ARLINGTON, V.A. — For the first time in a long time, Vincent Desharnais feels at peace as he enters a new chapter with the Washington Capitals.
It was easier said than done, though, to get to that point.
For a while, when something went wrong for Desharnais, it felt like "the end of the world." Of course, he put it in much blunter context.
"It just feels like you're in the shit, and there's no way out of it," Desharnais laughed.
After all, it hasn't been the easiest road for Desharnais, a 2016 seventh-round pick who's bounced around the league some while spending time at almost every level — from the NCAA to the ECHL to the AHL — as he paid his dues and tried to make the cut as a full-time NHL defenseman.
Training camps, which came with skate testing, scrutiny and questions regarding his role, would cause Desharnais a lot of anxiety. To make matters worse, he was a perfectionist, and when things went off the rails, it wouldn't go over well.
But, the 6-foot-7 blueliner's not one to give up, and he's also one to put up a fight. So he worked through the hard times, and then, following his trade to the San Jose Sharks, something clicked.
"Every time you pass through those experiences and you learn, and you don't quit on them and you keep working, you just get out of the shit. Sorry for the expression, but that's what it is," Desharnais said, adding, "On a daily basis, you just work and work and work to just get out of it. Because that's life in general. Everyone has their own issues. Everyone has their their bad days, their good days, and if you try to be as balanced as possible, as consistent as possible with your habits, with your your mindset, it really helps."
Having appeared in 53 games with the Sharks last season, Desharnais not only cemented himself as an NHL regular, but discovered the key to finding success: letting go of "perfect," and playing for the love of the game.
"Last season is probably the best season I've had in my career, and I didn't change much. But one thing I changed: I changed my mindset," Desharnais said.
Desharnais also honed in on daily habits, like journaling and deep breathing, that have helped him further embrace a new perspective and positive mindset.
The result? A high-energy, contagious locker room personality — he likes to think of himself as a "fun uncle" — and shutdown defenseman who can complement the team's rising youth in Cole Hutson and Ryan Leonard, among others.
"The reason why I'm here is because I worked hard, I had fun, so my mindset is not going to change this season. I think it's a team that fits right with this mindset... I think I'm going to fit right in," Desharnais said.
It's that hard work, optimism and growth on and off the ice that led to him signing a four-year deal with the Capitals this summer, providing him stability for the first time in his NHL career.
At the same time, he admits it's the most comfortable he's felt going into a training camp, and he's looking forward to seeing what that means for the season ahead.
"It's just fun to be myself... It's the first summer that I (didn't) think as much, even before training camp," Desharnais said. "I'm a big thinker... I've built some habits, and when you work on those habits a lot, it just becomes easier to change and to be comfortable.
"It's been really nice the last few weeks to just come in, and even though it's a lot of changes, it's a lot of new things for me, I still feel a lot more comfortable than in previous years. Part of it is the people here, and the other part is I just think confidence and that mindset to just, 'Hey, just go out there, work your butt off and just have fun.'"
