San Jose Sharks forward Kevin Labanc is frustrated with his situation and is looking for a fresh start but still finds excitement as he faces his good friend Timo Meier for the second time tonight.
San Jose Sharks forward Kevin Labanc is frustrated with his situation and is looking for a fresh start but still finds excitement as he faces his good friend Timo Meier for the second time tonight.
Labanc and Meier made their NHL debuts during the 2016-17 season with the Sharks. Meier and Labanc also lived together while growing up in the NHL.
"Me and Kevin were roommates for a while [during] our first couple of years," Meier said. "We spent a lot of time together."
Even through frustration, Labanc still can get excited about playing hockey and facing Meier.
"It's always fun playing against former teammates, and Timo and I, we started out at the same time, so it's a lot of fun," Labanc said after practice on Monday. "It's going to be fun competing. It's going to be a hard-fought game. I'm just excited to be back in the lineup and just have a good game."
"He's still here," Meier said about Labanc's trade report. "He's got a lot of skill. We talk, and obviously, you follow players that you've played with in the past. Some of them you cross paths with again, like Chris Tierney, who is on our team now, and I played with him in San Jose. So I think that's pretty cool."
Tierney played four seasons with the Sharks, including two with Meier and Labanc.
Warmups will be interesting to watch for two reasons. 1. The fans' reception of Timo Meier and 2. If Kevin Labanc and Timo Meier embrace.
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The Hockey News