Bablitz pleased to return to the ice with Las Vegas

Nick Christensen

Friday, Feb. 13, 2004 | 10:32 a.m.

Blaine Bablitz was ready to play.

Six months out of college, six games into his rookie season, Bablitz was just getting started on his adventure of professional hockey.

But in an instant as he skated across a rut in the ice at the Orleans Arena on Oct. 29, Bablitz' perspective on his rookie year would change dramatically.

It shifted from the bench to the stands, and from road trips to rehab.

"It was a pretty innocent play," Bablitz said. "A guy pushed me over from behind, I caught my skate in a rut, and it just snapped. It was pretty unfortunate."

"It" was Bablitz's right knee, broken and knocking this young forward from Valleyview, Alberta, out of action for the ensuing three months.

"It was a little hard to take at first, but then I thought everything happens for a reason, it's just a matter of figuring out why it happened," he said. "I came to terms with it, and just waited for the day so I could start rehabbing, get ready to play and help the team."

Bablitz, who came to the Wranglers from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, made another rookie debut last Friday, in the Wranglers' win 5-2 against the Alaska Aces in Anchorage. He got his first taste of net Saturday, scoring the first goal of a shootout in Las Vegas' 2-1 win against Alaska.

Bablitz spent two months in a cast, and began rehab just before Christmas. He targeted a Feb. 1 return date, but wasn't ready until last weekend's games up in Alaska.

"There were still some doubts in my mind about how my ankle would respond," he said. "After I got the first few big collisions out of the way, I knew mentally I could withstand the punishment of getting hit again."

But despite being part of the team on paper since the Wranglers started their inaugural season in October, Bablitz really didn't have the opportunity to become part of the team, according to his roommate, forward Ryan Christie. Bablitz stayed at home on roadtrips, losing out on key times to mesh with his teammates.

"He was always hanging out with the guys," when the team was in town, Christie said. "Having to stay back by himself, you just don't expect that."

While immobilized, Bablitz did what any other 23-year-old probably would have done -- laid back.

"I spent a lot of time in the apartment, watched a lot of TV, played a lot of video games," he said. "Once I was able to rehab, I had a lot of riding the bike, getting back on weights, and trying to get myself back into shape to play."

And, watching the team's system and learning where he'd fit into it, something other rookies didn't have the luxury of doing.

"It was good to get to watch the pro game. Seeing other guys go through it, and be able to learn what they did, it was great for me," he said. "I definitely got to see our system being used, and was ready to play... That helped to make up for the time that I've missed."

Christie said that Bablitz has also been preparing by listen to his elders' advice.

"He's a good guy, he listens to what the older guys have to say, and he takes it all in," Christie said. "He's not a guy to talk back... he takes it in and uses it to his advantage."

Wranglers coach Glen Gulutzan agreed that the time off the ice was good for Bablitz to adjust to his teammates. But Gulutzan added that Bablitz still has a way to go, and will be getting lots of ice time to put his observation of the system to good use.

"First and foremost, to get back into top game shape,work myself into ice time, keep up and work on defense" Bablitz said of his goals now that he's back on the ice. "Hopefully my offense will come as the season progresses."