Superstar or not, if you aren’t playing well, NHL coaches are going to play someone else.
For these nine players, they have, for some reason or another, gotten on their coach’s bad side or have just flat out not played well this season.
Here are some of the biggest names who have been healthy scratches around the NHL.
Cody Hodgson, Centre, Buffalo Sabres
When the Buffalo Sabres acquired Hodgson from the Vancouver Canucks at the 2012 trade deadline, they thought they were getting a No. 1 centre for many years to come. And after Hodgson scored 20 goals and 44 points last season, Buffalo was expecting growth from the 24-year-old this season. But so far he has failed to live up to expectations this season. In 28 games, Hodgson only has three points and a plus/minus rating of minus-11. Head coach Ted Nolan decided it was time for a change on Thursday and benched the 10th overall selection from the 2008 draft for Buffalo’s game against the Calgary Flames.
“Sometimes you overwork too and you over-think. Cody’s a real good player,” Nolan told the Sabres website. “He’s got some really good hands and he can score some goals, but unfortunately they’re not happening right now. So sometimes it’s good to sit back and look at it from a different perspective. … Maybe a game watching will get him out of that funk.”
Chris Stewart, Right Wing, Buffalo Sabres
Another slumping Buffalo forward for a bad Sabres team. Stewart hasn’t been able to find a groove this season, which prompted Nolan to bench the 27-year-old on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Kings. In 28 games this year, Stewart has three goals and an assist while carrying a minus-11 rating.
He was vocal about his benching and took offence to Nolan saying that he can’t be playing a soft game.
“I’m not happy about it,” Stewart told reporters. “I don’t agree with being a healthy scratch. But you take it on the chin like a man. I don’t think I’m a soft player. You can ask Prust, you can ask Lucic about how soft I am. I’m sure they’ll have a good answer for you.
Stewart returned to the lineup on Thursday against Calgary.
Alexander Semin, Right Wing, Carolina Hurricanes
Semin and the Hurricanes have both had a rough year so far. The Russian has been a healthy scratch three times this year, most recently on Nov. 20 against Los Angeles. In 21 games, Semin has one goal and five assists and is a minus-9. To add to his struggles, he has been battling injuries too. Most recently, Semin, 30, was placed on the injured reserve with a lower-body injury on Thursday. He found success early in his career playing alongside fellow Russian Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.
Jonathan Drouin, Left Wing, Tampa Bay Lightning
It came as a bit of a surprise to some that Drouin wouldn’t be loaned to Team Canada for the upcoming 2015 World Junior Hockey Championship. After missing the start of the season with a fractured right thumb, Drouin has been in and out of the Tampa Bay lineup, most recently being named a healthy scratch for Tuesday’s game against Washington. The 19-year-old is still finding his place in the NHL, but general manager Steve Yzerman feels Drouin is developing just fine.
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The third-overall draft pick in 2013, Drouin has played 20 games, scoring once and adding 10 assists.
Vincent Lecavalier, Centre, Philadelphia Flyers
Tampa Bay’s former captain has struggled to find his place in Philadelphia since coming over as a free agent prior to the 2013-14 season. In 16 games, the first-overall pick in the 1998 NHL Draft has six points this season. Lecavalier was a healthy scratch again on Thursday against the New Jersey Devils for a fifth-straight game.
“It’s been a really tough week,” Lecavalier, 34, told the Daily News earlier this week. “I’ve tried to stay positive. I want to get better. I want to feel better about this. I think the only way you can do that is to get back and play games. I definitely thought after a game, I’d come back in. I guess [coach Craig Berube] didn’t want me back in the lineup.”
Ales Hemsky, Right Wing, Dallas Stars
It’s been a tough year for Hemsky. Now playing for his third team in 2014, the Czech Republic native hasn’t been able to find his place in Dallas just yet. After being traded by the Edmonton Oilers to the Ottawa Senators in March, Hemsky played 20 games in Canada’s capital before being signed by the Stars in the summer. In 25 games this year, Hemsky has seven points and a minus-12 rating. He’s been a healthy scratch the past two games, although Dallas hasn’t been much better as a team, sitting in second-last in the Central division.
Jake Gardiner, Defenceman, Toronto Maple Leafs
Gardiner hasn’t been able to get and stay in head coach Randy Carlyle’s good books for very long. After being a healthy scratch a few times in October, the 24-year-old 17th overall pick from 2008 has been getting consistent playing time lately. In Wednesday night’s 2-1 shootout win over the Detroit Red Wings, Gardiner played 24 shifts for 20:16 of ice time. On the season, he has two goals and six assists, but his minus-10 rating is the worst on the team.
Milan Michalek, Left Wing, Ottawa Senators
Michalek hasn’t played well this season and is still trying to find the groove he was in when he scored 60 points in 2011-12. He was a healthy scratch on Nov. 25 against the St. Louis Blues, but that didn’t help turn him around: he’s only recorded one assist in the six games since. In 25 games overall, Michalek has two goals and six assists. With the Senators recently firing Paul MacLean as their head coach, it will be interesting to see if Michalek performs any better under the direction of Dave Cameron.
Justin Schultz, Defenceman, Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers have struggled this season and head coach Dallas Eakins has been trying a lot of different things to help his team play better. One of those moves was to bench 24-year-old defenceman Justin Schultz. Schultz was a healthy scratch on Nov. 27 in Nashville, but has played in every game since. In 28 games total, he has 11 points and is a minus-eight.
