SAN JOSE — Todd McLellan had heard the stories.
The San Jose Sharks head coach was well aware what had been said about Dany Heatley and his relationship with Ottawa Senators bench boss Cory Clouston.
But McLellan vowed not to let any preconceived notion affect their relationship.
“We all have to develop our own opinions, whether it’s hockey or life,” McLellan said. “There’s been players who have come and gone from our organization or others I’ve coached who I had a negative opinion on, and they’ve gone on to be really successful in other places. That shows either I was wrong or they went on to prove I was wrong.
“Formulate your own opinion before you buy into someone else’s.”
So, what’s his perception after having coached Heatley through a third of a season?
“He’s right there with the top scorers in the league, but those are all about stats and wins,” McLellan said.
“The most important thing for us as a coaching staff, and I think from his teammates, is he allows us to hold him accountable.
“Whether it’s the coaching staff or other players, he wants that. He wants some guidance and he accepts it when we give it to him.
“I think there was an insinuation in his past it wasn’t there, but I haven’t seen that, to this point.”
For his part, Heatley insists accepting criticism properly and being held accountable isn’t anything new.
“I think that’s how I’ve always been,” Heatley said.
“I haven’t worked with (McLellan) or the rest of the staff until I got here, so they didn’t know much about me, but I haven’t really changed that way.”
His detractors may say otherwise, but what nobody can argue is how well Heatley and the Sharks have merged.
Heading into Saturday’s clash with the Flames, San Jose sits atop the NHL standings, while Heatley is in a tie for second spot with 19 goals.
That success come as no surprise since the Sharks were the regular-season champs last year and Heatley is a two-time 50-goal scorer now skating with Joe Thornton.
“You always want to get off to a good start and fit in. Things have gone well so far,” Heatley said.
That’s not to say it’s been all strawberries and whipped cream.
Heatley had a heck of a stretch starting last Friday.
First, he had to play in Edmonton, facing the team he shot down a trade to after asking out of Ottawa. A few days later, it was a home game against the Senators.
“I think the hype was more than the actual event. Once the puck dropped, it was all hockey and I wasn’t really worried about much else,” Heatley said. “It was made out to be more than it is. It’s a media thing and it’s a fan thing, but the bottom line is we’re playing a hockey game and on the ice — that’s all you’re thinking about.”
How Heatley handled it all impressed Thornton.
“It was business as usual for him. I don’t think too much fazes the guy,” Thornton said. “In the summer, he knew he was going to have go through some of these things and was prepared for it, but he hasn’t changed his attitude. His demeanour is always the same. It doesn’t matter if we played Edmonton, Ottawa or Atlanta.”
Then again, if Heatley survived being booed in his hometown of Calgary during the Olympic orientation camp, you’d think he could cope with it elsewhere.
“Maybe there were some Oiler fans down for the camp,” Heatley said. “It wasn’t the best thing, but I think it was a result of it dragging on all summer and people were tired of hearing about it.
“That’s how I took it.”
