TORONTO — In front of the World Cup of Hockey’s sparsest crowd, Dennis Seidenberg rescued a goal in the type of play that may also save his National Hockey League career.
The brave and the few who attended last Monday’s round-robin matinee between Team Europe and Team Czech Republic — the two entries originally voted Least Likely to Win the Tournament in an informal poll — saw the six-foot Seidenberg crash his own net, reach behind European goalie Jaroslav Halak and sweep away a puck right on the goal line (photo above).
Europe, the club with no past and no future, would go on to win that thriller 3-2 in overtime and now finds itself in the unlikely spot of battling Canada for the championship. Seidenberg, the German playing for his future, finds himself — much like countryman Christian Ehrhoff — polishing up his resume and impressing scouts through his excellent play in Toronto against the globe’s greatest.
Both defencemen are unrestricted free agents over the age of 33 with 750-plus games of NHL experience. Both are eager to extend their pro hockey lives after crummy finishes to 2015-16.
Us reporter types salivated at the defence of Sweden, yet it was Europe’s blue line that prevailed in Sunday’s semifinal. Ever safe and reliable, Seidenberg, 35, skated a tournament-high 23:30 in that victory — that’s more ice than alternate captain Zdeno Chara.
Less deployed but more effective in creating offence, Ehrhoff, 34, ranks second in Europe scoring with three assists and is tied for tops on the Frankenteam with a plus-3 rating.
“They’ve done a great job for us,” Europe general manager Miroslav Satan tells Sportsnet. “The way they’ve played, some NHL teams might take a look at them. This tournament might help them prolong their NHL careers.”
Flash back to April, and it would be difficult to make the case for Ehrhoff prolonging his North American career. The former 50-point man managed just 15 points in 53 games for three different clubs. One of them was the AHL’s Ontario Reign. Simply put, Western Conference powers Chicago and L.A. had no use for the power-play specialist.
At least six teams are monitoring Ehrhoff’s play at the best-on-best. Surely a few will be interested in bringing him to camp on a tryout once the World Cup wraps this weekend.
“It’s a chance to show myself,” Ehrhoff told Sports Illustrated.
And off we go to the finals, who would have thought? Us. Just us. Literally just us. #WCH2016 @TeamEUR_WCH #nopast #nofuture #justpresent pic.twitter.com/08ptzbWWp9
— Christian Ehrhoff (@TheRealHoff10) September 26, 2016
Seidenberg, however, doesn’t sound so keen on going the PTO route, a path already taken by James Wisniewski in Tampa Bay. Toss additional veteran defencemen like Kyle Quincey and Kris Russell into the mix, however, and the market for know-what-you’re-getting rearguards favours the buyer.
New Jersey, Ottawa, Edmonton, Detroit and Arizona are among the teams still looking to strengthen their D cores.
“The goal is to get a deal at the end of tournament,” Seidenberg tells us. “I think I’m in for a contract. I think I’ve played long enough that people know what I can do and can’t do. It’s basically a showcase here. They see what I can do. So it’s a contract or…” He shrugs. “We’ll see.”
After seven seasons in Boston, including 2011’s championship campaign, Seidenberg was “shocked” to be bought out at season’s end. His eldest child knows Dad doesn’t have a job for October yet. He says he’s been engaged in talks with multiple teams before and during the World Cup, but “nothing really specific.”
The beauty for both of these Germans is that they get to prove their worth while having a hoot upsetting world powers. Adjo, Sweden! U.S., see ya! Czech ya later! And, much like the employed hockey players, they’re keeping their focus game by game.
“Playing the role of underdog, nobody expected us to do decent. It’s been great, and the guys are really fun to be around,” Seidenberg says.
“Yeah, I am playing for a job, but I didn’t put extra pressure on myself. I went into this to enjoy it, I’m having fun, and I can’t complain.”
Satan is certain that Seidenberg and Ehrhoff’s hazy NHL status is stuck in the back of their minds, yet that hasn’t distracted them from the task at hand: Beat Canada.
“Definitely their first thought is about Team Europe and how well we perform. I’m sure if we all do well and perform as a team, they will get some offers in the future. Maybe right after the tournament,” Satan says. “We wish them well. Hopefully that happens.”
