Taking Flight - Pit Bull in a China Shop

Defenseman Joe Hicketts was signed as a free agent by the Red Wings on Sept. 24, 2014 after a very successful junior career with the Victoria Royals. The 5-foot-8, 180-pound British Columbia native, is one of four Red Wings prospects writing for our Taking Flight blog series, which chronicles the players' ups and downs as they work their way to becoming Red Wings. Hicketts currently plays for Detroit's AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins. Here is his second blog entry of a 'Pit Bull in a China Shop.'

• https://www.nhl.com/player/joe-hicketts-8478176

Pit Bull in a China Shop - Entry 2

        by Joe Hicketts<br>Ever since I was a little kid, Christmas meant two things to me, family and playing hockey on the outdoor rink in the community park in my neighborhood. As we draw nearer and nearer towards our mini-Christmas break, I can't help but get excited for these times. While the hockey might be played inside as a professional business and I'm still having the time of my life doing this, I still can't wait to go home for Christmas!<br>This will be only my second Christmas in the last six years spent at home and I'm excited to get back and see everyone from brothers to grandparents to cousins. Growing up, there was always a very strong influence of family when I was raised, therefore we had a lot of family gatherings around all holidays, but especially this one. From our turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy dinner to gift exchanges, there were always plenty of people on hand to celebrate together. My favorite part of the holidays (along with my brother and all my cousins) is when the 'lefsa' is pulled out.<br>Lefsa is a Norwegian flatbread that looks like a tortilla shell but is flattened with a grooved rolling pin. This family recipe has been passed down through my grandpa's side and Christmas is the most likely time we will see it all year. We eat it with butter and either jelly or brown sugar, the latter being my choice. I always put the butter on, heat it up in the microwave, add the brown sugar then, voila, done. This is mainly done as a dessert but over the years we have gotten away from only having it as a dessert and now eat it whenever we're hungry, even for breakfast. I guess that's what makes the holidays so special, being with family and doing what makes you happy.<br>I was excited when I saw where we were going to end the first half of our schedule. With the Griffins, the last game before our break is in Winnipeg at 2 p.m., which means I'm not only halfway home (which helps with flight times), but we are in Canada and that makes getting into Kamloops so much easier. This year we get a longer break than the last couple years at four days. While I'm home, I'll be able to not only celebrate Christmas but my brother's and grandpa's 20th and 80th birthdays.<br>Since my last post, a couple things have changed but for the most part it's been smooth sailing. We've run into some injury trouble in the last couple games, which is going to give some guys opportunities. Also, my mom came to visit! What she didn't tell me is that my aunt had also made the trip - the surprise when I walked into in the family room after the game was remarkable. While their stay was short, that of a weekend, it was nice to see family and have them here to watch. My parents usually make it out only once or twice a year and for my aunt to come makes me appreciate what they did and still do for me even more.<br>As for the hockey, it's been a tough stretch of games. We have been playing almost every other day for the past month or so. Add traveling on the bus and getting into cities at late hours of the morning after games, there hasn't been a lot of time for rest. All this has resulted in little practice time and just playing games. I don't mind just going to the rink and skating the morning of the games. Being a hockey player is all about routines and this has definitely thrown us out of whack.<br>All of my routines are day-of-game things. Whether it's my pregame meal of chicken, rice and broccoli to how long I nap, which is usually around two hours, sets me up mentally and physically to prepare for the game. After my nap, I will wake up and head to the rink where I tape sticks, have a snack of oatmeal and banana, then go over the last-minute pre-scouts before hitting the ice. I have been set in this routine since junior - seven years.<br>Wishing everyone a happy, healthy and most importantly safe holiday season!<br>Thanks for tuning in and following along,  

Joe
In 21 games this season with the Griffins, Hicketts has one goal, seven assists, is plus-1and has been assessed 22 penalty minutes.