Gillies hopes to make an impact

Enforcer close to making Canes

RALEIGH -- The Carolina Hurricanes' roster continues to thin out, getting ever closer to the final 23 players.

And Trevor Gillies is still around, still in training camp, still fighting for a spot.

On Friday, the Canes sent defenseman Bryan Rodney and forward Dwight Helminen to the Albany River Rats, the team's affiliate in the American Hockey League. That cut the roster to 28.

Among those still in camp are Gillies, free agent Dan LaCouture and Joe Jensen -- all forwards, all making it a tough decision for team management.

Consider that in 300 minor league games, Gillies has six goals and 1,177 penalty minutes. In his one NHL game, with Anaheim in the 2005-06 season, he had 21 penalty minutes.

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"Obviously I'm not here to score goals," he said Friday. "I just wanted to give an honest effort every day, give 120 percent every day, every shift, leave it all on the ice and see where it got me.

"Hopefully I can keep doing it and stick around. It would be awesome to play here. Obviously, I have to bring that physical element every night. Get the puck out, get the puck in and bring lots of energy -- that's pretty much my job."

But it's the "physical element" that Gillies prides himself on.

"Obviously I work on my game every day to try and become a better player," he said. "But I know it's gotten me this far. I know it will keep me here.

"I've got to be good on the forecheck and bang bodies and be that physical force and be there when, you know, we have someone to be looked after or give the team a spark."

When the Canes traveled to Nashville on Thursday night for a preseason game, left in Raleigh were Scott Walker, Wade Brookbank and Tim Conboy. But they had Gillies along for any, well, extracurriculars that might occur.

The Predators quickly fell behind 2-0, and the Preds' Josh Gratton suddenly was ready to drop the gloves and try to give his team a spark. Gillies was more than ready to be Gratton's opponent and landed the biggest blows.

"I love my job," Gillies said. "I mean, I've been doing it for a long time. It's no secret."

Gillies, 29, said he attended a conditioning camp in Fargo, N.D., in the offseason and reduced his body fat. He said it was at 12 percent, hardly noticeable on his 6-foot-3, 215-pound frame.

"He came into camp in great shape," Canes coach Peter Laviolette said.

And while Gillies is leaner, he doesn't like to be called meaner. In fact, he calls himself a cool, calm, nice person off the ice.

"I'm a family man. I've got two kids," he said, smiling.

Gillies said he models himself and his game after Walker, who is also from Cambridge, Ontario.

"He's a great guy, and he can play, too," Gillies said.

Now, Gillies is hoping to stick around, look after his teammates.