HULSE STUDENT OF THE GAME

By:  Damon Markiewicz

As a youngster growing up in Calgary, Alberta, Phoenix Coyotes defenseman Cale Hulse had a passion for hockey and for his beloved Calgary Flames.  Hulse was at the young age of 15 when he witnessed his hometown team win the 1989 Stanley Cup.  So you can imagine how Hulse felt when he met the architect of that Flames team for the first time.

The Coyotes signed Hulse as a free agent on July 10, 2003 and shortly after his arrival in the Valley, he had the chance to meet Coyotes senior executive vice president of hockey operations Cliff Fletcher.  Fletcher served as the Flames general manager for 19 seasons and is a person Hulse really admires.

“It was funny the first time I met Mr. Fletcher because I felt like I was a fan again,” said Hulse.  “As a kid I was a die-hard fan of the Flames and to be able to meet someone that I admire and have so much respect for was very special for me.”

The 6-foot-3, 220-pound defenseman will have another memorable day when he makes his Coyotes debut this Friday, October 10 when Phoenix their 2003-04 regular season against the St. Louis Blues at America West Arena.  HulseÂ’s strong physical play was very attractive to Coyotes general manager Michael Barnett this summer as Phoenix signed the veteran to a multi-year deal.  Hulse understands the type of game he needs to play every night to help the Coyotes achieve success.

“I realize what has gotten me this far in the National Hockey League and that is using my size and playing solid defense,” said Hulse, who spent the previous three seasons with the Nashville Predators.  “I want to be difficult to play against and compete hard every night.  I need to be physical and make sure opponents have a hard time setting up in front of our goal.”

Taking the body and making life miserable for opposing forwards is something Hulse has never had a problem accomplishing in the past.  While with the Predators, he was one of the team leaders in penalty minutes (PIM) and hits each year.  Hulse finished the 2002-03 campaign with 121 PIM, the third straight season in which he led Nashville in that category, surpassing Drake Berehowsky as NashvilleÂ’s all-time PIMÂ’s leader.

“With the type of game I play, I will take some penalties,” said Hulse.  “When you are involved with the physical aspects of the game, altercations will arise and as a player you understand and accept that.  You always have to use your strengths as a player and anytime I am on the ice I want to focus on my role with this team.”

One of HulseÂ’s responsibilities on this yearÂ’s club will be to help provide strong leadership both on and off the ice.  Hulse is currently the oldest defenseman on the Coyotes roster at the grand age of 29.  He will not turn 30 until November 10 and Hulse is excited about sharing any knowledge with the young Coyotes defensemen that he has collected in his first eight professional seasons.

“I was fortunate to have a lot of great coaches and players help me with my development,” said Hulse.  “I started my pro career with the New Jersey Devils and hall of fame defenseman Larry Robinson was with the team helping young players.  The learning process is never ending and you are always watching other players to see what you can pick up from them.”

Hulse has become a student of the game and realizes a player can run into trouble if he stops educating himself about his position.  Hulse is always looking for ways to fine-tune his game.

“You can always gain knowledge from the players you play against because there are always lessons to be learned,” said Hulse.  “Players have to be willing to make adjustments due to the fact that the game is always changing.  I know one of the biggest lessons I have learned is to watch how my opponents and teammates handle certain situations.  I enjoy talking with the goaltenders to understand the game from their perspective.  In my mind, you can never have too much knowledge.” 

As a credit to HulseÂ’s preparation and hard work, if all goes well, he will play in his 500th NHL game on Sunday, October 12 against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.  It is an accomplishment that means a lot to the blueliner.

“It is really overwhelming when I think about it,” said Hulse.  “I canÂ’t believe this is going to be my ninth year in the League, time has gone by quickly.  Most hockey players take a lot of pride in the amount of games they play and I am no different.  Each season I want to play in every game and I havenÂ’t taken anything for granted.  Hopefully after this weekend there is another 500 games for me.”

Since Hulse was a youngster, he has always had a strong enthusiasm for the sport.  HulseÂ’s second cousin Torrie Robertson played in 10 NHL seasons splitting time between Washington, Hartford and Detroit.  Hulse appreciates the time he spent with Robertson as a kid and honors his cousin by wearing RobertsonÂ’s jersey number 32.

“I was very fortunate to know somebody playing in the NHL when I was younger,” said Hulse.  “Torrie (Robertson) was always good to us and anytime we were able to go to a game, he would bring us in the locker room and allow us to sit on the bench during practice.  I looked up to my cousin a lot and I appreciated everything he did for us as kids.  When I started playing junior hockey, TorrieÂ’s number was available and I have been able to wear number 32 just about every season.”

Off the ice, Hulse has always enjoyed and been involved with charitable work.  While with the Predators, he purchased a block of tickets for "CaleÂ’s Crew" which hosts families for cancer patients and survivors. 

“My work with different charities started back when I was playing for the Calgary Flames earlier in my career,” said Hulse.  “Calgary was my hometown and I was able to go back to schools that I attended as a kid and explain the importance of an education.  As athletes we are fortunate to be in a situation in which we can give back to communities that support us as players.”

Hulse will begin a new chapter in his career this season with Phoenix.  There were several different aspects that intrigued Hulse to sign with the Coyotes and the warm weather during the winter months was not the determining factor.

“What really intrigued me about signing with Phoenix was the idea of playing for a strong management group,” said Hulse.  “There is a solid coaching staff here and this team will only continue to get better each day.”    

The addition of Hulse will only bolster the CoyotesÂ’ lineup as the team prepares for an exciting and successful 2003-04 campaign.

*  PhoenixCoyotes.com will continue to feature some of the new Coyotes players in the days leading up tong night.  On Thursday, read about defenseman David Tanabe on Thursday and Tyson Nash on Friday.