Todd Fedoruk shows tough side in debut with Minnesota Wild

Todd Fedoruk shows tough side in debut with Minnesota Wild

Acquisition quickly shows tough side

BY BRIAN MURPHY
Pioneer Press
Article Last Updated: 11/24/2007

http://www.twincities.com/wild/ci_7543552?nclick_check=1

Newly acquired tough guy Todd Fedoruk settled into his new stall Friday in the Wild
dressing room, a slice of real estate that is symbolic for a couple reasons.

It is right next to the stall of Derek Boogaard, who crushed Fedoruk's face last
season during a nasty fight when Fedoruk was with the Anaheim Ducks.

And it belonged to original Wild player Wes Walz, whose personal leave of absence
seems destined to become permanent.

General manager Doug Risebrough acquired Fedoruk off waivers to add toughness to a
team that desperately needs a makeover to solve its identity crisis.

Winger Branko Radivojevic was benched for the first time this season, and Fedoruk
replaced him in the lineup against the Columbus Blue Jackets at the Xcel Energy
Center. He played 10 minutes, 49 seconds - more than his usual share of ice time this
season - in the Wild's 4-0 loss.

The 6-foot-2, 240-pound winger played left wing on the third line with center Dominic
Moore and Mark Parrish and saw time on the power play. Fedoruk also made his presence
felt delivering several checks while drawing an extra roughing penalty to go with a
tripping infraction in the second period.

He acknowledged the mistake, which did not prove costly, but pledged to keep banging.
"This is a man's game. Some guys in this game don't like to get hit. You hit the
right guys, sometimes they'll shut her down for the night," he said. "That's kind of
my role. I like to intimidate a little bit."

After literally being shoved out of the playoffs last spring by the Ducks, the Wild
remain a passive team plagued by injuries and inconsistency.

The result is a 4-9-1 tailspin since their 7-0-1 start. No one expects Fedoruk to
lead the turnaround. But Risebrough said the winger's acquisition "can be considered
a shot across the bow for the in-between players" who are struggling.

"I don't really know what type of situation the team's in, but I know from experience
the only way you get out of tough situations is to work your way out," said Fedoruk,
a seven-year NHL veteran.


---



- Scott Smith: scott.smith.TakeThisOut@iphouse.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/choppersmith