Apr 6, 2013; Winnipeg, MB, CAN; Philadelphia Flyers defense Luke Schenn (22) skates off the ice after taking a puck to the face during the second period against the Winnipeg Jets at the MTS Centre. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Fedyck-USA TODAY Sports

Since the first installment on Thursday (they will be out on Mondays from now on) I have been racking my brain trying to figure out who the next Underdog of the Week should be. I had a bunch of players in mind and was really struggling trying to figure out which one to pick. Then on Saturday afternoon something happened. Luke Schenn of the Philadelphia Flyers took a puck to the face trying to block a shot, but that isn’t what makes him Underdog of the Week. What makes him Underdog of the week is that after taking the puck to the face he got right up, blood dripping down his face and skated to the dressing room, no overt theatrics. He then returned later in the game after getting two layers of stitches, showing courage and strength that every hockey fan can appreciate.

Now, Schenn might not be the best defenseman in the league but what he lacks he makes up for with heart. He will do everything he can for his team, whether it is dropping the gloves for a teammate or blocking a shot. The toughness he showed Saturday afternoon caused him to gain some much deserved respect that he did not see with his previous team, the Toronto Maple Leafs.

He has only scored 3 goals this season (one was on Thursday sealing the win over his old team) but Schenn isn’t known for his goal scoring ability, he is known for his toughness. Schenn is 4th in the league and 1st among defensemen in hits with 144. He has 76 blocked shots this season which puts him at 23rd in the league and 2nd among the Flyers.

As a kid Schenn always gravitated toward the role of shut-down defenseman. This worked well for one on one’s with brother Brayden Schenn who wanted to be a forward and work on his moves. Who would of thought in those days that both brothers from Saskatoon Saskatchewan would end up playing in the NHL for the Philadelphia Flyers. They have both gone on record saying that they enjoy getting to spend more time together now, the two even live in the same building.

Luke has played in the NHL since he was drafted in 2008 to the Toronto Maple Leafs. A lot of Leafs fans believe he was rushed and could have developed more but I think they forget that he is still young. Luke is only 23 and has been improving in every game he plays. Since joining the Flyers he has been working with injured veteran defenseman Chris Pronger, which seems to have really helped him improve. I think Luke is a player to watch and doesn’t receive nearly as much positive attention as he deserves. So, here’s some positive media attention, Luke. Hope you enjoyed your time in the spotlight.

January 19, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Flyers center Luke Schenn (22) in front of goalie Ilya Bryzgalov (30) against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the second period at the Wells Fargo Center. The Penguins defeated the Flyers, 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Let’s look at the first comment more closely. Luke Schenn is tied for first (with Nicklas Grossmann) in giveaways on the Flyers as of now with 5. That’s 2 less than the top guys on the Leafs and only 4 more than James himself.  James van Riemsdyk is tied for first (with Matt Frattin) in goals with 4, he is however 4^th in points with 5 (Nazem Kadri is first with 7). Doesn’t seem so bad now, does it?

Now let’s take a look behind curtain number 2. You do not have Luke Schenn on your team to score goals. When I say top-scorer you do not think of Luke. Luke Schenn is a stay-at-home defenseman the real gauge of how he is doing is plus/minus and currently he is tied for first on the Flyers with +2 (currently JVR has a -2). When I think of Luke Schenn specifically I think of hits. To date he has 923 career hits. He was number one in hits for his team 3 of his 4 past years in the NHL with an average of 64 hits between him and the player in second (for 2 years in was Dion Phaneuf). He is currently number 1 in hits for the Flyers with 23 (in second is Brayden Schenn with 19, must be in the genes). Overall I think it’s safe to say Luke is doing his job.

There is one last thing that separates Luke Schenn from others that nobody ever mentions (and it’s my favourite thing about him), and that is his willingness to throw down and defend his teammates no matter what team he is on. The two videos below are examples of this one is from this season and one is from his rookie season (I dare you to watch them and not want that guy in your corner).