Restoule unleashed his power at TELUS Cup

BY SCOTT HADDOW

Sudbury Nickel Capital Wolves forward Denis Restoule knows how to make his presence felt in any hockey game.

It could be through a sizzling goal or nifty pass. It could be through a board-rattling, bone-crunching body check or creating chaos in front of the net.

Most of the time, it's all of the above.

Restoule's combination of skill and brawn have made him invaluable to the Nickel Capital Wolves during their run to the 2008 TELUS Cup in Arnprior.

Restoule has quickly made a name for himself because of his hard-hitting style of play and is earning the respect of foes at the national AAA midget championship.

Foes are now looking over their shoulders to see if the tank-like Restoule is bearing down on them, and he usually is, with no fear and reckless abandon.

Restoule is the type of player teams love to go to war with because he will never back down and always fights to the last whistle while hurting teams with goals as well.

Restoule gladly relishes his role on the team.

"I'm one of the bigger forwards on the team so I try to make my presence felt with hitting, being strong down low and hopefully scoring a few goals," the 5-11, 190-pound forward said. "I thrive on making a big play by hitting someone hard or making a nice pass or scoring. I try to bring that to every game I play."

Sudbury appreciates Restoule's game. Especially in the TELUS Cup, which features teams stacked with big, unforgiving players. The coaching staff send him onto the ice, having full trust he will give as much as he takes and then some.

"Denis is a workhorse and a true power forward and competitor," head coach Peter Michelutti Jr. said. "He excels the most when we're playing bigger, more physical teams. He's not afraid of anything. He puts a lot of pressure on defencemen… when he's coming into the corner full force. He scares players and creates turnovers."

Line-mates Stefan Herrington, who has exploded offensively at the tournament and Deven Stillar both say their prayers at night for having Restoule patrolling the ice with them as they weave their offensive magic.

"Denis is always willing to pay the price to help a teammate out," Stillar said. "If I get into a scrum, I know, no matter what, Denis will be there to back up me and the other guys. It helps… I can play my game and throw hits without fear of being teamed-up on. He's in it for the team… he's just a great teammate and guy."

Going all out is the only way Restoule knows how to play. This aggressive play helped him finish third in GNML scoring with 37 goals and 81 points in 34 games. He was 14th in penalty minutes with 106. In the playoffs, Restoule tallied seven goals, 13 points and 34 penalty minutes in 10 games.

"I expect to play hard every shift," the Lockerby student said. "If I don't, I'm not happy with myself at all. This year, I've learned I can't take any time off and I have to work hard every day… doing those things has made a difference in my game."

Restoule has improved immensely in every aspect of his game compared to last season. He is now one of the key cogs in the engine driving the Nickel Capital Wolves.

"Denis is key to our power play because he takes the bumps and bruises to stand in front of the net and challenges players," Michelutti Jr. said. "He's very gritty, but he also has a lot natural talent. He has great hands and a great shot… put it all together and you have a powerful player."

Restoule is enjoying every last second of the TELUS Cup, especially when he buried the game-tying goal against the Calgary Buffaloes to help the team salvage a point from the game.

"This is just amazing to be here… the experience has brought me to a whole new level because we're playing the best teams in Canada," the 17-year-old said. "Scoring that goal against Calgary was an unbelievable feeling… it was the biggest goal I've scored in my life so far."

Restoule is hoping to play junior hockey next season.