 games. The 26-year-old native
of Turku, Finland played in a career-high 82 games in 2011-12 and
ranked fifth on the Coyotes in scoring with 37 points (17 goals). His
three shorthanded goals ranked tied for fourth in the NHL that
season. During the 2010-11 season, Korpikoski set career highs in
goals (19), assists (21), points (40) and game-winning goals (4). "I
am very happy to be back with the Coyotes. We have a great group of
players here and an excellent coaching staff. It's a great
organization and this is where I wanted to play. "
In five NHL seasons with the Coyotes and New
York Rangers, Korpikoski has played in 336 regular season games,
registering 53 goals and 113 points. He has also appeared in 30
Stanley Cup Playoff games, recording two goals and five points.
Phoenix acquired Korpikoski from the New
York Rangers in exchange for Enver
Lisin on July 13, 2009. He was originally drafted by the Rangers
in the first round (No. 19) in the 2004 NHL Draft.
Like so many young Canadian boys, Max
Domi has dreamed of playing in the NHL since the first time he
laced up a pair of skates. But how many of those boys imagine scoring
goals for Toronto while skating on the ice at Air Canada Centre? How
many get to call Mats
Sundin, "Uncle Mats," or can pull up a chair next to
their dad in the Maple Leafs' locker room? For Phoenix
Coyotes 2013 first-round pick (No. 12) Max
Domi, it's the only life he's ever known. The son of Maple Leafs
fan favorite Tie
Domi can't remember a time without a hockey stick in his hand and
rubbing shoulders with the game's elite. And while he just turned 18
in March, it might not be very long before he's walking into an NHL
locker room and seeing his own name above a dressing stall. Unlike
his father, who ranks third on the all-time NHL list with 3,515
penalty minutes, Max's calling card is his offensive skills. He
doesn't shy away from contact, but he's not looking for a fight.
"Dad's a little grumpier than me
sometimes," the younger Domi said. "He had some fun
out there on the ice and did whatever he had to do to stay [in the
NHL] and help his team out. He's definitely a huge role model for me,
and there are parts of his game and work ethic in me, for sure."
And on the Coyotes, who have strong goaltending
and a number of quality defensemen but are short on scoring depth,
Domi's skating ability, passing skills and finishing flair will earn
him close scrutiny during this week's prospects camp. Coyotes general
manager Don
Maloney has been reluctant to push young prospects too fast after
getting mixed results from current and former Coyotes Mikkel
Boedker, Martin
Hanzal, Peter
Mueller and Kyle
Turris. But Domi's maturity level and lack of awe makes him a
unique case, that, and a set of tools that catch the eye quickly.
"He's been around the game his whole life, and that gives Max
a better chance to adapt quickly," Maloney said. "And
he's not that 165-pound 18-year-old who has to grow into his body.
He's a solid 195 pounds and in great physical shape."
The Coyotes ranked 21st in goals per game and 25th
on the power play last season. Maloney signed free-agent center Mike
Ribeiro to a four-year, $22 million deal to play between Boedker
and Shane Doan
on the first line, but still needs someone to skate with
second-liners Hanzal and Radim
Vrbata. Ray
Whitney had 77 points two seasons ago on that line, while Vrbata
tied for the NHL lead with 12 game-winning goals. Whitney moved to
Dallas last season, Steve
Sullivan was a disappointment as his replacement and Vrbata had
just one-game winner. Could Domi, who had 39 goals and 87 points last
season with the London Knights in the Ontario Hockey League and 32
points in 21 OHL playoff games, get the first shot at top-six
minutes?
"You don't want to push too fast, but he
checks a lot of boxes," Maloney said. "Although
we're the last people to start projecting 18-year-olds on our roster,
he has a skill set that we might just need next year."
Domi's work ethic also is born of necessity. He
was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 13 and wears an insulin pump
attached to his hip during games. He is in constant communication
with trainers to monitor his blood sugar levels, taking in food and
fluids if those levels drop. If they rise, it's time for insulin. "I
think [dealing with diabetes] has helped me out a lot as a person and
a hockey player," Domi said. "You learn discipline
and attention to detail. You have to eat properly, sleep properly,
the whole nine yards. It teaches you to have a professional attitude
at a young age."
It also gave him a role model. While in the
hospital shortly after being diagnosed, Max and Tie were watching a
hockey documentary featuring Bobby
Clarke, who led the Philadelphia
Flyers to the only two Stanley Cups in franchise history on the
way to a 15-year career that culminated with a spot in the Hockey
Hall of Fame, all the while doing it with diabetes. "This
scary dude with no teeth came on the screen and my dad started
getting a little emotional. He told me about Clarke being a diabetic
and playing so long, and it was inspiring. I read up on him and at
the time I was playing for the Don Mills Flyers, so it was a
no-brainer to switch my number to [Clarke's] 16."
Clarke and Domi met at a Silver Stick tournament
in Ontario a few years later. "My mom stopped him in the
hallway and said, 'I don't normally do this, but would you say hello
to my son? He did better than that. He came into the room and gave
our team a great pregame speech. If you look what he had to go
through to play compared to now with all the strides in technology,
it was pretty amazing. He paved the way for all diabetics."
Domi, who threw out the first pitch at the Arizona
Diamondbacks baseball game Tuesday, said he has no interest in
getting ahead of himself. Every time a reporter talks about a
possible fast track to the NHL, he repeats the same mantra about
working hard, listening and taking things a day at a time. "My
job is to improve and understand what is expected of me. If I'm a
better player tomorrow, I'm that much closer."
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