January 28, 2014 - American Hockey League (AHL) Utica Comets Last week, we sat down with Cal O'Reilly, one of the more recent additions to the Comets roster, and someone who has made a noticeable impact since joining the team. Today, we'll transition from learning about a key forward to a key defenseman, Kent Huksins, who has stood his ground on the blue line this season, serving as a key facet of the Comets defensemen.

While Huskins may not be tallying goals and assists game after game, he has, without a doubt, made an impact since signing with the Comets on November 4th. Huskins brings a level of depth and experience to a relatively young group of Comets defensemen. A native of Almonte, Ontario, Huskins was a member of the 2007 Stanley Cup Champion Anaheim Ducks and has played over 300 games at the NHL level, recording 68 total points (13-55-68). "Being on the cup-winning Ducks team in 2007 was undoubtedly the highlight of my hockey career," Huskins said. "I'll always be extremely thankful to the Ducks organization for the opportunity to be a part of that team...the experience was truly surreal."

With rookies such as Henrik Tommernes and Frank Corrado serving as key forces of the Comets defense, it is without a doubt that Huskins serves as a role model for a lot of the younger guys on the team. "Frank's a great player and definitely has a very bright future in the NHL ahead of him," Huskins explained. "I've actually been really impressed with all of our defensemen. I wouldn't be surprised to see all of them in the NHL one day." When asked if the guys do see him as a role model, Huskins replied modestly, "I don't know about a role model. They definitely joke a lot about me being an "old man" though."

Even though the Comets are currently riding a four-game winning streak, the road hasn't always been easy. "I think the biggest challenge we faced in the first half of the season was frustration from working extremely hard and not seeing much in terms of immediate results," Huskins explained. "There were a lot of games where we felt like our levels of effort and execution were really high, but we kept coming up short on the losing end. Through all the tough losses though, the coaches have done a great job of teaching and the guys have stuck together and continued to work, so hopefully that continues to serve us well in the second half." Despite the ups and downs, Huskins has enjoyed his experience thus far in Utica, thanking the fans for always staying loyal, patient and supportive.

As the Comets enter the heart of the second half of the season, they will look to Huskins to stay solid on the blue line and continue to feed off of his experience and knowledge on the ice.

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Comets Corner with Kent Huskins