After 14 games on the road, the Arizona Coyotes are back home. The team looked back on the trip as they learned a lot from it.
One of the longest road trips in NHL history has ended for the Arizona Coyotes.
Fourteen games up, 14 games down. They finally get to be the hosts again Friday night at Mullett Arena against the Boston Bruins.
"I don't know if my kids will remember me when I walk in the door," Zack Kassian told reporters on Wednesday.
Even while being away from home for four stints over a month, the Coyotes found ways to keep things lighthearted.
The Coyotes crisscrossed North America from the second week of November to the second week of December, even bringing the players' fathers along during the third stint in Nashville, Carolina, Detroit and Minnesota. They only returned home three times for pit stops before heading out again.
The trip started on a high note as the Coyotes won their first three games before losing their next four. The final game of the trip was an 8-2 loss against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday.
While it's easy to look at the 4-8-2 record of this trip and assume they weren't in it most games, the opposite is true. Five losses came in one-goal games and three in two-goal games.
"Some guys might not bring enough underwear, so we actually had to go back, and we had a couple of days where we could do our laundry and whatnot." - Nick Bjugstad
Cleaning up certain parts of their game, such as staying out of the penalty box and finding ways to finish games, is not lost on veteran NHLer Nick Bjugstad, who's in his first season with the franchise.
"It's just minor small details that we can touch upon, on video," Bjugstad said. "We communicate well as a team. The coaching staff does a good job of being transparent in what they want.
"We have a blueprint, but we have to execute and make those plays at the end of the game that change the game."
The trips home between each leg of the trip were a blessing for some.
Like anyone else, the need for laundry and packing enough clothes reminds you that NHLers are just like anyone else on a long road trip.
"It's hard to plan for dress, especially since I don't have a great wardrobe, so I basically just wear the same stuff on off days and game days – one suit," Bjugstad said.
"Some guys might not bring enough underwear, so we actually had to go back, and we had a couple of days where we could do our laundry and whatnot," he added.
On a trip like this, being with each other for an extended period away from the ice was a given. With that, the bond among the Coyotes across the various cities became even stronger.
During their time in Edmonton, the team went to West Edmonton Mall and had a team mini-golf tournament. Bjugstad, with a smile, was proud to quickly reveal who won.
"I did."
"I don't know if my kids will remember me when I walk in the door." - Zack Kassian
While the big story has been about the Coyotes being away from home, or the 5,000-seat arena hosting them for at least the next three seasons, the franchise looks to bring the best out of its players during the rebuild.
Clayton Keller leads the team in scoring with 22 points in 24 games, a 0.92 points-per-game average that's nearly on par with his career high last season.
On the blueline, Shayne Gostisbehere's change of scenery from Philadelphia is working so far. He's on pace this season to beat his 51 points last year, his best total since 2017-18.
With a vast amount of draft picks under their belt, and Dylan Guenther – who's impressed many so far during his rookie year – now on his way to the world juniors to play for Canada, the future looks bright for the roster.
Guenther said his teammates have been welcoming as he continues to develop his game.
"It's been unbelievable," he said. "The guys have been great at bringing me in, and I feel like I'm getting more comfortable every day."
In one of the more quirky years for the Arizona Coyotes franchise, it's a team making the most of things as it pushes towards an exciting future in the desert. And they now have 37 of 58 games left this season to continue pushing in front of their fans and family at home.