Frozen Royalty: LA Kings Prospect Thomas Hickey Looking To Bounce Back In A Big Way
Gann Matsuda of Frozen Royalty had a chance to sit down with former #4 overall pick Thomas Hickey to talk about his development. Definitely worth a read on a guy who really needs to make the team this year.
EL SEGUNDO, CA — The 2009-10 season could not have gone much worse for Los Angeles Kings defenseman prospect Thomas Hickey.
After completing his career in Canadian junior hockey in 2008-09 with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League, turning in his best season in the WHL with 16 goals and 35 assists for 51 points in 57 games, the 5-10, 182-pound native of Calgary, Alberta graduated to the American Hockey League.
But once Hickey donned the sweater of the Manchester Monarchs of the AHL [the Kings’ primary minor league affiliate] this past season, his hockey career was put mostly on hold due to injury—a shoulder injury suffered in late November, 2009 that required surgery, keeping him off the ice until April 1, 2010, just four games before the Monarchs began their run in the AHL playoffs.
“I got into four [games] before the regular season was over,” said Hickey.
But Hickey’s bad luck was not yet over, as he wound up on the shelf once again just before the playoffs began.
“It was the day before the playoffs [began],” Hickey lamented. “It was sort of a freak high ankle sprain. It’s one of those aggravating things.”
Hickey would miss the first two rounds of the playoffs before returning to the lineup for the Eastern Conference Finals.
“It’s tough going down just before the playoffs, but I was thankful to get healthy just before we were finished in the last round when I got to play,” he said.
To say that Hickey’s 2009-10 season was somewhat of a lost season would be an understatement.
“It’s been really tough,” said Hickey. “It’s been frustrating more than anything. You’re anxious and you start to play good and then something happens.”
“It’s just been a series of [injuries] over the last two years,” added Hickey, who also suffered an ankle injury that required surgery after the 2008-09 season.
To be sure, the time lost this past season has delayed Hickey’s development. But the season was not a total loss.
Read the rest on Frozen Royalty.
