Adam Henrich: "If I didn’t commit myself, I was going to have to find something else to do with my life"
Former Lightning prospect Adam Henrich, who was not re-signed last summer after struggling with AHL Springfield, has been a completely different player recently while on a tryout contract with the Norfolk Admirals.
The Citizens Voice of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, recently caught up with Henrich after the former Brampton Battalion forward had a 4 point night leading the Ads to a 5-3 win over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
“I realized after last season I had to be more humble and work harder,” Henrich, who has 5 goals and 6 assists in 6 games since his promotion, told the newspaper. “I accepted the ECHL was where I had to start, and that if I didn’t commit myself, I was going to have to find something else to do with my life.”
“This season is do or die for me,” Henrich also said. “I’m off to a good start here but hockey is a `What have you done for me today?’ kind of business and I need to keep using my size down low.”
Henrich had 20 points in 12 games for Wheeling of the ECHL before signing with Norfolk. He has 4 games left on his tryout agreement with Norfolk.
Saying All the Right Things
Good for him. I'd love to see him be a leader and sit down with Smolenak and tell Radek the same thing.
I Think He Received His Wake-Up Call
He is saying all the right things. But more importantly to this point in time, he is doing all the right things. He needs to keep that do or die mindset and continue his level of play.
Sometimes a player in any sport, who has better than average talent hears while coming up from everyone how good he is. Henrich obviously had some good talent coming up since the Bolts made him a relatively high draft choice. But some of those players let those accolades go to their head and forget what things they did to get there.
Getting canned by the Bolts, had to be a real jolt to him. He is verbalizing well what he should have taken away from that, and his play seems to be putting that into practice. Hopefully this rededication is genuine and he will do the things necessary to resurrect his career. An AHL SPC should be coming his way if he continues his good play. A good first step back in putting his career back on track.