Carolina Hurricanes’ James Wisniewski Ahead of Schedule in Recovery, Excited to Return to the Ice with Team

For Carolina Hurricanes’ blue liner James Wisniewski, the potential season-ending injury is a disappointment, but he has confidence in his future and the team’s future

The Carolina Hurricanes made an “out of left field” type trade back on draft day, 2015. The club dealt goalie Anton Khudobin to the Anaheim Ducks for established star defenseman James Wisniewski.

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Unfortunately for the team and Wisniewski, his arrival in Raleigh came with a setback, an ACL injury just :47 seconds into his stint with the club.

That’s in the past now for this veteran NHL defensemen, and now he is in the heart of his road to recovery.

“This is my 4th one (ACL injury), I’ve had 3 on my right and 1 on my left, and just knowing the rehabilitation period that’s coming, it’s all mental,” Wisniewski said over the phone on Thursday. “There are things in life that make you push harder and push through it. This is almost the exact opposite. You can only go so far, it’s what they (trainers and doctors) tell you you can do. There’s no ‘I’m going to do a little extra and go harder,’ if you try to go harder, then that just sets you back and will hurt your progress. You just have to wait and follow the guidelines.”

Of course, the big question that has surrounded Wisniewski is just when he can return to game action.

“It’s been almost 13 weeks now. I can probably start skating, we’re going to wait until after the All-Star Break so I don’t start and then stop again. I’m doing well. I’m well beyond the regulations of where they thought I would be at, so it’s going well. I just have to let time take its course and just try to get in shape and workout and get ready to play when I need to… Obviously, this is my career, and I don’t want to just rush into it. I want to make sure I’m 100% healthy. I don’t want to harm the team by coming back when I’m not 100% and not playing to my full abilities. That’s just something we have to sit down and talk about when the time comes.”

Through James Wisniewski’s absence, the Carolina Hurricanes have had a realization – the future is now for their defense. The play of Brett Pesce and Jaccob Slavin, in particular, is something that has caught a lot of attention, including the attention of Wisniewski.

“They’re confident. I like playing with the young guys. When they get called up, they keep everything simple, they’re staying within themselves, but they’re playing the game how it should be played. They’re making plays, they aren’t just banging the puck off the boards. They’re trusting their instincts and playing with physicality, and they’re skating and moving the puck. There’s a really bright future on the blue line here in Carolina.”

Young teams, like the Carolina Hurricanes, can tend to get off to slow starts. A player like James Wisniewski, who has played on many young teams, knows that best. The difference here is that the young players have found their roles, and they are coming together as a team to maximize on their potential.

“I’ve been a part of a lot of young teams,” Wisniewski said. “Young teams can kinda get off to a slow start. I think everybody’s trying to find their nitch and their role, and once that happens and once you decide ‘this is what you are’ and once you say ‘this is you’, and then everyone falls into that role and plays as team, and that’s what happens. When everybody’s playing together and playing the system and doing everything that you’ve talked about and what the game plan is, you’re hard to beat. This is a team that can skate, they play in your face, they make the right plays. They either dump it in or they make plays at the blue line and create scoring opportunities. So, it’s a very dangerous team. We have 2 great goalies. Think we’re just starting to see the greatness of what we have here in Carolina.”

Going from one team to another can be difficult for some players, even veterans, but Wisniewski’s transition to the Hurricanes and the way of life in Raleigh has been as smooth as can be.

“I heard nothing but great things about living in Raleigh and living in North Carolina (prior to being traded). I knew my wife loves the Carolinas, so we were really excited. I just remember playing against Carolina when I was in Columbus these past 4 years, and they’re just really hard to play against. Bill Peters and the rest of the coaching staff have a great system, and they play in your face. They’re going to try to make the perfect play, and if not, they’re going to shove it down your throat. I guess that’s the biggest thing that I’m upset and disappointed about that I got hurt in the first game. I was really looking forward to playing in this style of hockey.”

Carolina’s success as a hockey team hasn’t gone without notice. Notable media members outside of Raleigh, like Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek, have taken notice to just how effective the team has been. The work of Bill Peters and his staff can’t be underestimated.

“He’s (Bill Peters) done an unbelievable job,” Wisniewski said. “Him, Smitty (Steve Smith), and Rod (Brind’Amour) have made playing the game fun. It’s just a hard system to play against. When he gets everyone on board, which he has, they’re a tough team to play against. It’s disappointing not to be a part of this, but I just want to get healthy and get out there as soon as possible.”

Hockey players have a reputation of humility, and Wisniewski is no exception.

“If you would’ve told me when I was 16 years old that I’d be in my 11th year in the NHL this year, I would’ve been ecstatic. To be able to have a successful career and play the game that you love for a living and try to stay healthy, it’s just… all of it.”

What James Wisniewski brings to the Carolina Hurricanes isn’t just an on-ice factor, but also an off-ice factor. He, Justin Faulk, and John-Michael Liles officially launched their “True Defenders” program back on October 1, a program that gives free tickets to members of the National Guard in North Carolina. The program has benefitted a number of military bases across the state of North Carolina since it’s creation before the 2015-2016 season kicked off.

For Wisniewski, “True Defenders” has had a big impact, one that is felt far from the ice.

“Any time you can give back to the people who protect this great nation is one of the biggest things, I feel like, you should be able to. To have their families come out and be able to meet them, I actually get really excited. I find it very fun to understand their life styles. They go on deployment for 6 or 9 months, or whatever it may be. I just really look up to them for the heroism they have. I just wish I could do even more, to be honest.”

Justin Faulk, one of the founders of “True Defenders”, has had a breakout season in Carolina and has earned his 2nd consecutive All-Star Game nomination in the process. This is no coincidence, given his skill, his size, and his ability to think and play the game smart.

“I don’t think people realize how big he is,” Wisniewski said. “I mean, he’s like 230 pounds. He can skate and he has a cannon. He plays with physicality, you’ve seen him fight a few times this year. He’s an amazing kid, and it’s amazing how kids are brought up at such a young age. It’s just fun to see – a 23 year old (Faulk) and an 18 year old (Hanifin) getting paired up together with a couple 21 year olds (Pesce and Slavin). The future is here for Carolina, and it’s not going away anytime soon.”

Every player that makes it to the NHL has their role model, a player that made an impact at the highest level of hockey before they did. For James Wisniewski, that player is one of the greatest to ever lace up the skates.

“Chris Chelios. He played with an edge, he was mean, he could score. He was one of those all around guys that I try to idolize myself after.”

This time of year brings the annual father’s trip. The Carolina Hurricanes, accompanied by some of the player’s fathers, hit the road. This is always a special time for both the players and their dads.

You always hear stories about how parents impact the lives of their kids, and for NHLers, you hear about how their parents shaped them into the hockey players they are today and just what they had to go through to make that happen.

“It’s a blessing,” Wisniewski said. “They’re the ones who wake up at 5 in the morning to take you to hockey practice. They give you long trips to Toronto for hockey tournaments when your 12 or 13 years old. They’re just so supportive, and they wanted me to succeed. My father let me do that myself. He was never hard on me, of course he wanted me to be the best that I can be, but he never yelled at me when I had a bad game. He was just very supportive. I just can’t thank him enough.”

Next: Carolina's Defense is Gaining National Attention

What I’m sure was the toughest question he has ever had to answer in his 11-year NHL career, I asked James Wisniewski if a hotdog is a sandwich, a question that has been popularized by local media over the past year. Through some chuckles, he delivered a straight answer.

“I would say no.”