Sean Farrell’s right eye has minor blisters, which we noticed as he left the dressing room to meet the press at Place Bell on Wednesday. The result of a stupid collision with the pole, he explains. The bad news for Farrell is that his body will soon be even worse than before.
The Montreal Canadiens’ young player is preparing for the toughest series of games of his young career. The Harvard graduate is accustomed to the NCAA’s 34-game schedule and is preparing to test its limits.
The Laval Rocket don’t have any games scheduled this week, but they will then begin a crazy streak of five games in…seven nights.
“For me, this series is absolutely a whole month,” said Farrell, referring to the NCAA. This is one of the biggest adjustments I’ve had to make since my time in the American League. [LAH]. I will do my best to be in the best shape possible, but of course I won’t feel good in every game.
Farrell is not a defeatist. He’s just realistic. An athlete’s body craves consistency and routine. Unfortunately, Farrell’s body is unable to handle what’s coming.
“There will be injuries here and there,” he even predicted. You have to find a way to still deliver the goods every night.”
“When I met him this week, he said to me: ‘Tabarnouche, that’s a lot…’” confided Rocket head coach Jean-François Houle. We looked at the calendar together. For him, it will be about taking care of his body and managing his energy to ensure he is on the right track in every game. It won’t happen overnight. You have to go through it to know what it really is.”
Thierry Laforce / QMI Agency
Win the famous battles
After destroying the USHL and dominating the NCAA, Farrell was popular and many predicted a future for him on Montreal’s front two lines. However, after 11 games in the AHL, the small forward is pretty quiet with five points, including just one goal.
“It was fine,” said the main participant. I think there is a great opportunity for improvement and growth. Offensively, I wasn’t at my best this year. It will come with time.”
“I’m mainly focused on two things: being positioned in the right spots offensively and winning my battles along the ramps. That’s pretty much a priority for me at the moment and I think production will follow.”
Farrell is a smart young man and his mentality is that if he can get out from the corners of the ice with the puck more often, he will be able to spend more time in the offensive zone and express his individual abilities.
For those who want to study at Harvard, Farrell has always had a cerebral approach. He is slowly but surely observing and understanding certain play patterns that are specific to the league in which he plays.
“The AHL is very physical,” Farrell noted. It’s hard to win battles and be good offensively because in the corners the guys are working hard to stop you. We have to win these battles to have the puck more often and create offense.
“Every league brings its own adjustments. I also had to get used to the USHL. It was only after two years that I started working in this circle. I’m a pretty smart player. I just need time to get used to the AHL.”
Houle also believes that the American simply needs time.
“You can see he has skills. He’s able to make good little passes. For him, I think progress means continuing to strengthen his upper body to win the battles on the ramps.
The good news for Farrell is that unlike many rookies, he has no trouble keeping up with the pace of the AHL. He doesn’t miss the famous split second.
“He’s not the pace,” Houle clarified. I think his “pace” is right. He can skate on ice. He has a split second. He can get from point A to point B pretty quickly. It’s just about being able to keep the puck. There are big guys in the league who are 6 feet tall and have good bats.”
The hotel completed
By Farrell’s own admission, it was a long time last year living alone in a hotel room during his season-ending stay with the Canadiens.
“If it lasts longer than two weeks, it gets more boring,” admitted Farrell, who lived with six roommates in college.
Now that he’s playing full-time in the AHL with the Rocket, Farrell has been able to settle in.
“It’s nice to have a place to call home. Finally I can make myself something to eat. I now live with Jared Davidson. Emil Heineman and Mattias Norlinder live in the same building as us. It’s fun to be able to watch the games together in the evening.”
“We watch ‘Star Wars’ almost every day!” Davidson said.
Is Farrell viewed in the Rockets locker room as the smartest player since he graduated from Harvard?
“I don’t know… He’s nice to talk to, but I wouldn’t say he’s the smartest,” Davidson said with a wide smile, not missing a golden opportunity to tease his good friend.