Dylan Guenther’s composure evident in Coyotes, NHL debut

BOSTON — Dylan Guenther had a pretty good idea that he’d be playing at some point on this season-opening, six-game road trip. Coyotes coach André Tourigny had spoken to him before the team took off for Pittsburgh on Wednesday.

When Nick Schmaltz went down with an upper-body injury in the first period at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday, however, it was time for Guenther’s parents, Russ and Nadine, to shift into scramble mode. Guenther’s agent, Kevin Epp, called them and told them that Dylan would be in the lineup on Saturday at TD Garden. Did they want to go? 

The question felt rhetorical. There was no chance that they were going to miss it. The Guenthers left Edmonton around 6 a.m. on Saturday, running on little more than fumes after a scant few hours of sleep. They flew into Montréal, caught a connecting flight to Boston, experienced a few delays (we all can relate to that), hopped in an Uber, got stuck in some Boston traffic and arrived at their hotel at around 4:30 p.m.; roughly two and a half hours before puck drop.

None of it mattered once they settled into their seats and watched their eldest son take his solo lap, generate a pair of scoring chances including a breakaway, and notch his first assist in his NHL debut.

“It’s been so emotional because you’re watching your child’s dream come true,” Nadine Guenther said after the first period. “To be here is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It was important for us to be here and watch this. It was something that we were going to make happen regardless of the travel.”

What they saw is the same thing that the Coyotes management and coaching staffs have seen from Guenther ever since training camp began.

“He’s not a guy who is bouncing right and left,” Tourigny said. “He’s pretty composed and stable.

“The first shift, he was a little bit nervous, but quickly he settled and his calm and his poise took over and he played well. He had a couple chances, made good plays. He was sound in his positioning and he was alright.”

Guenther didn’t do anything out of the ordinary to prepare for such a monumental moment. On the contrary, he wanted to stick with what has always worked for him.

“I woke up and it was a game day so I went through my normal morning routine, but when I came up for my nap, it hit me,” he said. “I was like, ‘Alright, here we go. I’m about to play an NHL game.’ I was stoked. I woke up right away from the nap and I was kind of just buzzing all the way until I stepped onto the ice for the solo lap. That was a special feeling that I will never forget.”

There is no telling how long Guenther’s stay with the Coyotes will last this season. His dad believes that he belongs in the NHL and will figure things out by Christmas, but there are plenty of logical reasons to believe that Guenther could still head back to Edmonton of the WHL after a nine-game NHL trial.

Physically, he still has plenty of work to do to achieve an NHL body because a knee injury late last season cut into his development time while he was rehabbing. 

There is also the economic reality that every GM must account for when pondering whether to insert a 19-year-old into an NHL lineup. Do the Coyotes really want to burn a year of Guenther’s entry-level contract right now when that move could come back to bite them down the road when they are managing their cap space with a glut of maturing prospects?

Finally, do the Coyotes really want Guenther embedded in this environment where losing will be a way of life for at least the next two seasons?

Tourigny is not among those who believe that there is no further value for top prospects in returning to the CHL. While the competition isn’t as high, and the intricacies of the pro game cannot be learned in the WHL, there are still areas of the game that can be honed; not the least of which is confidence. 

One thing that is becoming increasingly clear with Guenther, however, is this: The moment is never too big for him. Tourigny made a point of noting that Guenther was in the proper position defensively most of the night. He made smart plays with and without the puck. He may not be ready to be a game-changer for the Coyotes, but he’s not going to hurt them, and that is a bigger deal than most realize for such a young player stepping up to this complex, demanding and lightning-quick level.

“I think it took me a few shifts the first period to kind of get my feet under me and then think, ‘I can play with these guys,’” he said. “I kind of got better as the game went on, got more comfortable, and I felt pretty good towards the end.”

Had the puck not been rolling on him, Guenther might have converted a partial breakaway into his first NHL goal. As it was, he still made a good bid and nearly beat Jeremy Swayman through the five-hole. He had another good chance off the rush on a hard wrist shot, and his assist came off the cycle and a nice pass between two defenders to Nick Bjugstad, who slipped a backhand pass across to Josh Brown for the Coyotes’ second goal. 

“I had a couple good chances,” Guenther said. “The goalies are just better here but when you get chances, you get more comfortable, you gain more confidence and you know that when you’re getting chances you’re doing something right so it’s something to build off going into that next shift. It gives you extra jump in your legs.”

Nadine and Russ Guenther didn’t return home after the Boston game. With the team footing all of their travel expenses for this trip, they headed to Toronto with the hope of seeing Dylan play against a team that neither parent cares for: the Maple Leafs.

Dylan’s younger brother, Nathan, is a huge Maple Leafs; a source of much annoyance in the household.

“He’s just a bandwagon fan so give him three years and the team will probably change,” Dylan said, laughing.

Russ plans to attend the Coyotes’ home opener at Mullett Arena on Oct. 28, but a couple of days in Toronto will afford the family some time to catch up.

“It will be cool to spend a little bit of time with them,” Dylan said. “We’ve been there once before when I was younger. I went to the Hockey Hall of Fame. It’s a pretty cool city, the biggest city in Canada, and that would be a pretty cool rink to play in with all the tradition and history. I hope to get in the game. If I do, that will be really exciting but I’ll be ready.”

Top photo of Dylan Guenther via Getty Images

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