Jason Demers is a funny guy.
He'll wear a fuchsia suit. He'll goof around to help a charity function. He'll crack up his teammates.
But underneath all of that frivolity, he's still an NHL defenseman _ one playing for a contract. The key for the 27-year-old is he balances the seriousness with his humor and finds a way to make it work.
"I've always thought that I want to be myself, I don't want to change," said Demers. "At the end of the day, it is a game. I know there's a time and place for everything, but I also want to have fun playing a game."
It's that attitude that helps Demers handle opposing forwards and handle the specter of unrestricted free agency that awaits after this season. He was raised in a hockey household with a dad who was a coach, so Demers understands the pressure of the game. That shows in his possession numbers, which led the team last season.
In the NHL's new enhanced stat category SAT (shots for and shots against at even strength), Demers was a team-best plus-222 last season. This season (through last Thursday), he's more middle-of-the-pack at plus-10 while facing higher quality competition, but he's seen his time on ice increase almost two minutes per game and his point pace increase from .36 to .64 per game.
Much of that is because of the trade that sent Trevor Daley to Chicago and opened up minutes on the second power play, and Demers is well aware of that. But the native of Dorval, Quebec said he doesn't want to focus on specifics that can change throughout the season.
"I'm just worrying about playing good defense," he said. "They've given me a little bit more responsibility defensively, so I'm trying to just keep the puck out of our net. With our forwards, they're putting it in. So it's just about defending and getting them the puck."
If your were Demers' agent, you would be keeping track of the points with the belief he can easily exceed the career-best 34 in 75 games he tallied with San Jose in 2013-14. That's how he got his current deal that pays him $3.65 million this season. However, your client would tell you that he's been signing one or two-year deals for his entire career, and there's no real benefit in fretting over comparable contracts in the middle of the season.
"Hockey is hockey, money is money, it's two different things," Demers said. "I just take care of what I can, and control what I can control. Every year of my career has been a year I've had to prove myself."
Demers was a seventh-round draft pick of San Jose in 2008 and played for the Sharks organization for seven seasons. He was traded last season for Brenden Dillon, as the Stars tried to add more right-handed players to their defense corps. He fit in nicely on the ice, and he also has been a sound teammate off of it.
When fellow defenseman John Klingberg did a recent Twitter chat with fans, he was asked what three things he would need on a desert island. He listed water, sunscreen and ... Demers. Demers responded on Twitter with "My Son." He has been called the funniest player on the team, and he acknowledges that early in his career he probably pushed the comedy envelope too far.
"I definitely had a few talks that first year about being serious about my job," he said. "You learn to pick your spots, and I think you get a little perspective and a little leverage after 300-plus games. I just think it's a long season and you need to take pressure off of the team. There's a method to my madness."
Coach Lindy Ruff said he knows Demers is serious about hockey.
"I base my judgement on play," Ruff said. "There's nothing goofy about getting out there and playing 5-on-5, doing your job, finishing your shift."
And, right now, Demers is doing that. Can he continue to do it in a Stars uniform? Well, he does have one exception to his rule about not worrying about contracts.
"I love this organization, I think it's a great fit for me. A goal of mine is to play well so that I can stay here," Demers said. "I really do believe if you play your best, then everything will work out, and I also know that winning helps that most of all. If we win, and I play well, the odds of me staying are a lot better."
And he's quite serious about that.
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