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NHL veteran, AHL coach Trent Whitfield reflects on his career, hockey cards
Trent Whitfield was a 19-year-old forward from Alameda, a town in southeastern Saskatchewan, Canada of less than 350 people. He was wearing the Team Canada jersey in the 1997 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships played in Switzerland.
His teammates included Joe Thornton and Daniel Brière, and the event that year also featured Marián Hossa (Slovakia), among others.
Canada ultimately defeated the U.S., 2-0, to capture the gold for the fifth time in a row.
“That was one of the biggest highlights of my career,” said Whitfield, now an assistant coach with AHL Providence Bruins. “As a kid growing up in Canada, that’s something you dream of … to put on that Canadian jersey. That was a good, a really good team.”
Whitfield, a left-handed shooting center, played 812 regular-season games in the American Hockey League, plus another 21 in the playoffs. He skated in 194 regular-season NHL games and 18 more in the playoffs. He collected 250 goals and 353 assists in the AHL, and 11 goals and 18 assists in the NHL.
“The things that stand out from my career are how fast it went, the experiences, the people you meet, the grind, the hard work that you put in,” Whitfield said. “Reaching your ultimate goal, playing in the NHL … even though I didn’t get to play a ton, was a great experience.”
Whitfield’s minor league career included time with the Portland Pirates, Peoria Rivermen and Providence Bruins. His NHL career included time with the Washington Capitals, New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues and Boston Bruins.
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He vividly remembers his first NHL game at the fabled Pittsburgh Civic Arena, aka The Igloo, against Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr and the Penguins. It was “one game I’ll never forget,” he said.
Whitfield was in the playoffs in Portland and had just gotten home from a game when his coach called to tell him he was flying to Pittsburgh in the morning for NHL action.
“That was a whirlwind,” Whitfield said. “I didn’t have much time to think about it. So much was going through my mind at that point. You never know it’s really going to happen, but then it does.
“I was very fortunate.”
Whitfield said his NHL debut in the 2000 playoffs for Washington was surreal. The Capitals featured Adam Oates, Chris Simon and Olag Kolzig, among others.
“When I went out there for warmups, that’s when it started to set in. When the puck dropped, it was crazy; everyone was waving white towels and going bananas,” he said.
“Knowing that Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr were on the ice, on the other bench … yeah, that was pretty cool.”
Whitfield and Lemieux had an exchange of sorts in that game. Whitfield knocked the puck away from Lemieux in the neutral zone. Lemieux then grabbed Whitfield around the head and basically shoved his head into the boards. Lemieux was whistled for a penalty on the play.
“That was a moment I’ll never forget,” Whitfield said, laughing.
Whitfield scored his first NHL goal during the 2000-01 season for Washington against the New York Rangers. He appeared in 61 regular-season games that season and tallied two goals and four assists.
That goal is “one that sticks out in my mind, something you always dream about,” Whitfield said.
Whitfield had six goals and five assists in 44 regular-season games in 2003-04. One of his biggest strengths was in the faceoff circle, a craft he worked at daily.
“I knew that it was something important, something that can give you longevity,” he said.
Can he still win faceoffs in 2022, about 10 years since his last game in the AHL? Oh yeah, he said, laughing. “I try to give them tips, hints,” on how to win faceoffs.
Whitfield transitioned from player to coach. He is an assistant coach this winter for the Providence Bruins, a team he played for, too.
“I don’t have any regrets,” from my playing career,” he said. “I played the same way wherever I was. I didn’t have the high-end skills where I was able to float through a game and get two goals. I had to go to the net hard; I had to pay the price to get rewarded for what I got. I knew that and embraced that.
“If I was to do it all over again, one thing I would do is, I would play a little freer offensively when I got to the NHL. I was a little too safe, just not wanting to make mistakes, thinking that was going to keep me on the ice and in the NHL.
“Overall, I have no regrets.”
Whitfield is in his sixth season as an assistant coach for Providence. He previously was an assistant for the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League (WHL) and an assistant for the Portland Pirates of the AHL.
“I didn’t really think about [eventually coaching] while playing. I was just, [coaching] is a way to stay in the game, and then I got an opportunity right out of playing,” Whitfield said.
Coaching in Providence, where he had played, was a smooth transition, especially for his family as they were familiar with the city. He now primarily works with the team’s forwards.
“I love teaching the skills of the game, maturing as players, both on and off the ice,” he said. “I enjoy interacting with the guys, seeing what makes them tick, how we can get the most out of each individual player. That’s the trick to coaching, how to get the best out of them.
“I wasn’t the most skilled player; I was a hard-worker. That’s how I got rewarded, through hard-work. I didn’t have the talent of some of today’s players; they are so much more skilled, bigger, stronger, faster. So, I learn from today’s kids, too.”
Whitfield certainly learned from some great hockey minds, including Mike Babcock, who was his coach for four years at the junior hockey level. In fact, Babcock’s first year coaching major junior also was Whitfield’s first year at that level.
“I learned a ton from him,” Whitfield said. “He really helped me have a successful pro career — what he taught me, the values, how to work, put the time in. He was a big influence.”
Whitfield also praised Glen Hanlon, Davis Payne and Brent Thompson, among others. “I learned different things from different coaches,” he said.
Eventually, Whitfield wants to be a head coach.
“I’m in no hurry; I want to make sure I’m ready, not something I want to rush into and make a mess of it,” he said. “I really enjoy the role I have now, being able to teach these kids the skills.”
Whitfield’s hockey career has been highlighted on hockey cards too — as a player and a coach. He’s appeared on about 40 cards, dating back to his 1994-95 Spokane Chiefs’ card.
“I have many [of my cards] somewhere, in a box at home. I don’t think I have all of them, though,” Whitfield said.
He said he doesn’t have a favorite card, or a least favorite.
“There was a good one from the World Juniors that I really like. It was a cool card,” he said. “Then again, all of my cards are cool in their own way.”
Whitfield has saved a jersey from every team he’s played for. Almost all are in frames at home. He is not an autograph collector, though he has scored some signatures for his son.
“Those are nice to have,” he said. “I wish I had gotten signed sticks from many who I played with and against. But, while playing, you’re always thinking, ‘I’ve got time to do that,’” he said. “I wish I had gotten a Jagr-signed stick.”
Whitfield’s career also included the 2011 Stanley Cup for the Boston Bruins, who needed seven games to stop the Vancouver Canucks. That Bruins team was led by veteran David Krejci, Brad Marchand, Mark Recchi, Michael Ryder, Zdeno Chara and goalie Tim Thomas.
Whitfield was on the team’s practice/scout team after playing for the Providence Bruins that season.
“It obviously was a very cool experience, even though I wasn’t playing; I was a Black Ace,” said Whitfield, who was still on the ice in Vancouver when the Bruins raised the Cup. “Obviously, that was something you never forget.”
Whitfield has photos and a team-signed jersey from the Cup winners.
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