ON A ROLE

Having found his place as a regular contributor in the Griffins’ lineup, center Louis-Marc Aubry feels comfortable saying that he has finally discovered his niche.

Story and photo by Mark Newman

Niche is a French word for a unique quality that distinguishes something from others.

It is a good word, certainly appropriate, to apply to the work of Griffins center Louis-Marc Aubry. The French-Canadian seems to have finally found his role during this season, his fifth year in Grand Rapids after being drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in the third round (81st overall pick) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

Aubry has won the approval of Griffins head coach Todd Nelson, who is getting to know the 6-foot-4 forward better this season after watching him from the opposing bench for the past four seasons while he was coaching in Oklahoma City.

“We like his growth and what he brings to our hockey team,” Nelson said. “You can’t have 25 players in the same style, and he’s been doing a good job for us as a penalty killer and defensive forward. You’ve got to have a good mix, so he’s very valuable to our hockey team.”

When Aubry joined the Griffins before the 2011-12 season, he was still growing into his body. An unusual growth spurt saw him sprout up several inches during his junior hockey career, and while his demeanor on the ice during his rookie pro season wasn’t exactly awkward, it was evident that he was not yet comfortable with where he stood.

“I had just stopped growing when I first came to Grand Rapids, so I was a tall, lanky forward with potential, but not too solid on my skates,” Aubry said. “I knew it was going to be a little bit longer process for me (to develop).”

Aubry was never a prolific scorer during his junior hockey days. His best season during his three years with the Montreal entry in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League produced a total of 15 goals – one less than he would score during his first four seasons (231 games) in Grand Rapids.

“I feel like it took me a little bit to get used to everything and find my role,” said Aubry, who went through the same growing pains that so many junior players experience coming into the pros. The adjustment period is often not easy and was especially hard for Aubry.

Like many young players, Aubry had to learn that he had to play to his strengths rather than try to be something he was not.

“I think I learned it the hard way,” he said. “I wasn’t sure what was wrong with my game, but I eventually realized that if I wanted to be successful, then I needed to become a better two-way player. During my years with Blash (Jeff Blashill, now the Red Wings’ head coach), I learned to improve my defensive game.”

The moment of truth came during his third pro season in 2013-14, when he found himself playing for the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye after he was slowed by an injury in training camp, just months after celebrating the Griffins’ Calder Cup championship.

Aubry remembers running outside and braving the winter chill to clear his mind. He was still in Toledo, which seemed like millions of miles from Grand Rapids, let alone from his dream of playing in the NHL.

“I remember thinking I’m not going to give up my dream like this,” Aubry recalled. “I told myself that I’m not going to stay here forever. I’ll do whatever it takes. It felt like a turning point. I thought, ‘I’m going to make it. If it’s not here, it will be someplace else.’”

Aubry produced points in Toledo – seven goals and eight assists in 18 games – but it was his willingness to embrace his future as a role player that finally got his career pointed in the right direction.

“When I stayed longer than I expected in Toledo, I realized that this might be it for me unless I rolled up my sleeves to do whatever it takes. I realized that I love the game very much and that I had to find my niche.”

Aubry felt like his game really started to come together last season, especially during the Griffins’ playoff run when the team went all the way to the conference finals.

“At the end of last year, I started to find my niche a little bit,” Aubry said. “Things started to click. My play picked up in the playoffs and I think that I have continued to improve this season.

“This year I feel like I’ve really found what distinguishes me from the others. I feel a lot more comfortable, whether it’s every day at the rink or going into the games. I know what to expect and what is expected of me.”

For Aubry, it means being more physical, being more aggressive on the forecheck, winning puck battles in the corners, going strong to the net front, winning faceoffs at every opportunity and being defensively strong at all times.

His maturity has impressed his new coach.

“I see a player who has really grown over his pro career and he’s playing his best hockey this season,” Nelson said. “He has good size, strong skating ability and he’s gaining confidence every game he plays.

“He does a good job for us on the penalty kill and his line with (Colin) Campbell and (Jeff) Hoggan has arguably been our most consistent line since the start of the year. He’s a player who is positioning himself to the point where he might get an opportunity to move up in the future.”

