What’s been in the cards for Mark Jankowski after the Carolina Hurricanes’ First Round Stanley Cup playoff win?
In the days following the Hurricanes’ First Round sweep against the Ottawa Senators, players had a chance to rest, recover and reset before learning their next opponent in the Stanley Cup Playoffs will be the Philadelphia Flyers.
It’s been a mix of movies, golf, watching hockey, dog walks and card games.
“Overall, for everyone, it was a good First Round,” Jankowski told NHLPA.com. “I liked the play of our line [Jankowski, William Carrier and Eric Robinson]. We like to be a good 200-foot line, where we are responsible in the defensive zone and also create some energy and some chances in the offensive zone. I thought we did a good job keeping things simple – getting pucks behind them, being solid on the forecheck, creating some havoc and momentum.”
Since the series ended, the forward has swapped roles, going from playoff participant to avid viewer.
“I have been watching a lot of the games,” said the native of Hamilton, Ontario. “Now that we aren’t playing, you do have a lot more time to do that. The last few days, I have been kind of glued to the TV, watching the games, and really enjoying it. It’s the best time of year to be a hockey fan and right now, it’s the situation we are in. There are definitely a lot of exciting games.”
The left winger is also gleaning information, here and there, when he tunes in.
“It’s only natural when you are watching the games to think, ‘Okay, we might be matching up against these guys in the next round.’ I’m sure you subconsciously pick up on things, little things here and there that you store in your memory.”
Outside of catching playoff action, Jankowski, a first-round pick (21st overall) of the Calgary Flames in 2012, has found other ways to wind down before he winds things back up again.
Over the past few days, he has found time to trade in his hockey sticks for golf clubs.
“I’ve been able to get out the golf course a few times since the series ended, which has been nice,” said Jankowski, who has hockey in his bloodline. The Canes winger is the grandson of Lou Jankowski, who played 131 NHL games for the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks in the 1950s, and is a great nephew to Hockey Hall of inductee, Red Kelly.
Honing his driving and short game isn’t the only outdoor activity on Jankowski’s plate.
“We have our golden retriever, Lucy, who is six years old,” said explained the 31-year-old. “We love spending as much time as we can with her. The weather right now in Raleigh is great, so we love taking her out. There are a few lakes around here we go to – she loves swimming. It’s a lot of fun, for sure. Goldens are the best.”
A self-described movie buff, Jankowski also caught the latest installment in the Avatar series.
“I watched the new Avatar movie that came out. That was a good one. I had seen the first couple. They’re long – this one was around three and a half hours – but it’s good. That new one, I would definitely recommend it.”
The downtime has also included some friendly competition, both at home and on the ice.
“We have been back on the ice and had some competitive drills to keep that flowing, which has been great. At home, my wife [Rachel] and I have played some competitive card games, so that has been good, too.”
Coming up aces in the next playoff series and beyond remains his biggest focus.
“That’s what we pride ourselves in [being a tough team to play against]. We have four lines that we can roll and we all play the same way. We play hard, we don’t take a shift off for a full 60 minutes and a full seven-game series. That’s how we want to play, to make it hard on the other team the moment the puck drops.”