by Chris Kuc | AHL On The Beat
Despite not having the opportunity to see his father play professionally, Chicago Wolves forward Hudson Elynuik has viewed enough highlights and engaged in enough discussions with his dad to realize that Pat Elynuik knows what he’s talking about when it comes to hockey.
And, Pat, who retired in 1997 – the year Hudson was born – following a career that saw him play eight-plus seasons in the National Hockey League with the Winnipeg Jets, Washington Capitals, Tampa Bay Lightning and Ottawa Senators, sees an NHL player when he watches his son skate for the Wolves.
“I really do,” Pat Elynuik said. “He does some things really well that teams certainly need. He’s got size – and so many goals are scored with screens in front of the net – he’s got real good agility in the corners with his puck protection and he can rag the puck along the boards for quite a while. And the last thing is, he just makes good quality plays.”
After a slow start to the season that included a chunk of time missed with an injury, Hudson is now showing the rest of the American Hockey League what his father has determined.
“Every year your goal is to try and get better every day and try to improve your game in all areas,” said Elynuik, who signed with the Wolves as a free agent prior to the 2023-24 season. “I think I’ve done a really good job in the second half of this season after I came back from injury. I try to use my size as best as possible in the corners and in front of the net and also use my speed and try and create space for my linemates and myself out there.”
At 6-foot-5 and 207 pounds, Elynuik has been a force for the Wolves down the stretch, keyed by a shift to center from wing, courtesy of coach Bob Nardella. Entering Saturday’s action, Elynuik had four goals – including one on a penalty shot April 7 against the Manitoba Moose – in his last three games to up his season total to six tallies and nine assists in 41 contests.
The Calgary, Alberta, native was a third-round (74th overall) selection by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft and had stints with the Toronto Marlies and Tucson Roadrunners before landing with the Wolves.
While he has shown flashes of taking his game to the next level, Elynuik appears to have hit his stride in the development process.
“He’s a late, late bloomer but in the last couple of months I’ve seen a real change in his game,” Pat Elynuik said. “He’s using some of his best skills to his advantage and he’s finally gained some confidence and a real understanding of who he is.
“The Wolves have allowed him to evolve from being an up-and-down winger and crasher and banger to moving him to center so he can use his size, skating, speed, crossovers and instincts when he gets the puck,” he continued. “Bob told him a number of times to be patient with the puck and make the plays that are really good hockey-sense and high-level plays and he’s had the ability to do that.”
Much of that hockey sense runs in the family, though Pat said he is letting his son forge his own path.
“I wanted him to figure it out himself, figure out who he is, what he wants to do in his career and what it takes,” Pat said. “My position is to be a dad and have unconditional love. Be who you are, be the best you can be and maximize your skills and talent. That’s all anyone can ask.”
That doesn’t stop Hudson from seeking guidance from his father, for both life and hockey lessons.
“He’s definitely my hero and a very intelligent man,” Hudson said. “He’s got a lot of wise words. He’s been through every situation that I’ve been through and can really see things and he tells me what to adjust to. He knows I’m my own player and my own pro but he’s got great advice and I take it as much as I can. It’s definitely helped me get to where I am today.”
Today, it’s helping the Wolves finish the season strong. Sights are set even higher in the future.
“My goal has always been to make the NHL and I think I can,” Elynuik said. “I just have to prove every day that I’m capable of that. My dad made it, so it gives me a little extra boost that I want to make it as well. I want to keep going forward and get better every day and see what happens.”
The former NHLer believes it can happen, too.
“I always tell him that it’s never too late,” Pat Elynuik said. “If you keep improving and showing your stuff and put up numbers and perform with all the little things that hockey scouts and managers look for, something will find you. You just have to do your part and stay mentally tough and keep at it and good things will happen.”