'Tick's A Pro': Dustin Tokarski Shines In Canes Debut

RALEIGH, N.C. - It had been one year, nine months and 27 days since Dustin Tokarski last appeared in an NHL game, more than two weeks since his last AHL game, and he was sporting a mask and pads with Buffalo Sabres colors - a team he played for three seasons ago - as he led the Carolina Hurricanes onto the ice for the first time against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday.

But just over two-and-a-half hours later, the 35-year-old known in locker rooms around North America simply as "Ticker" had stopped 27 of 28 shots and earned first-star honors for his role in Carolina's 19th win of the campaign.

"Tick's a pro," said Head Coach Rod Brind'Amour. "He's been sitting out a long time, hasn't played much at all, and to put (him) in there probably wasn't the best for him, but he looked like he could handle it. That says a lot about him."

"We understand how hard it is to get into this league, and then to stay around...that's a testament to him, to hang in there," added Brind'Amour. "It's a great story, and hopefully it continues. It's a good start start here. I'm happy for him, and I know the guys are really happy for him too."

Tokarski may be a journeyman, but his resume speaks to his talent - with two Calder Cups, a Memorial Cup and a World Juniors gold medal to his name, the now 16-year pro is a serial winner. Couple that skill set with his reputation as an outstanding teammate, and he's a natural fit with the culture Brind'Amour has helped foster in the Canes' locker room.

"Everybody knows of the player, if you haven't played with him somewhere down the line. (His) reputation is, first of all, a class act, but (he's) steady," said Brind'Amour. "You could see that nothing really fazed him, he made some really subtle puck touches behind the net to our D, little things that kind of go unnoticed, but relieve the pressure and we're out of the zone. All around, I thought he was the difference tonight."

It's been an interesting month for the Watson, Sask. native, to say the least.

Starting the season without a contract but still eager to play at a high level, Tokarski joined the Chicago Wolves on a professional try-out in November and promptly rattled off back-to-back shutouts and a 4-1-0 record. Two days after his fifth game there, he got some stability through a one-year, two-way deal with the Canes. And two days after that, he was actually on his way to Raleigh, completing an improbable path from an AHL PTO to an NHL roster in little more than a few weeks.

"I've just been going day-to-day for the last 30 days, and I'm going to keep doing that," said Tokarski on Sunday. "But I'm grateful for the opportunity, grateful for the belief. I'm enjoying it - can't complain one bit."

Four games of backup duty behind Pyotr Kochetkov ensued, but on Sunday, Tokarski's first NHL start in almost two years finally arrived. If there were any cobwebs to shake off due to his lengthy absence, he certainly didn't show it, particularly when facing an extended shorthanded sequence in the first period.

"Honestly, (I prepared) just like any other game," he said. "That's the way you have to treat it, at least for myself anyway. Just do the work that's gotten me to this point and try to translate it onto the ice. Fortunately, it did (translate), and guys played awesome in front of me."

While Tokarski credited his teammates for their work on the penalty kill that allowed him to get a feel for the game in the early going, his coach was quick to point out the work #34 put in to make sure the Canes got off on the right foot.

"Our goalie was great tonight. I thought he subtly made a few really big saves, especially early when we had the six minutes (of penalties) to kill. There were a couple of really, really quality chances and that just allowed us to keep playing and not have to get off our game," he said.

Tokarski struck a calm, measured figure throughout his postgame media availability on Sunday, belying the magnitude of what he has been accomplishing this season. Before he arrived in Chicago, the oldest goalie to appear in an AHL game this year was 33-year-old Magnus Hellberg, and only seven goaltenders aged 35 or older had played in an NHL game this season prior to Sunday.

The potential of retirement may have loomed along the horizon of his mind as he awaited his next chance but he never allowed it to creep in, and now, this year's list of 35-and-up netminders in The National has an eighth name.

"I tried to keep (the thought of being done with hockey) out of my mind, just because I feel like if you start thinking that way, that's what might come your way," he said. "So I just kept working back home, doing the process, working hard and waiting for an opportunity, and fortunately one came."

With more than half of the schedule ahead in both the NHL and AHL seasons, the latest chapter of Tokarski's hockey journey is far from over. But as he has throughout his career, he's taking it all in stride and enjoying every moment.

"It's been pretty wild, but it's been awesome, it's been fun," he said.

"I'm grateful for Chicago, grateful to get here and happy to get the win today."