Paget has an eventful return to Steelheads

About three seconds into Friday night's game, Idaho Steelheads forward Derek Paget took a stick to his mouth and had to leave the ice.

The result? Five stitches.

It served as a rude welcome back to the world of professional hockey.

Prior to Friday, the last time Paget played a pro game was in 2004, when he was a member of the Steelheads team that won the ECHL's Kelly Cup.

But after being away for more than four years, Paget earned a spot on the roster. Stitches notwithstanding, he said he was glad to be back.

"Being back with the guys, that's probably what I miss the most," he said. "Hockey's fun."

Paget spent the first month of the season on the 30-day injured reserve, but there he was Friday, back on the ice at Qwest Arena as Idaho lost 5-3 to the Utah Grizzlies. The two teams play the third game of an Idaho homestand Saturday night.

"The outcome of the game wasn't what we were looking for," said Paget, who turned 30 in November.

Paget was introduced with the starting lineup at the beginning of the game, a nod to Paget from Steelheads coach Derek Laxdal.

"I think, you know, he's just showing me a little bit of respect there," Paget said. "He put me out there at the start of the game and tried to get the fans into it a little bit with a familiar face they haven't seen in awhile."

After getting stitched up and returning to the ice, Paget contributed an assist on Idaho's first goal. Not a bad start, but he admitted there is still work to be done.

"A little rusty," he said. "It was a long time off, four-and-a-half years."

Paget left the game for personal reasons after the 2004 season, and he's spent the past four years working in construction and wondering whether he made the right decision when he left.

"It was time to step away from the game for a little bit," he said. "I always regretted doing it. ... Finally, things fell back into place this year, and I'm glad to be back.

And Steelheads defenseman Darrell Hay is glad to have him. The two played together on that 2004 championship team, and their friendship goes back further than that.

"(Paget) and I went to the same high school together," Hay said. "We've known each other since we were 10, 12 years old. For me, it's pretty sentimental. It's a guy getting a second chance doing something he loves. ... The dressing room just lit up (before the game). We were just all so happy for him."

As if a stick to the face weren't enough, Paget found himself in the middle of a fight with Utah defenseman Will Bodine in the second period. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Paget was giving up 3 inches and 35 pounds to the Grizzlies' biggest player.

"He was a goal away from a Gordie Howe hat trick," Hay said. "It's one of those things where you're just in awe because he works so hard and he deserves what he gets."

But did Paget really deserve a fight against Bodine in his first game back?

"That's the reason we won in '04, because we had guys like that," Hay said. "He'll be the first one to tell you that he doesn't really enjoy going out and fighting, but that's part of his job."

Paget earned a reputation as a gritty player during his three seasons with Idaho (2001 to 2004). In his final season (2003-04), he racked up 126 penalty minutes and 28 points in 67 games.

Friday, Paget showed he still was willing to put his heart into hockey.

"The passion he played with (Friday)," Hay said, "If we all played like that, it would have been a different game."