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<\/a>\u00a0– by Emna Achour\nA Lot of Sports Talk<\/em> hockey columnist<\/p>\n
Hockey players, like most professional athletes, have all sorts of sources of motivation outside of just wanting to contribute what they can to provide their team a victory on a given night. Some will give an extra push if they are in a contract year, with their performances determining the size of the next contract. Speaking of contracts, certain incentives inside of one\u2019s deal, like reaching a career high in goals or points, are almost surefire ways to get the best out of a player. Or maybe some skaters will count on a road trip back to a hometown, playing in front of friends and family, to get going on the ice.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Then there\u2019s Cam Fowler, the 25 year-old Anaheim Ducks defenseman, who has used the looming possibility of being shipped out of town, in the way of trade rumors that swirled around him during the last couple of months, to initiate a true career resurrection.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Those trade rumors seemingly sent Fowler, the 12th overall selection in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft by the Ducks, to about every city other than Anaheim last summer, as general manager Bob Murray had three young and important restricted free agents to sign – defensemen Sami Vatanen and Hampus Lindholm as well as forward Rickard Rakell. Add that to the fact that we are one year away from the expansion draft and Fowler was seen as the unwanted one, the one who would be sacrificed.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n But here he is, a couple of months later, still playing under the warm California sun, regaining his former glory and showing the Ducks that they made the right decision by keeping him.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cFive games into the season, [Murray] pulled me in and said, \u2018Hey, I was a player before too. I heard my name tossed out there all the time.\u2019 He just said, \u2018I\u2019m not shopping you. Teams are calling. Teams are gonna call,\u2019\u201d said Fowler this week.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Before Thursday night\u2019s clash against the Senators in Ottawa, the Windsor, Ontario-born Fowler had nine goals and 22 points in 34 games, as he is on pace to break his career-high of 40 points (in 76 games) reached during his rookie season in 2010-11. That rookie season fittingly served as an indicator of what Fowler was able to do offensively and, also, of what he was looking to repeat this year after failing to register more than 36 points in each of his five subsequent seasons.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI just didn\u2019t feel I was contributing enough offensively as I felt I was able to,\u201d said Fowler. \u201cWhen I was scouted I was known as an offensive defenseman, and I had a good rookie year in terms of points.”<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI worked really hard this summer on releasing the puck, shooting from all angles, wrist shots…you name it,\u201d Fowler added. \u201cI worked on it all summer long. A lot of it is a mentality. You have to have confidence to shoot the puck, and it\u2019s easy to do that when you see a few go in early.”<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n As of Thursday night, Fowler \u2013 a defenseman, I remind you \u2013 had scored more goals than a couple of his more celebrated goal-scoring teammates, forwards Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, two of the biggest offensive threats in the game. The season is obviously still young, but that just says a lot about the improvement that was made by Fowler after a summer that made him think that maybe he wasn\u2019t part of the team\u2019s future.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt kind of helped me stay in my lane,\u201d Fowler said. \u201cIt gave me a little motivation, to be honest with you. I wanted to show teams, if they\u2019re interested in me, they\u2019d be getting a good quality player. It pushed me in the summer and even at the start of the season.”<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Size Does Matter<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n In addition to the extra motivation that came from all the rumors surrounding Fowler\u2019s future with Anaheim, other smaller and more subtle changes to his game are to thank for his offensive explosion this year.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n When speaking with the Toronto media as the Ducks were in town to play the Maple Leafs earlier this week, Fowler talked about a piece of advice that his father gave him: suggesting his son increase the length of his Bauer 1S (95 flex) stick by about two inches.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\nI Want You to Want Me<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>