He’s Having a Whale of Time

HARTFORD, Conn. —  In a preseason questionnaire three years ago, Hartford Whaler defenseman Sylvain Cote was asked what he thought he’d be doing in 2008.

“In 20 years? Still playing for the Whalers,” Cote wrote, “and still trying to reach my 400th game to qualify for the NHL pension.”

Although Cote still laughs at that self-deprecating humor, there seemed, for a time at least, a shred of truth in his gross exaggeration.

Considering reassignment to juniors in 1985-86, a trip to the minors in 1986-87 and a string of injuries that cost him 52 games last season, Cote, at the time, did seem on a 20-gamea season pace in the NHL. Cote would play well. His stock would rise. Then he’d commit some costly mistakes. His ice time would diminish. His stock, in turn, would diminish. The scene has repeated itself many times through the coaching tenures or Jack Evans, Larry Pleau and Rick Ley.

Even now, at 25 and in his seventh season as a Whaler, fans still await the full bloom of Cote, a 1984 first-round draft pick.

“I still think the best is yet to come,” Cote says.

A glimpse of the good has surfaced the past 18 games. Perhaps the most gifted skater on the club, Cote is moving his legs, picking the right moments to jump into the offensive flow and logging some impressive minutes.

Is this permanent? Or will he sink back with the overload of eight defensemen? With Randy Ladouceur, Ulf Samuelsson and Dave Babych back from injury and Adam Burt resurfacing with some good play, competition is strong.

“What (Cote’s) doing best now is getting up on the play at the right time,” Whaler General Manager Ed Johnston said. “Before, he was moving up to make it a 2-on-2 or 3-on-3. Now he’s learning to jump up for the 2-on-1 or 3-on-2. He’s such a great skater. No question, he’s playing a lot better.”

On Jan. 8 against the Kings, he played 30 minutes, 13 seconds, the most of any Whaler this season. Picked as No. 3 star Wednesday in a 5-1 victory over Edmonton, Cote played a game-high 23:57.

“Sylvain has played very well the past 20 games,” Ley said. “The biggest thing for Coco is to skate and move. Not only does he play better defensively, he gives us a little added jump offensively.

“His injuries last year hurt his development. But he’s back.”

Scratched from four of five games before Christmas and locked in an option-year contract impasse, Cote was trouble.

Not feeling so merry, Cote went alone to Ron and Mary Lou Francis’ home for Christmas dinner. He says advice from Francis, who had been stripped of his captaincy only a few weeks earlier, changed his outlook.

“I told him that since the beginning of the season, I hadn’t been happy,” Cote said. “There was nothing that made me feel really good. He told me to do the things that will make me happy. He told me to get myself together first and the rest will follow.

“He knows how to handle things better than anybody else on the team. Ronnie always has the right words to make you feel good.”

The next night Cote’s mettle was tested when he was besieged by the French media in his hometown Quebec.

“About seven reporters came to me after the game with, ‘Have you heard about the rumor of trade, of you going to Quebec or Montreal?’ ”

Johnston denied he was close to dealing Cote to the Nordiques.

“They’re always looking at the French kids. They asked about him. But they never came up with anything,” Johnston said.

Cote had a wonderful October start before it all unraveled last season. He suffered a broken toe. Then a knee sprain. And finally, a broken bone in his foot. His contract problems carried into the off-season.

His option contract is worth $180,000. The Whalers’ offer was $180,000 and $180,000 for a new one-plus-one deal.

“Eddie told us it was the first and last offer. There was nothing to gain by signing it,” Cote said. “The door was closed. It bothered me for a while.”

But the improved play has changed the frowns. And Cote, who has dated French Canadian celebrities Danielle Rainville (a Montreal sports radio personality) and Sylvie Bernier (former Olympic diving gold medalist), is back to his light, breezy ways. He can even chuckle about his name being forever posted on the bulletin board as owing a fine for violating some minor clubhouse infraction.

“Coco’s going to make the Fine Hall of Fame,” Francis said.

“It’s really just the same $50 I’ve owed since 1984,” Cote said.