BY SCOTT
HADDOW
Sudbury Wolves' goalie Sebastian Dahm may have his doubters,
but he is certainly not one of them.
The Danish goalie oozes confidence out of his pores and has an
unwavering self-belief in his own ability and talents.
These strong intangibles, combined with Dahm's fiercely
competitive nature, add up to a defiant young man who wants to
lead Sudbury to a level they've never been to - a
championship.
"I know myself and what I am capable of and that's being a top
goalie in the OHL," said the 20-year-old. "I thrive on the
challenge of being a No. 1 goalie. I'm a team player and I work
hard. I see myself as a key guy who can help lead his team
through any challenge and through good times and bad times,
especially in the playoffs. I'm a guy who can step up when
needed and make the big saves to help the team go far...it's
what I expect from myself."
Dahm isn't just confident about his own strengths. He strongly
believes in the group of young men assembled in the Wolves'
organization as well for this season.
"When I look at the group of guys in the dressing room I see a
team that's capable of anything," said the five-foot-11
netminder. "We could lose in the first round or we could win
the Memorial Cup. I certainly hope we come together and do the
second of those two options. I want to win bad...I'm extremely
competitive."
Dahm has been playing solid hockey recently, going 7-3 in his
last 10 starts and recording a smart 2.64 goals-against-average
and a scorching .913 save percentage. He has also thwarted all
14 penalty shots he has faced in two shoot out games, helping
Sudbury pick up valuable points.
"Sebastian's whole game started to really elevate at practice,"
said head coach and GM Mike Foligno. "He has been coming in
early and staying late at practice...working on his game and it
shows. He's mentally and physically sharp.
Sebastian is really feisty and competitive. He's not the biggest guy in the world, but he plays big and wants to win."
Dahm is doing the right things.
"He's on the money now," said Foligno. "He's playing well and
all we can ask from him is to make the first save, keep it
simple and give us a chance to win. He helped Denmark at the
World Junior Championships (WJC) and he's kind of like the King
of Denmark there...we hope at the end of the season he can be
the king of Sudbury."
Dahm is no stranger to success. At the 2007 WJC, Dahm helped
Denmark advance to the A Pool, for 2008, from Division I by
going 4-1 and throwing up a wall against the competition.
"It was a thrilling experience," said Dahm. "It's the first
time ever Denmark will play in the A Pool. Unfortunately I will
not get to play next year because I will be too old, but it's
nice to know I helped my country get there."
Dahm was acquired from Sarnia at the OHL trade deadline for a
draft pick. He's been here over a month and is relishing his
opportunity in the Nickel City.
"I looked at it as a fresh start for me," said the 175-pound
goalie. "I came into Sarnia this season and wanted to do good,
but things didn't go my way. When I came here, Mike Foligno
told me he had a lot of confidence in me and they were going to
put their trust in me...I was going to be their main man. After
a tough start, now I believe I am showing what kind of a goalie
I can be and that I can determine the outcome of games by
myself."
Dahm has fully accepted the pressure of being the starter in
Sudbury.
"The pressure from everything doesn't bother me," said Dahm.
"It's not as much pressure I put on myself. Like I said before,
I see myself as a top goalie and if I'm not playing up to my
ability, then I come down hard on myself. I'm always thinking
of ways to improve and live up to my own high
expectations."
Dahm will look to keep up his energizing play tonight as he
faces the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.
