Columbus Blue Jackets' Adam Fantilli gained experience, bonds in shortened rookie season
A skate blade cost Adam Fantilli the final 33 games of his rookie season.
More: Adam Fantilli able to practice with Columbus Blue Jackets after 'scary' laceration
Had it sliced any deeper into his left calf, it could’ve cost the Blue Jackets’ prized young center a lot more. The blade didn’t cut his Achilles tendon, like he’d initially feared, but it did toss one of hockey’s harshest realities into his lap.
Injuries are part of the deal, including the one that ended his season plus Kent Johnson’s torn shoulder labrum a month later taking a meaningless faceoff in New York. Rather finishing the season with a push for the Calder Trophy, which goes to the NHL’s best rookie, Fantilli wore a walking boot and helped Johnson tackle steak dinners.
It wasn’t great for NHL development, but was a lesson for the third overall pick of last year’s draft.
“I was cutting his steaks at dinner for 2-½ weeks,” Fantilli said of Johnson. “I’d just reach over and help him out there. It’s unfortunate to have injuries like that, two freak accidents, but what can you do? We play professional sports, and injuries are a part of it. You’ve got to learn to grow with it, adapt to it, and you’ve just got to come back stronger.”
Columbus Blue Jackets rookie Adam Fantilli can make up for lost time in offseason training
Fantilli was able to join one practice plus a morning skate before the season concluded.
That was plenty of time to remind himself and other Blue Jackets why his ceiling of potential is sky high. He's 6-foot-2, 194 pounds and moves around the ice with a tantalizing combination of power and precision skating talent.
“The game’s so fast now that it’s not, ‘How fast you can go in a straight line?’” third-year center Cole Sillinger said. “It’s, ‘How fast can you go from here to here to here?’ You see guys that are so agile on their feet, like ‘Fants.’ I didn’t get to practice with that guy for a while, and he’s back at practice, and it’s like, ‘Ooh, he’s quick ... he’s agile.’ It’s good to see, and I think I can add that to my game.”
Fantilli hadn’t even healed fully by that point.
He not only expects his to fully heal this summer, but plans to add more juice in both legs during offseason training. There is also the possibility that Fantilli will play for Canada at the world championship next month in Czechia, assuming he’s healthy enough and gets an invitation from Rick Nash, the Blue Jackets’ director of player development and Hockey Canada’s GM for the tournament.
“If that opportunity comes around, I'd love to, but it's just a matter of getting healthy,” Fantilli said. “I only got 49 games in, so any chance I can get to play more hockey would be great. (Gaining) more experience in that pro-style setting as much as possible and learning as much as I can from older guys is where I’m at.”
Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli enjoyed memories, friendships during first NHL season
Fantilli packed a lot of special moments into his shortened season.
His 19th birthday on Oct. 12 coincided with his NHL debut for the Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. Four games later, in his first road game, Fantilli netted the first goal of his NHL career during an overtime victory over the Minnesota Wild.
Three weeks later, he instinctively stood up to grisly New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba after taking exception to a hit and also scored another goal in the Jackets’ 3-2 shootout loss at Madison Square Garden. That was also the first of four occasions when Fantilli scored goals in consecutive games.
A between-the-legs pass exiting the defensive zone Dec. 7 against the New York Islanders led to a goal at the other end, a goal Dec. 29 in Columbus forced overtime against his “hometown” Toronto Maple Leafs and Fantilli’s final two points — a goal and assist ― helped the Blue Jackets win Jan. 25 in Calgary.
Most would make his rookie highlight montage, but the memories Fantilli savored were mostly off the ice.
There was a shaving cream pie to the face in the Jackets’ victorious locker room after his first goal at Xcel Energy Center. Patrik Laine showed him the ropes before training camp and taught him how to use an air fryer. He was late to practice once because an unnamed teammate taped his gloves together and cut his skate laces.
#CBJ having some fun with the rook after his first NHL goal. pic.twitter.com/yUe37Y5utZ
— Brian Hedger (@BrianHedger) October 22, 2023
There were team dinners, watching "Home Alone" with Johnson over the holidays, taking in a Cleveland Cavaliers game with Sillinger and forming friendships with teammates of all ages. Fantilli valued those experiences as much as anything he did with skates on his feet. He’s a believer in teams with strong bonds winning because of it, and that’s the ultimate goal.
“I think the closest teams win,” Fantilli said. “We’ve got a wide range of ages, and guys have kids and guys have a lot of other things going on in their lives, but when we’re on the road, it’s really good to be around each other, love each other, want to be with each other and make each other better. It’s just being as close as we can in the locker room and wanting to push each other to get better. I think that’s what builds a winning culture.”
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets rookie Adam Fantilli ready for more
