Cheek adjusts to life in pro hockey

Last season, an injury kept Cheek from playing for the Edmonton Oil Kings in the Western Hockey League finals against the Portland Winterhawks. This time, a torn hamstring ended Cheek’s season several weeks early.

“I was playing third-line minutes the few games before I got hurt and I was on a little bit of a point streak, playing well and gaining some confidence,” Cheek said.

The injury happened when Cheek made a check in center ice. He fell, and an opponent’s skate popped his hamstring. The injury did not require surgery, and unlike last summer should not cut into his offseason training.

“It was a pretty freak accident. It’s just an unfortunate thing. I’ll get more training in this summer than I did last summer, so I’m happy about that,” Cheek said.

The adjustment from junior hockey to a more physically demanding professional league challenged Cheek on and off the ice. Figuring out how to get into the lineup presented the biggest challenge.

“Last year I was used to playing every other shift, playing a lot,” said Cheek, who scored 65 career WHL regular-season goals and in 2013 had eight goals and eight assists in 15 playoff games with Edmonton. “Then you go pro and you’re in and out of the lineup, and when you’re playing you’re not playing a lot (of shifts), so it’s hard to figure out how to make sure you’re ready when you’re not playing all the time.”

Cheek, who played baseball for Camas High as a freshman, left home at age 15 to play with a top-tier youth hockey team in Phoenix, Ariz. Because the Winterhawks had a strong group of 1992-born forwards, Portland did not sign Cheek. Instead, he signed with the Calgary Hitmen. Last season he was traded twice, eventually landing in Edmonton.

Playing in the WHL prepared Cheek for life away from his family in Vancouver — even for life in Cleveland.

“Obviously the weather’s not beautiful, but there are not too many amazing cities for weather in the AHL,” Cheek said.

Unlike the WHL, where players live with host families during the season, Cheek lived with teammate Markus Lauridsen, his first real taste of life on his own.

His days revolved around the rink. As a rookie, many days he was on the ice training for a couple of hours.

Cheek didn’t see consistent playing time early in the season. When he was dressed for games, he tried to be vocally involved when he wasn’t playing a regular shift.

“Cheer on my teammates and try to keep the energy up,” Cheek said, explaining how he handled sporadic opportunities to play. “Jumping up and down every once in a while on the bench to keep the legs ready and just do whatever you can to keep your head in the game.”

Cheek has been at the Moda Center for the WHL Finals, supporting his former Edmonton Oil Kings teammates in their battle with the Portland Winterhawks. Watching this year isn’t as painful for Cheek as it was last season, when three torn oblique muscles and a partially torn trapezius muscle prevented him from playing in the championship series.

“It’s never easy to be sitting in the stands,” Cheek said. “Last year being my 20-year-old year, I would have done anything to be out there. And this year I was just starting to hit my stride and start playing well then I got hurt.

“It’s unfortunate that my injury happened then, but hopefully it will just make mentally stronger.”