Steve Ott Personifying Wings' Newfound Snarl
By: Will Burchfield
@burchie_kid
For a guy whose offseason arrival was met mostly with disdain, Steve Ott is becoming quite the hit among hockey fans in Detroit.
It's not hard to see why.
"The thing about 'Otter' is he's a really good player," said coach Jeff Blashill. "He can play in his own end, he can play in the other end grinding, he's real smart, he wins faceoffs, he's a good penalty killer. He brings lots of things to the table."
Beyond all that, though, it seems Wings fans have taken to Ott for his pugnacious style of play. It's something this team has lacked in recent years and the scrappy veteran has helped set a new precedent.
It was evident on the opening night of the season, when Ott tangled with hulking Tampa Bay Lighting defenseman Braydon Coburn. Coburn quickly flung his undersized antagonist to the ice, but Ott, thrashing his legs the whole way down, set an example with his never-back-down mentality.
His teammates have fallen in line.
Through seven games, the Red Wings lead the NHL in fighting majors, after finishing dead last in that category in 2015-16. They have racked up five fights this season compared to just eight all of last year.
Even Dylan Larkin has gotten in on the action, dropping the gloves against Yannick Weber of the Nashville Predators last weekend. To a man, the Wings are proving they won't be pushed around.
"Toughness is still involved in this game and that's why I talk about team toughness and sticking up for each other and battling and showing that we're willing to stand our ground longer than anybody else," Ott said. "It doesn't matter your size or if you're not accustomed to doing it, but when we're doing it together I really think it does breed confidence in the team."
Ironically, Ott, who has a whopping 108 fighting majors to his name at the NHL level, hasn't been involved in a fight so far this season. Hockey isn't the fisticuffs-heavy game it used to be - and Ott has acknowledged as much in interviews - but there's still something to be said for a group that gnashes its teeth together.
"Team toughness is way tougher than any individual guy that can go out there and fight or hit," Ott said. "When you have a collective unit that goes and pressures, that's tough by numbers – if there's one guy in there's five guys in – that makes for a dangerous team. And it just shows the respect we have for each other in the dressing room."
Make no mistake, Ott backs up his talk. On Tuesday night versus the Carolina Hurricanes, he came to the defense of Mike Green after the blueliner was hit from behind by Viktor Stalberg. Ott was dealt a roughing penalty on the play, wiping out a potential Red Wings power play, but it was a small price to pay for sending a larger message.
"We've talked lots about sticking up for each other," Blashill said, "and he did a good job of that in that situation."
Ott was acting out of instinct, and said his teammates surely would have done the same.
"I think collectively we all have the same response in this dressing room. We try to take care of each other as best as possible on the ice. It's early in the season but throughout 82 games you want to get (that) instilled as quickly as possible and be known as a team that sticks up for each other," he said.
Larkin, who scored two goals on Tuesday night, was in the dressing room when the play took place. But he watched it unfold on TV and took satisfaction in an increasingly familiar scene.
"We're sticking together. And especially a guy like Otter, he's going to do that," Larkin said, breaking into a smile. "So I think it sends a message when he's on the ice."
Red Wings fans were hardly thrilled when the team signed the 34-year-old Ott in the offseason, condemning GM Ken Holland for acquiring yet another over-the-hill veteran. No speed, they cried. No offensive upside. In this regard, they weren't wrong.
But the fans overlooked Ott for his toughness. Because he's here, the Wings will no longer be overlooked for theirs.