Dean Arsene is our new Terry Virtue.

I wish I knew an NHL player to compare him to for you, a name that would hold more meaning than that of a career minor-leaguer. Terry is currently with the Worcester Ice Cats, and his departure from the Pack was the one that hurt the most out of the many I have seen in the years I have followed this team. He wore the “A” for us, and was one of the best. He captained the team when Kenny was out, and even coached a game when Paddock was away and both he and asst. coach Buzz were injured. He was a hilarious interview. He would chat with any and all fans of any age until his teammates dragged him off. Once, he teased a student of mine who met him wearing a Bruins jersey, saying ‘Why do you still watch those guys? I’m not there anymore!’

On the ice, Terry was a brat. He was dirty, and good at it. He almost never got caught, but used every chance to drive opposing forwards completely nuts. One time, he pinned Shawn Bates (then with the Bruins) up against the glass with his stick in a scrum and knocked on his shield, smiling and waving, then carefully wiped it off for him as Shawn convulsed with rage. The front of the net was a nightmare for those who wanted to set up shop there - players he covered the left the game limping and covered in bruises, and no power plays to show for their efforts. In fact, they often ended up in the box themselves, due to Terry’s artful diving that drew attention to their retaliatory actions. He even made Mike Mottau a good defenseman when they were partnered. Terry truly was the guy you hated on the other team but loved when he was one of your own.

More than anything, what Terry brought to the team was character – he stirred emotions in opponents, and took his licks when they did. In a game this year, he got after Tibbetts, inspiring Dixon Ward to fly across the ice and tackle him, throwing punches as if unhinged. Terry took it and came up grinning, power play on the board for the Cats.

That’s a lot for a 22 year-old to live up to.

Dean is 6-2, 210, was born in British Columbia, and apparently pronounces his name "Ar-seen-ee". He started off with the Regina Pats of the WHL as a young 16 year old in 1996, before being acquired by Kootenay (Edmonton) from the Pats in 1997. Over his juniors career, Dean averaged a full course of games each year, racking up roughly 10 points and an ever increasing number of PIM, maxing out at 178 in 2000-2001. Eligible for the draft in 2000, he was not selected, and returned for an additional year in Kootenay before heading to the 2001-2002 Rangers rookie camp.

I remember Dean from preseason with the Pack that year, mostly in that I remember being impressed and that I thought he should get a shot with the team during the regular season, but when 8 guys were cut by New York in late September, someone had to go to make room. Dean spent that season with Charlotte of the ECHL, going 3-10-13 with 101 PIM in 62 games, plus 0-2-2 and 16 PIM in 5 post-season games.

Dean is 1-3-4 in 50 games with the Pack this year, with 94 PIM and is +7. Solid numbers (particularly on a team whose defense has been kindly called ‘suspect’ this year), but apparently not to Coach McGill, who told the press that he didn’t think Dean really had it in him to be a dman at this level, saying that on his best nights, he was close to being a fifth or sixth (defenseman) in this league. McGill went on to say the only reason Dean was with us at all was because of all the injuries to the Rangers blueline throughout the organization this year. McGill must know something about how to motivate Arsene – he was his coach for the last three years in Kootenay, and Dean was on the Memorial Cup team that boasted a young goalie by the name of Dan Blackburn.

So what does Dean do to earn his keep, given that his coach seems to feel he is a bit low on the talent side? This is where the Terry Virtue comparisons start to come in, as Terry was hardly any Brian Leetch either.

Dean busts his ass every night. This kid plays like every shift is his last (and seeing how quickly teammates Jeff State and Craig Weller got bounced to Charlotte after weak games, he may be right). He knows that he doesn’t have the hands of Matt Kinch, or the experience (and thus protection) of Karpa, Laukkanen, or Chebaturkin. He doesn’t excel in any one area, other than character, but also isn’t a liability in any particular area either. He has played with 16 different defensemen this year, and still has managed to keep his head above water. Not bad for a 22 year old second year pro.

He sticks up for his teammates, and is one of a very few defensemen we have seen in recent years that makes opponents pay a price for camping in front of the net. Guys who try to set up a screen with him on the ice often find themselves clutching their backs after receiving a cross-check the ref didn’t see. Brushing the goalie will result in a full body slam. He hasn’t quite mastered the indignant, “What? Me? Slash? I’d never do such a thing!” while an opponent is dripping blood, but he certainly puts up an entertaining argument en route to the box, usually along the lines of, “Oh come on (tuck mouthguard into glove) that didn’t hurt him! Give me a break, he deserves an Oscar for that dive….” For a guy who plays such an aggressive game, averaging less than a minor a night is pretty impressive. But when a message needs to be sent, he won’t hesitate to take one for the team, and will throw if he has to. With the loss of Richard Scott to injuries, Dean is one of a very small group of players who have shown the ability to take numbers and get back to guys who line up our skill players.

He also provides some desperately needed entertainment, as he has recently picked up the Rob Blake butt check. He first brought it out in a televised game last week to an enthusiastic reception from the crowd. Looking much like a low-bridge, it got a lot of play as announcers explained that because Dean hit the guy on the hip, not at the knees, it was perfectly legal. Since then, we have seen it each game. It still needs some work, though, as Dean found out last night that it is important to make sure there is glass there to stop you – his target sidestepped at the last second and Dean ended up going butt-first into the opponent’s bench. He performs Saliva’s “Always” during warm-ups each night. I recently caught a game at an away arena (I actually live in a town which hosts another AHL team), and was impressed to find that he has more than one song in his repertoire. Perhaps its time to change up the play list in Hartford.

Dean is entertaining off the ice as well, whether as color commentator (as I was writing this, he left the game in Worcester with a shoulder injury, so we may be getting more of that in the near future) or just wandering around chatting with cheerleaders. (Yes, we have cheerleaders in Hartford. No, I don’t know why. Organization people insist they are ‘there for the kids’. Riiiiiight…) He is polite and talkative with fans.

All in all, its nice to have some character back in Hartford.

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