There was a time last season when Blair Mulder was fortunate to be alive, never mind playing hockey for the RDC Kings.
Mulder was in a major snowboarding accident just east of Ponoka. He cracked his skull and received a major concussion along with several other minor injuries. It spelled the end of the season with the Kings and left doubt if he would ever return.
“It was a scary situation,” said Mulder, who can’t remember that day. “We were out by Ponoka and from what I was told I tried a jump and it was dark and unfortunately it didn’t turn out. It wasn’t like I’d been drinking. I had one beer … it just happened.”
Kings head coach Trevor Keeper wasn’t worried about his rugged defenceman returning, only that he recover.
Mulder got out of the hospital much quicker than anyone expected and was around the team as they finished their Alberta Colleges Men’s Hockey League season.
“It wasn’t too crazy, but I did have a fractured skull and I got vertigo,” he said. “But overall I was lucky.”
Mulder was also back on the baseball field during the summer.
“It was good I didn’t have any post concussion symptoms while I was playing, but if I did push ups or sit ups while I was working out it bothered me,” explained the 24-year-old. “The vertigo was also there, but now I’m fine.”
Mulder returned to the Kings this season and while he started on defence has been playing forward the last while.
“I told Trevor early in the exhibition season that if he needed me I would play up front,” he explained. “It didn’t seem like it as going to happen, then suddenly he moved me. It’s been a big adjustment.”
Mulder came up through the Red Deer minor hockey system playing on defence and played all his junior career on the blueline.
“It’s a big learning curve,” he said. “The biggest thing is that on defence I’d have the puck and was looking to make the pass. Up front I’m trying to find open space and looking to receive the pass.”
He finds that can be dangerous.
“I think because I’m not used to playing forward it’s almost more dangerous. On defence I’m prepared for the hits. On forward I’m not.
“I got nailed by a defenceman along the wall when I was preparing to receive a pass and I didn’t see him,” he explained. “I got hit hard, but it didn’t bother me and I felt good after it, so that was good.”
The five-foot 11, 210-pound Mulder’s style is a bit rough and rugged, something he isn’t going to change despite changing positions and despite coming off the concussion.
“That’s just the way I play,” he said. “I can’t see myself changing.”
Despite his rugged style the four-year veteran has always had an offensive side to him.
This year he has one assist in four games. Over his first three seasons he had nine goals and 26 assists in 78 games.
Besides the concussion, Mulder wasn’t sure if he’d be back as he was finished his trades program.
“Pat Martens and I both graduated but we had a back door plan to get into another program, which turned out to be delayed. Pat went to SAIT but I took Business Management so I could come back. I enjoy playing and don’t have many years left.”
Mulder could have one more season if wanted.
The Kings face SAIT in a home-and-home series this weekend — tonight at 7 p.m. at the Penhold Regional Multiplex and Saturday at SAIT.
The Kings are tied for seventh in the league, but have games in hand on all the other teams. SAIT is fourth at 3-3-1-0.
“We had a double bye week which pushed us behind everyone else,” said Mulder. “This weekend is big for us to get back up where we want to be.”
Danny Rode is a retired Advocate reporter who can be reached at drode@www.reddeeradvocate.com. His work can also be seen at Danny’s blog at rdcathletics.ca