You’ve seen those scenes of a traded player joining his new team.
Hearty handshakes. High-fives. Hugs from players they already know well, from previous hockey history.
Those scenes no longer exist in the COVID-19 world of today, in the midst of which hockey is limbering up for a one-off, 56-game season; the NHL divided between hockey in Canada (the North Division) and three U.S. divisions.
For ex-Tampa Bay Lightning teammates Braydon Coburn and Cedric Paquette, just now coming out of quarantine protocols to join their new Ottawa Senators teammates, part of the challenge is figuring out the men behind the pandemic masks.
“It’s a little hard to introduce yourself, I find,” Coburn said in a Monday Zoom call with Ottawa media. “We were joking, I think I introduced myself to the same guy a couple of times, just with the masks — trying to figure out whose face matches up with which name.
“But give us time here and we will keep growing as a team and figure out who’s who.”
Coburn laughs as he says it.
At 35, Coburn just became the elder statesman on the Senators. Gone are the ancient ones, goaltender Craig Anderson and defenceman Ron Hainsey.
Coburn is the only defenceman on the roster over 30. And only three forwards are 30-plus — Artem Anisimov, 32, Evgenii Dadonov, 31 and Derek Stepan, 30.
It’s clear what Coburn’s role will be — to help newly acquired Erik Gudbranson (who turns 29 on Thursday) and Nikita Zaitsev, 29, provide some veteran experience to young Thomas Chabot and the rest of Ottawa’s upcoming defencemen.
“There’s a lot to like about this team,” Coburn says. “There’s a lot of young guys and a lot of guys who are hungry, and really want to make a name for themselves in this league. It’s a competitive bunch, so it's a good group to fit into. For me, I just want to work as hard as I can and try to push the competition as much as I can.”
Ditto for Paquette, 27, an aggressive forward who fits in nicely with head coach D.J. Smith’s preferred, robust style of game.
“It's a young team, with a lot of promising prospects,” Paquette said. “They’ve got some good players and a lot of veterans — a good mix. I think my role is going to be bringing experience, leadership and some physical play.
“I don’t want to change my game. I’ll see what they ask of me but that’s how I see it.”
Coburn and Paquette skated on their own Monday, a scheduled day off for the rest of the Senators, who had four days of camp last week. It’s expected Coburn and Paquette will join the main group on Tuesday.
Squeezed out of Tampa’s Stanley Cup roster by a flattened salary cap, Coburn and Paquette knew the risks of getting traded and were only mildly surprised when it happened. Paquette said he was caught off guard because it came between Christmas and New Year's on Dec. 27.
Coburn said his eyes were wide open to the possibility.
“It was no secret Tampa was facing a pretty tight cap crunch,” Coburn said. “There were a lot of different scenarios playing out there. With (Nikita) Kucherov going on long-term IR, it looked like there was going to be a little bit of relief there, but there were still going to be guys that had to get moved.”
With his no-trade clause, Coburn had to approve the trade and the Shaunavon, Sask., native (birthplace of Hayley Wickenheiser) was excited to play in Canada for the first time after 14 years in U.S. NHL cities — Atlanta, Philadelphia and Tampa Bay.
After speaking to his family and to Senators management, general manager Pierre Dorion and head coach Smith, he was all-in on the move.
“I talked to D.J. and Pierre about what kind of team they are building and what kind of coach D.J. is. After talking to those guys, it was something I was really excited about.”
Just 34 games shy of the 1,000-mark, Coburn has seen just about everything in the game, and he’s played alongside some outstanding defencemen. The list includes Victor Hedman of the Lightning and Kimmo Timonen, Chris Pronger and Derian Hatcher with the Flyers.
“I’ve learned a lot from those guys over the years and it’s just kind of about how to be a pro,” Coburn says. “How to approach the game day-to-day.
“I don't know a whole lot about a lot of the guys here and I look forward to imparting any wisdom I can, but also learning a lot. Older players can learn a lot from young players sometimes. It’s a mutual give-take relationship and something I really want to embrace.”
As for embracing teammates, beyond a stiff check in front of the crease, that will have to wait a while.
It’s enough for Coburn and Paquette to get back on the ice with their new team, with the clock already ticking toward the first game of the season, Jan. 15 against the archrival Toronto Maple Leafs.
“I love rivalries,” Coburn says about joining his first Battle of Ontario fray. “Those games bring the most out of people. They pique the emotions. Everything gets ramped up a bit. When there’s a team and a rivalry like that it’s really special, fun to be a part of.”
Brannstrom in quarantine
On Ottawa sports radio Monday, Dorion explained why defenceman Erik Brannstrom has not been skating with the club. Just before camp, Brannstrom was in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. As a result, Brannstrom will remain in quarantine until next week, when he can join the Senators. It’s a tough break for a 21-year-old who was already in a difficult battle to make the roster.
Forward Tim Stuetzle, who just arrived in Ottawa over the weekend from the world junior tournament, is also in quarantine protocol for the balance of this week. So is Stepan, recently arrived from Arizona after he and his wife Stephanie had a baby.
