When Nikolaj Ehlers left Denmark to embark on a major junior career with the Halifax Mooseheads, one of his parents had an important message for the man who would soon be a big presence in Ehlers’ life.
“His mother emailed,” recalls Halifax GM Cam Russell, “and said, ‘I’ve put my gold on a plane; please take care of it.’”
The way things stand, this might be the rare instance where a mother’s assessment of her child is right on par with the rest of the world’s.
The Winnipeg Jets certainly have to feel like they mined something special by selecting Ehlers ninth overall in the 2014 draft following his first year with the Mooseheads. Now a dozen games into his NHL career, the 19-year-old has four goals and nine points to match very favourable possession stats.
The production, really, shouldn’t surprise anyone. Ehlers was a standout junior player for Russell and the Mooseheads, registering 104 points in 63 games as a freshman while playing right wing as a left shot on a line with the third overall pick from the 2013 NHL draft, Jonathan Drouin. Last season, Ehlers totaled 101 points in 51 contests and, for the second consecutive year, had a strong showing at the World Junior Championship, playing for a Danish team that wasn’t exactly a powerhouse.
What might be catching some people off guard, though, is how Ehlers has carried his take-no-prisoners approach from major junior to the NHL. There’s an understandable tentativeness that often accompanies teenagers who play at the highest level, but Ehlers, in addition to tearing after opponents, is also showing a self-confidence that enables him to make the plays he’s always made with the puck instead of deferring to veteran teammates.
“He’s grabbing it by the horns and teeth and not letting go,” said one scout.
That doesn’t come as a huge surprise for Russell, who acquired Ehlers from the Shawinigan Cataractes after the latter took him sixth overall in the 2013 CHL Import Draft.
Ehlers, like most players coming from a different continent, had to go through an acclimation process in Canada, but the confidence, skill and determination he has on the ice were obvious right from the get go. Despite his modest size—Ehlers is listed at six feet tall and just over a buck seventy—the Dane is a demon when it comes to fighting for loose pucks.
“He’s not the biggest guy, but the way he plays, I’ve never seen him be second on a puck in the corner,” says Russell. “He plays fearless.”
And when the rubber is on his blade, look out. In addition to being an all-world skater, Ehlers is equally equipped to either tee up a teammate or take the shot himself.
“His skillset is just incredible,” Russell says.
The result is a rookie already playing like a savvy vet—and pure gold for the Jets.