Aubry insists his NHL dreams remain alive and well.

“You’ve got to keep believing,” said Aubry, who as of mid-January led all active Griffins and ranked 13th in franchise history with 266 games played. “After watching elite NHL players like (Tomas) Tatar and (Gustav) Nyquist play two or three seasons here, I knew it was going to be a little bit longer process for me. Sometimes it’s hard to be patient, but patience pays off. You can’t give up on your dreams.”

He keeps the proper mental frame with frequent calls home. His father, Pierre, played 202 games in the NHL, including parts of the 1983-84 and 1984-85 seasons with the Red Wings after several years in the Quebec Nordiques organization. He won a Calder Cup with the Adirondack Red Wings in 1986.

“It helps to have someone looking from the outside, providing support when you need it,” Aubry said. “He watches a lot of games back home, so when I ask for tips, it helps that he’s been watching me. But he won’t say much unless I ask him.”

Aubry understands that it’s the little things that can make the difference between being stuck in the minors and getting an opportunity to play in the NHL. Being strong in the faceoff circle is just one facet of his game that he is continually tweaking.

“Year after year, I feel like I’ve improved my faceoffs,” Aubry said. “As I’ve gotten stronger, I feel like I’ve gotten better on faceoffs.” Aubry won 60 percent of his draws last season and he’s close to that figure again this season. “I feel like that’s a really good number,” he said. “I think it’s something that can separate me from other centers.”

Aubry has even learned to like dropping the gloves. “I don’t mind; it’s part of the game,” Aubry said. “In fact, I’m expecting it because I play a physical game and when you throw big hits, you know there’s a good chance that somebody will come after you.”

All in all, Aubry just wants a fighting chance at realizing his dream of playing in the NHL.

“A team needs players to fill different roles and I like my role,” Aubry said. “I feel like I’m still improving. At some point, the Red Wings might need more physicality and I want to be ready. I need to stay focused and keep working hard every day. Hopefully one day things will work out. You never know what might happen.”

Having found his place as a regular contributor in the Griffins’ lineup, center Louis-Marc Aubry feels comfortable saying that he has finally discovered his niche.

Story and photo by Mark Newman

Niche is a French word for a unique quality that distinguishes something from others.

It is a good word, certainly appropriate, to apply to the work of Griffins center Louis-Marc Aubry. The French-Canadian seems to have finally found his role during this season, his fifth year in Grand Rapids after being drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in the third round (81st overall pick) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

Aubry has won the approval of Griffins head coach Todd Nelson, who is getting to know the 6-foot-4 forward better this season after watching him from the opposing bench for the past four seasons while he was coaching in Oklahoma City.

“We like his growth and what he brings to our hockey team,” Nelson said. “You can’t have 25 players in the same style, and he’s been doing a good job for us as a penalty killer and defensive forward. You’ve got to have a good mix, so he’s very valuable to our hockey team.”

When Aubry joined the Griffins before the 2011-12 season, he was still growing into his body. An unusual growth spurt saw him sprout up several inches during his junior hockey career, and while his demeanor on the ice during his rookie pro season wasn’t exactly awkward, it was evident that he was not yet comfortable with where he stood.

“I had just stopped growing when I first came to Grand Rapids, so I was a tall, lanky forward with potential, but not too solid on my skates,” Aubry said. “I knew it was going to be a little bit longer process for me (to develop).”

Aubry was never a prolific scorer during his junior hockey days. His best season during his three years with the Montreal entry in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League produced a total of 15 goals – one less than he would score during his first four seasons (231 games) in Grand Rapids.

“I feel like it took me a little bit to get used to everything and find my role,” said Aubry, who went through the same growing pains that so many junior players experience coming into the pros. The adjustment period is often not easy and was especially hard for Aubry.

Like many young players, Aubry had to learn that he had to play to his strengths rather than try to be something he was not.

“I think I learned it the hard way,” he said. “I wasn’t sure what was wrong with my game, but I eventually realized that if I wanted to be successful, then I needed to become a better two-way player. During my years with Blash (Jeff Blashill, now the Red Wings’ head coach), I learned to improve my defensive game.”

