‘I kinda got chills’: Luke Schenn arrives with passion, punishment, perspective

CALGARY – The year was 2008.

Luke Schenn was a naïve 18 years old and drafted fifth overall to the mecca.

The big, happy, right-shot defenceman had been swimming in his Toronto Maple Leafs draft sweater for all of three or four minutes before he was whisked in front of the media.

“One of the first questions I got was: ‘The Leafs haven’t won a Cup since ’67. What are you gonna do to change that?’ ” Schenn recalls, with a chuckle.

“OK. Here we are. Eyes wide open.”

The pressure, the passion, the position: Schenn gets it now, in his second tour wearing No. 2, even more than he did then.

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But after being waived and traded, after playing 919 games in seven sweaters and wondering if it’s the end, after climbing the mountaintop twice, Schenn has the benefit of wisdom.

A man can savour his moments more when he’s aware they’re drying up.

“I kinda got chills when I first threw it on there for warmups. Feels like another lifetime ago when I was wearing this jersey,” Schenn said, all smiles after his reintroduction to the Maple Leafs was a 2-1 comeback win over the Calgary Flames.

“It means a lot more. That just comes with being older and having a better appreciation for different things that you go through in the league. And for it to come full circle and get the opportunity again, I’m grateful for it.”

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Schenn is a 33-year-old depth defenceman on an affordable and expiring contract.

He was dealt from Vancouver to Toronto on a wild Tuesday, joined his new/old team in Edmonton late Wednesday to watch them lose to Oilers, then jumped into action Thursday in Calgary, before flying back to Vancouver to be with his very pregnant wife, Jeska, and face the Canucks Saturday.

“It’s been a whirlwind,” Schenn says.

In Calgary, Schenn ran into old Leafs pal Matt Stajan and got partnered with longest-tenured Maple Leaf Morgan Rielly, another much-hyped defenceman who was drafted to Toronto — one day before Schenn was traded to Philadelphia by then-GM Brian Burke for James van Riemsdyk.

In under 11 minutes of work, Schenn threw four hits, blocked two shots, helped kill a penalty, stole a puck, roughed up Jonathan Huberdeau near the net-front, and knocked Milan Lucic on his keister.

“He was great,” coach Sheldon Keefe said. “Just so strong. Strong around our net, pushing people around. I don’t know if there’s any clearer example of how strong he is than seeing Lucic bounce off him like that. Not too many guys are doing that to a guy like Lucic. He’s definitely a presence back there. And just a terrific guy.”

Former Flame Mark Giordano handed the prodigal son the player-of-the-game wrestling belt to a round of applause from his welcoming teammates.

“I don’t know if I was deserving or not. Pretty nice gesture by Gio,” Schenn says. “There’s no question, for where I’m at in my career, this is pretty special.

“This the best time of year, being in a stretch run like this.”

Beloved equally by teammates and fans in Vancouver, the good ’ol Sasky boy first caught wind that his original NHL home was one of five or six teams interested in acquiring him for a playoff push.

“When you hear Toronto’s in the mix, you get excited, following from a distance the season they’ve had and the talent they’ve got here.

“I’m obviously looking forward to what’s ahead.”

In 2020 and ’21, Schenn won two championship rings as a strategically but impactfully used depth option by the Tampa Bay Lightning — Toronto’s inevitable first-round opponent.

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He watched intently last spring’s seven-game slugfest between his two old squads and has imagined his name etched into Lord Stanley’s prize a third time, under a team name that hasn’t marked up the trophy since ’67.

“There’s no question it would be wild in this city. There’s no question. What a market. What a fan base. I never got a playoff hockey game in Toronto, nowhere close. It was always a rebuild. A lot of times you’re out of it by all-star break.”

The Canucks, like Schenn’s old Leafs teams were cooked by all-star.

Now, the bruising D-man with the contagious smile has a fresh lease on the season — and a familiar uniform hanging in his stall.

“This is what you play for as a hockey player,” he says.

Fox’s Fast 5

• Joseph Woll, coming in cold on a back-to-back, was fantastic in such a tight contest and earned his first NHL win of the season.

Only three appearances in the campaign, but his .938 save percentage is worth noting.

• The influx of defencemen to the Leafs certainly got Justin Holl’s attention.

While some bristled at Keefe’s scratching of Timothy Liljegren, Holl’s performance Wednesday in Edmonton was inspired: four hits (including a biggie on Connor McDavid), three blocks, 20-plus minutes, and a rare scrap.

“He was real good last night. He made two physical hits that made an impact in the game. Gets in a fight. I thought he moved the puck well. So, it was a good day for him,” Keefe says.

“Hollsy, I don’t think it’s any secret he sat out here recently. Then we add depth and experience on the back end. Part of what you’re trying to do is get the best out of everybody and recognize there is competition here. I thought Justin responded really well.”

• Schenn arrives to the Leafs with an NHL-best 258 hits. Previously, Toronto’s most frequent hitter was Holl, with less than half Schenn’s total (121).

• The more I watch Noel Acciari, the more I’m convinced he’s precisely what Toronto’s bottom six has been needing for years.

Keefe raved about the Maple Leafs’ defensive effort in the third period, particularly Acciari and Sam Lafferty’s willingness to absorb hard checks to advance the play.

“That’s why you acquire those guys,” Keefe said. “Those are the kinds of things that help you win.”

• Noted St. Louis Blues fan Jon Hamm was in the house, presumably to hang with O’Reilly and Acciari. (He’s actually filming Season 5 of Fargo in Calgary.)

More from Sportsnet

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