MICHIGAN MAN

To Griffins fans, Kevin Porter may seem like the new kid on the block, but it’s a block that he’s been around a few times.

At the age of 28, Porter admits he is “one of the older guys now,” although it doesn’t seem that long ago that he was starting his pro career in the Phoenix Coyotes organization after four years of college hockey at the University of Michigan.

He still remembers how it felt to be a fresh-faced first-year pro back in 2008-09 and what it meant when a certain veteran went out of his way to make him feel welcome.

The fact that the player just happened to be the Coyotes’ captain made an even bigger impression on the rookie.

“Shane Doan had me come for dinner, had me over just to hang out,” Porter said. “He didn’t need to do that. He was much older, had his family, had his kids, but he took it upon himself to hang out with the rookies and just be nice.

“Pro hockey is tough, so when the captain shows you support like that by being friendly and taking you under his wing, it’s nice. You feel more comfortable and it becomes easier to play.”

With his arrival in the Red Wings organization – which happens to be his fourth in the past six years – Porter is embracing the opportunity to pay it forward, to extend a hand to guys who are breaking into the pro ranks.

“I learned from the older guys who showed me the way when I first came in, and that’s what I’ve been trying to do now with the young kids,” he said. “Now that I’m one of the older guys, I enjoy being able to take a leadership role.”

A veteran of 206 NHL games entering the 2013-14 season, Porter finds it almost hard to fathom that he is now entering his seventh pro season. It doesn’t seem all that long ago that the Northville native was growing up on the east side of the state, dreaming of the day that he could play for the Red Wings.

He was a rink rat from a very young age, learning to skate when he was 18 months old while his dad coached his older brothers’ hockey teams.

After John Porter “retired” to the role of chauffeur for his four hockey-playing sons, Kevin played squirt and pee wee for Viktor Fedorov, father of NHL star Sergei Fedorov, who would have a profound influence on his budding career.

Playing for Fedorov was “different,” according to Porter.

“He had a different style of teaching; he emphasized a lot of skill,” Porter recalled. “We learned how to play with the puck instead of dumping the puck down the ice. Even on the penalty kill, we weren’t allowed to dump it down. You had to learn how to control the puck, how to skate it out of the zone. I think learning how to play with the puck was good for my development at a young age.”

Porter competed for the storied Little Caesars and Honeybaked AAA hockey programs before graduating to the U.S. National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor.

“When you’re there, your whole life is hockey,” he said. “You go to school, you go to the rink, you work out, you come home, you eat dinner, do a little homework, go to bed and then do it all over again.”

Playing for Team USA allowed Porter to get a taste of international competition. His teams earned one silver medal and a pair of fourth-place finishes. “Those were great experiences,” he said. “I got to play for different coaches, and it’s always good to get someone else’s perspective on things and learn from them.”

At the University of Michigan, he played for one of the best coaches in the county. Red Berenson helped teach him what it would take to be successful in the pros. “He’s obviously a great coach and he expects a lot from his players,” Porter said. “I had a great four years there; it was something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”

During his freshman season, he learned as much about himself as he did about hockey. “We had a lot of seniors, so I knew I wasn’t going to come in and be a goal scorer. I had to work my way into the lineup. I was on the penalty kill and played on the third and fourth lines. I had to play hard every night and not make mistakes.”

Porter showed steady improvement during his sophomore and junior seasons, increasing his point production from 24 to 38 to 58. Before his senior year, he thought seriously about signing a pro contract. He had been selected by Phoenix in the fourth-round (119th overall) in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft before enrolling at Michigan.

“I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t some debate, but a degree is something I wanted to get, something that was important to me,” said Porter, who would eventually earn his bachelor’s degree in general studies. “I decided to come back.”

His decision was well worth it. He was named team captain, an honor that the modest Porter found quite humbling. “Obviously, a lot of great players have gone to Michigan, so to be the captain my senior year was awesome,” he said. “Then to have a great year and go to the Frozen Four when Michigan hadn’t gone in so long was even better.”

Porter recorded 33 goals and 30 assists in 43 games, centering a line with senior Chad Kolarik and freshman Max Pacioretty. “Chad and I had played together for four years and Max just fit in really well,” he said. “We had a lot of chemistry together.”

Porter ended up winning the Hobey Baker Award, college hockey’s version of the Heisman Trophy.

“We had one of the best lines in college hockey that year, so I owe a lot to them. Would I have rather won a national championship? For sure, so it was a little bittersweet.”

When he finally turned pro, Porter split his first season between Phoenix and the team’s minor league affiliate, the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage. He saw less NHL action during his second year when he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche.

His first full season for Colorado was his best in the NHL. He recorded 14 goals and 11 assists in 74 games. “We didn’t have a great team, so I got to play a lot on the second line and occasionally the first,” he said.

Things didn’t go as well his second year in Denver. His career hit a rut when he was scratched 43 times during the 2011-12 season. “We had a lot of guys on one-way contracts and I had a couple of surgeries during the offseason. I don’t know if that was the problem or what happened. That’s just the way it goes sometimes.”

He got a fresh start in the Buffalo organization, where he played the last two seasons. One of his teammates was former Griffins captain Matt Ellis. “He’s just a great leader – not a ton of skill, but he knows that’s not his game. He just goes out and works hard, and everyone just follows his lead, which is awesome.”

Porter is coming off back-to-back 19-goal seasons. When the opportunity came to join the Red Wings organization this year, he jumped at the chance.

“I grew up watching the Wings, always loved them, so it’s great to be in the organization,” said Porter, who admitted that he always got a little nervous whenever he played against Detroit. “It would be pretty cool to play in a Wings jersey.”

He is willing to wait for the opportunity. “I’m pretty excited about this coming year because Grand Rapids is only two hours from home. I’m excited to be able to play in front of family and friends again.”

Griffins head coach Jeff Blashill is glad to have a player of Porter’s caliber on his roster. “He’s a complete player. His NHL coaches have told me that he’s a guy you can put on the ice because you can trust him. Those type of guys play a lot of minutes for us.”

Porter is not afraid of hard work. "It’s important,” he insists. “I’ve seen too many guys with a lot of skill who wouldn’t put in the work, which is unfortunate. I decided long ago that I wasn’t going to be one of those guys.”

And so Porter plans on leading by example, showing the kind of work ethic that endeared him to Berenson and other coaches since his Michigan days. He’ll do more than bide time because he’s got his sights set on Detroit. He wants the chance to pull that Red Wings sweater over his head.

“Hopefully, it’s a home game,” he said. “But even if it’s an away game, it would be pretty special.”