The moment of truth came during his third pro season in 2013-14, when he found himself playing for the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye after he was slowed by an injury in training camp, just months after celebrating the Griffins’ Calder Cup championship.

Aubry remembers running outside and braving the winter chill to clear his mind. He was still in Toledo, which seemed like millions of miles from Grand Rapids, let alone from his dream of playing in the NHL.

“I remember thinking I’m not going to give up my dream like this,” Aubry recalled. “I told myself that I’m not going to stay here forever. I’ll do whatever it takes. It felt like a turning point. I thought, ‘I’m going to make it. If it’s not here, it will be someplace else.’”

Aubry produced points in Toledo – seven goals and eight assists in 18 games – but it was his willingness to embrace his future as a role player that finally got his career pointed in the right direction.

“When I stayed longer than I expected in Toledo, I realized that this might be it for me unless I rolled up my sleeves to do whatever it takes. I realized that I love the game very much and that I had to find my niche.”

Aubry felt like his game really started to come together last season, especially during the Griffins’ playoff run when the team went all the way to the conference finals.

“At the end of last year, I started to find my niche a little bit,” Aubry said. “Things started to click. My play picked up in the playoffs and I think that I have continued to improve this season.

“This year I feel like I’ve really found what distinguishes me from the others. I feel a lot more comfortable, whether it’s every day at the rink or going into the games. I know what to expect and what is expected of me.”

For Aubry, it means being more physical, being more aggressive on the forecheck, winning puck battles in the corners, going strong to the net front, winning faceoffs at every opportunity and being defensively strong at all times.

His maturity has impressed his new coach.

“I see a player who has really grown over his pro career and he’s playing his best hockey this season,” Nelson said. “He has good size, strong skating ability and he’s gaining confidence every game he plays.

“He does a good job for us on the penalty kill and his line with (Colin) Campbell and (Jeff) Hoggan has arguably been our most consistent line since the start of the year. He’s a player who is positioning himself to the point where he might get an opportunity to move up in the future.”

Aubry insists his NHL dreams remain alive and well.

“You’ve got to keep believing,” said Aubry, who as of mid-January led all active Griffins and ranked 13th in franchise history with 266 games played. “After watching elite NHL players like (Tomas) Tatar and (Gustav) Nyquist play two or three seasons here, I knew it was going to be a little bit longer process for me. Sometimes it’s hard to be patient, but patience pays off. You can’t give up on your dreams.”

He keeps the proper mental frame with frequent calls home. His father, Pierre, played 202 games in the NHL, including parts of the 1983-84 and 1984-85 seasons with the Red Wings after several years in the Quebec Nordiques organization. He won a Calder Cup with the Adirondack Red Wings in 1986.

“It helps to have someone looking from the outside, providing support when you need it,” Aubry said. “He watches a lot of games back home, so when I ask for tips, it helps that he’s been watching me. But he won’t say much unless I ask him.”

Aubry understands that it’s the little things that can make the difference between being stuck in the minors and getting an opportunity to play in the NHL. Being strong in the faceoff circle is just one facet of his game that he is continually tweaking.

“Year after year, I feel like I’ve improved my faceoffs,” Aubry said. “As I’ve gotten stronger, I feel like I’ve gotten better on faceoffs.” Aubry won 60 percent of his draws last season and he’s close to that figure again this season. “I feel like that’s a really good number,” he said. “I think it’s something that can separate me from other centers.”

Aubry has even learned to like dropping the gloves. “I don’t mind; it’s part of the game,” Aubry said. “In fact, I’m expecting it because I play a physical game and when you throw big hits, you know there’s a good chance that somebody will come after you.”

All in all, Aubry just wants a fighting chance at realizing his dream of playing in the NHL.

“A team needs players to fill different roles and I like my role,” Aubry said. “I feel like I’m still improving. At some point, the Red Wings might need more physicality and I want to be ready. I need to stay focused and keep working hard every day. Hopefully one day things will work out. You never know what might happen.”