Hawryluk Q&A: The End of a Long Road

SUNRISE, Fla. -Jayce Hawryluk's road to an NHL debut certainly wasn't a straight line.
A second-round pick of the Florida Panthers in the 2014 NHL Draft, the feisty forward spent 142 games fighting injuries and fine-tuning his game in the minors -- including a brief six-game trip to the ECHL -- over parts of three seasons before finally earning the first NHL call-up of his career.

Recalled last week alongside 2016 first-round pick Henrik Borgstrom to give the Panthers a shot in the arm, the 22-year-old prospect had undoubtedly earned the promotion, leading Florida's AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds, with 28 points (seven goal, 21 assists) in 25 games.
In his long-awaited NHL debut, Hawryluk flew up and down the ice like a wrecking ball, racking up four hits -- including a team-high three in the first period alone -- and two shots on goal over 5:55 of ice time during Florida's 4-3 overtime win over Toronto at BB&T Center on Saturday.
Upon a second viewing of the game, Panthers coach Bob Boughner said he liked what he saw.
"I just like the way he was first on pucks, the way he was working, spinning off and trying to get into the goalie's eyes," Boughner said. "He had a bunch of great retrievals where it was a 50-50 race for the puck and he got there first and made the play.
"Those are important things for him. He's got to be an energy guy and play with that tempo. He definitely did that the other night. We're excited. He's been around for a few years and it looks like he's finally taken that step to where we need him to be."
The morning before his debut, Hawryluk sat down with FloridaPanthers.com's Jameson Olive to discuss all the ups and downs he faced along the winding road to achieving his lifelong dream.
OLIVE: How long have you waited for this moment?
HAWRYLUK: It's obviously been a dream of mine. It's been a while, but I'm looking forward to it and excited for the opportunity.
OLIVE: You grew up in Yorkton, Saskatoon rooting for the Maple Leafs. I guess it only makes sense that they're the team you faceoff against in your debut, right?
HAWRYLUK:Exactly, eh? I might as well play the team I grew up idolizing. I'm looking forward to it.
OLIVE: You were on pace to set new career highs in both goals and points down in Springfield before being called up. If you can point to one or two specific things, what do you think was the biggest reason for your personal success down there this season?
HAWRYLUK:I thought our team down in Springfield has been playing super well this year. I've benefited from team success and had a lot of good mentors. Harry Zolnierczyk has been a big key to my success this year, helping me grow as a player. He's a guy that's been a huge part of how my seasons' been.
OLIVE: What was it like when you first got the news that you were headed to South Florida?
HAWRYLUK: I just showed up to the rink early Friday morning for practice and a workout. Then coach pulled me in [to his office] and told me I was heading up. I'm obviously super thrilled and excited. I went out on the ice for a skate by myself, shot some pucks, did my normal thing then headed home to pack.
OLIVE: How special of a skate was that?
HAWRYLUCK: It was definitely an interesting feeling to be skating out there. There was a lot of emotions going through my head at the time. It's tough to put into words, but it was definitely a special feeling.

OLIVE: How nice was it to have Henrik Borgstrom with you on the flight down?
HAWRYLUK: Borgy's awesome. Me and Borgy are great friends. It was definitely a special feeling catching that flight with him here. We got in late that night, had a nice dinner and just talked about everything. I remember him saying how when he was 18 he was undrafted and wasn't even playing in the top league in Finland for where he was. He just remembers being there, and now three years later he's coming up to the NHL. It's crazy how things have come. I'm similar in my path. We're both enjoying the moment. We just want to help the team win hockey games. That's our main focus.
OLIVE: Do you think taking the long road to the NHL has made you a better player?
HAWRYLUK:It's definitely been quite the journey so far me. I'm obviously still fairly young, only 22. But it definitely feels like it's been a long road. The AHL is an unbelievable league. I think it gets overlooked sometimes. With some of the players and how the schedule's formatted, it's a tough league to play in. It's definitely helped me grow as a player and as a person, for sure. I'm thankful for that. I had couple injuries, but obviously I've had the best staff helping me get back on track. This summer was a big one for me. I put a lot of hard work and dedication in to getting better on and off the ice. It's nice to feel like it's finally sort of starting to pay off.
OLIVE: You mentioned the injuries. From a few minor bumps and bruises to a broken hand at the Rookie Tournament in 2016, it seems like there was always something that kept you from being in line for a call-up. Looking back, was it hard not to get frustrated?
HAWRYLUK:Everyone's goal is to play in the NHL, right? But it's a process. That was the hard thing for me to learn as a young guy. It takes time and it doesn't happen overnight. You've got to earn that job and earn that responsibility. I'm thankful for just being able to play the game I love. AHL or NHL, I'm just so thankful that I get to do what I love for a living… but obviously it's nice to be in the NHL [laughs].
OLIVE: The Panthers have shown in the past that when guys produce down in the AHL, they are usually rewarded with a call-up to the big club. With the numbers you've been putting up this season, were you confident that you'd put yourself in a good position?
HAWRYLUK: Honestly, for me it was just about winning hockey games. Last year in Springfield we didn't have a good season and we weren't happy with it. Coming into this season, it was all about winning hockey games. With team success comes personal success. That was just my main focus. I just wanted to help our team win. Points aren't always a reflection of how guys are playing. There's 60 minutes in a hockey game that a lot of people don't get to watch. There's a lot of intangibles and little details that go into being a successful player. Points are just a bonus. Overall, my game's come a long way this year. I feel like I'm a lot more detailed and my game's grown. I'm thankful for the coaching down there that's helped me get here. I'm looking forward to taking this opportunity by the horns. Let's go.
OLIVE: You've had a reputation as an agitator even before you were drafted, the type of guy that brings energy to every shift and disrupts other team's lines. Are you excited to try and bring that same level of play to the highest level of the game?
HAWRYLUK: Nothing changes here. I'm coming here to bring energy, offense, sparks, to be an agitator. I'm that type of player. I feel confident with the puck this year. I'm just looking forward to bringing that up here and getting the first game going. I'm ready to go.
OLIVE: And now that you're here, I assume the goal is to never go back?
HAWRYLUCK: Exactly… exactly.