Health, finally, for Hickey

It’s been three years since Thomas Hickey was selected No. 4 overall by the Kings in the 2007 draft, and while his career since then has been a series of injury-plagued fits and starts, Hickey finally seems to be in position to make an impact. He’s healthy, and with at least one (possibly two) defensive spots open on the Kings’ roster in training camp, Hickey knows this could be his time to take one.

Is it “make or break” time for the 21-year-old defenseman? Hickey answered that question today, and talked about his health and his readiness for training camp. Hickey said he spent his entire summer in Los Angeles working with the Kings’ training staff.

Question: You’re all healthy and ready to go?

HICKEY: “It’s nice to come into camp with a clean sheet of health, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Question: What was the biggest issue, the shoulder?

HICKEY: “I had the shoulder problem, and then when I got healthy, the ankle. Both of those are feeling good. I did a lot of strengthening work this summer, so I’m happy with where it’s at.”

Question: Do you ever get that feeling of “Why me?” with all the injuries?

HICKEY: “You can, but I don’t think it’s productive at all. If you go through the careers of most guys, they’ve sat out a season or they’ve been hurt. Mine just happened early. That’s the way I look at it. So hopefully that stuff is behind me, and I can look forward to a healthy career.”

Question: Some people might say this is a make-or-break season for you, in terms of making the team. Do you feel that way at all?

HICKEY: “Not at all, no. Obviously, going forward I want to make this team. That’s the only thing on my mind, but you’ve got to be realistic. I want to play in the NHL for a long time and I want to play professional hockey for as many years as I can. If there’s time that it takes, to get to the level where you can do that and be successful, then you take it. Hopefully there’s no time for that and I can jump in, but it’s certainly not make or break.”

Question: And there’s a chance to make the team, with Matt Greene being out for the first month…

HICKEY: “Yeah, and there’s a handful of guys… Actually, there’s a bunch of guys who would be in contention to take a spot. They’ve let us know that there’s an opportunity, with injuries and just numbers, let alone the number of guys that they have. So we all know there’s opportunity, and I’m looking to jump up and snag one of those spots, and then keep it from there.”

Question: What did it mean to you to be able to come back and contribute in the AHL playoffs last season?

HICKEY: “That was huge. You grow a lot, as a player and as a team, from playing playoff hockey. The regular season is a lot different. You show yourself something, and you show everyone else something too, that you’re a guy who can be counted on when the going gets tough, at the most important time of the year. So for me, confidence-wise, that was huge, to step in and contribute.”

Question: Is this about the healthiest you’ve been in the summer for a while?

HICKEY: “I’d have to say say so, yeah, besides when I first got drafted. I had the old ankle injury and then the shoulder lingering. I’ve been fortunate to spend my summer down here and not only work on strength but work on therapy and recovering even more and preventing things.”