DYLAN LABBE MAKING POSTIVE STEPS IN FIRST SEASON
Nov 22, 2015By Tom Witosky | Follow @toskyAHLWild
Dylan Labbe scored his first professional goal as an 18-year-old, but two years later he is just beginning to understand what professional hockey is all about.
“It’s so different that it is hard to compare playing in juniors and playing here,” the now 20-year-old Iowa Wild defenseman said recently. “In juniors, it was really about trying to get drafted and get a contract. Here, it is a job.”
Labbe (pronounced Lah-BAY) is part of a cadre of young defensemen being built by the Minnesota Wild that is expected to give the NHL franchise a strong blue line now and for some time in the future. As Minnesota’s fourth-round draft choice in the 2013 NHL Entry draft, Labbe has joined three other rookies – Gustav Olofsson, Mike Reilly and Zach Palmquist – among the top six on Iowa’s blue line.
As expected, there have been problems, but also progress, according to John Torchetti, Iowa’s head coach, said. Olofsson has been called-up twice by the Wild while Reilly has been drawing a lot of attention as he learns to adjust his offensive-oriented game to a philosophy that emphasizes defense first.
For Labbe, who entered this season already having played 14 games for Iowa while playing for the Shawinigan Cataractes of the QMJHL for three seasons, the adjustment to professional hockey is a daily reminder of his youth.
“He is a work in progress and he is playing ok for a rookie,” Torchetti said. “But he is learning to be a pro. He will be a different player after a full year.”
Torchetti, who is credited with helping Minnesota defenseman Matt Dumba develop at an accelerated rate, said all coaches have to remind themselves that most rookies are just that – rookies.
“Coaches tend to forget that some of their players are rookies,” Torchetti said. “You have to teach them how to eat, make sure they are getting their sleep, make sure they are working out. It is a learning process for them.”
Labbe’s process began early when he was called up to play for Iowa during the 2013-14 season at the end of the season. On April 6, Labbe got his first assist in a close match against the Chicago Wolves, but got a bigger thrill when he ended-up as the sixth shooter in a shootout. Up to that point in the shootout, no Wild player had been able to get the puck past Wolves Matt Climie, but Labbe did.
“I was younger and very excited about it,” Labbe remembered.“ I played really well that day and got a lot of confidence in how I could play.”
With that momentum, the 6-foot, 2-inch, 200-pounder returned to Shawinigan for his final season, intent on showing he possessed both offensive skills as well as a solid focus on defense. When the season ended, Labbe was the club’s fourth highest scorer with 51 points (15 goals and 36 assists and a +10).
Labbe said that part of his improvement then had to do with his getting drafted by Minnesota a move that surprised him a bit. Club officials had talked with Labbe at a combine in Toronto, but didn’t give much of an indication that they were interested.
“I never thought I’d be with Minnesota,” he said. “But, I was happy about it because I knew it was a great opportunity for me particularly with the position that I play.
Labbe said that he has always admired Minnesota defenseman Ryan Suter’s abilities and leadership.
“Suter is a great player,” he said. “He plays the kind of two-way game that is my kind of game.”
Torchetti said that he has been impressed by Labbe’s willingness to compete including dropping the gloves a couple of times.
“I have been surprised by the fights he’s had, but that tells me he wants to compete and he wants to play,” Torchetti said.
Labbe said that he understands that he has a lot to learn both on the ice and off the ice.
“I have to play well every night. I have to be confident on the ice when I make my plays,” he said. “It is about keeping it simple and playing tough.”
Off the ice, Labbe said it’s about learning to live as an adult.
“Here you have to learn how to live,” he said. You cook your own food. You do your own thing. There is no curfew. Everything is so different, but I am ready for it. I couldn’t wait to get here.”
Labbe began playing hockey as youngster growing up in rural southern Quebec about an hour from Quebec City. His hometown is St. Benjamin, a small town with a population of less than 1,000 people. He is the middle son of three.
When he wasn’t playing hockey, Labbe said that he would be hunting or fishing with his father or playing golf with his grandfather. “I don’t like being indoors,” he said. “I always like being outside.”
He also said that he has found Des Moines to be a “wonderful” place to live.
“It’s a lot like at home because the people are so nice here, but it is a lot larger and really spread out,” he said.
Still, the goal is to the NHL Wild.
“I am here so I need to work every day to get better. If I do that, I will get a chance to play in NHL one day,” Labbe said.
Torchetti agreed, but suggested that there is a ways to go.
“He’s got to learn the system more,” the veteran head coach said. “He’s played well, but there is a lot more to come out of him.”