University of Minnesota Athletics
The Waibel Factor; Junior Forward Jon Waibel
12/1/2002 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
The Waibel Factor is not easy to explain. There are elements of hustle, hard work and never letting up on the opponent. But then there's just that extra piece that only Jon Waibel can contribute. There are other players on the Minnesota squad possessing the named skills. There just seems to be an extra something to Waibel's play that makes him such an important member of the roster, but what that something is exactly is difficult to put a finger on.
Junior defenseman Paul Martin describes Waibel's play as full of energy and enthusiasm. "He's one of our high-energy guys that we need out on the ice, and I think it hurts when we don't have him in our lineup. That's why this far this season we've had some problems. He's one of the guys we need in our lineup, just to pick it up a bit."
Even the man responsible for the Waibel Factor is not 100 percent sure of what it consists. "Ever since I was little I've kind of been considered a hustler. Sometimes it gets me into trouble because I end up out of position every once in a while. I start trying to do too much and skate too fast and do this and do that. If I can do anything about the guy, I like to get there. If I can get to the puck, I try to get there. So it's a hustler-type play. I don't know if I'm considered gritty because I'm not real physical, but if I have to, I will be."
If fans were not convinced of the Waibel Factor before this season, they certainly must admit there is something to it after the past couple of weeks. Although unsure of what exactly it is, the existence of it could not be doubted after the events during the weekend of Nov. 1-2 in the Alabama-Huntsville series. On the evening of Nov. 1, Jon Waibel was on fire. It was his 92nd career contest, never missing a game in his two-plus years wearing the Maroon and Gold. That night, Waibel scored one of Minnesota's three hat tricks in their 12-1 rout of the Chargers. Three goals in one game would be a great career night for any player, but looking at Waibel's scoring numbers over his previous years (1 goal freshman year and 5 last season), it was an outstanding performance. The Waibel Factor was off the charts that game.
"It was very exciting," Waibel said. "It felt great to contribute to the team - more than chipping in here or there. Getting three goals, it was kind of important to me and my confidence level. I have struggled scoring here the last two years. It was very exciting, just a great situation."
Bad news followed the next night. As the Gophers looked to sweep, and fans came in hoping for another surge from Waibel, the Minnesota line chart was lacking something. The number 5 was absent from the sheet for the first time in over two seasons due to a broken bone in his hand. How would the team perform without the Waibel Factor?!
As Jon Waibel sat with his hand elevated in a cast, wearing a suit instead of a jersey, he watched the Gophers defeat Alabama-Huntsville by a score of 4-2 to complete the sweep. But there seemed to be something missing from the game. A little less zip. A little less move. A little less...something.
Minnesota played five games without Waibel in which the team went 2-1-2. But lacking his presence, his factor if you will, seemed to take a little steam out of Minnesota's engine. And no one wanted to get the Waibel Factor back in the lineup more than Jon himself. "It was tough, very tough," Waibel said about sitting out. "If I could have played, I would have played. It's just not a good feeling, especially to see your team lose. As little as you may be able to contribute to the team, you will want t be out there with them, battling on Friday and Saturday nights. It was unfortunate."
It is not like Waibel had never played with an injury before. After all, this is the sport of hockey we are talking about. But he had always just played through it, including a broken wrist. During Waibel's sophomore year at Lake of the Woods High School in Baudette, Minn., he broke his wrist while competing. However, he was not made even aware of the injury until completing his junior season. For two seasons, he competed without a healthy wrist. He would have not missed a Gopher game with the broken hand either if it were his choice. And if his glove would have fit over the swollen hand. But alas, Waibel and his impact were absent for the longest stretch of games his entire career.
The injury to Waibel only added to the pile of unhealthy players in Minnesota's locker room. After losing captain Grant Potulny to an ankle fracture in the opening game of the season, followed by forwards Barry Tallackson's dislocated shoulder, Jerrid Reinholz's fractured jaw and Troy Riddle's sore shoulder, it seems like the injury bug has struck the Golden Gophers early and hard this season. While it may be difficult to watch the defending national champs play without some of their key players, there are also some positive points to competing without the usual lineup.
"It's been a rough first half of the year. We lost our captain the first game of the year and lost some other major players in the last three or four weeks. It's been good for some player because they are counted on for more roles than they would be otherwise. It gives everyone else a chance," Waibel pointed out. "And it helps in the long run because we'll have more experience on our team from top to bottom. But it takes time to adapt to the situation they're put in. Missing our big guy [Grant Potulny] on the power play, his freshman year he led the country in power play goals. It's tough to take him out of the lineup and replace him with somebody who can fill the role that he fills. But somebody is going to have to, and do it with the ability to which they can."
The Waibel Factor is back affecting the Gophers again. After fashioning a cast in which he can use his index finger and thumb to grasp the stick, Waibel rejoined the lineup against Michigan Tech at Mariucci. The impact of his return was unquestionably felt when he was back on the ice. That mysterious Waibel Factor. Maybe the final part to his effect, along with his hustle and tough play, is his somewhat zany personality. Roommate Paul Martin describes living with Waibel as "an adventure." Waibel, the man who used to chew and swallow 11 pieces of gum before each game, will be the first to admit, "I'm out there. I'm not going to lie. I'm out there."
Teammates also describe him as friendly and outgoing, fun with an upbeat attitude. While being considerate about others, he doesn't take things to heart. A happy-go-lucky guy, he lets people think what they may and worries only about being there for his friends and fellow players.
The Waibel Factor consists of hustle and toughness, qualities that other players do possess. But then there is that characteristic that only Jon Waibel can throw in: himself. Whether it's the addition of his easygoing, albeit eccentric, personality that completes the effect, it is difficult to pinpoint. One thing is certain: Jon Waibel definitely has a positive effect on the Golden Gophers and it is one unique factor Minnesota is happy to have.
Written by Athletics Media Relations Student Assistant Courtney Walerius There is a stat affecting the Golden Gopher men's hockey team for the last two years that does not show up on the official sheet. It is difficult to measure, but there tends to be this pattern of when it is up, the team's production is up. The technical term for this stat is the "Junior Forward Jon Waibel Quality of Play Quotient." But many know it simply as "The Waibel Factor."
The Waibel Factor is not easy to explain. There are elements of hustle, hard work and never letting up on the opponent. But then there's just that extra piece that only Jon Waibel can contribute. There are other players on the Minnesota squad possessing the named skills. There just seems to be an extra something to Waibel's play that makes him such an important member of the roster, but what that something is exactly is difficult to put a finger on.
Junior defenseman Paul Martin describes Waibel's play as full of energy and enthusiasm. "He's one of our high-energy guys that we need out on the ice, and I think it hurts when we don't have him in our lineup. That's why this far this season we've had some problems. He's one of the guys we need in our lineup, just to pick it up a bit."
Even the man responsible for the Waibel Factor is not 100 percent sure of what it consists. "Ever since I was little I've kind of been considered a hustler. Sometimes it gets me into trouble because I end up out of position every once in a while. I start trying to do too much and skate too fast and do this and do that. If I can do anything about the guy, I like to get there. If I can get to the puck, I try to get there. So it's a hustler-type play. I don't know if I'm considered gritty because I'm not real physical, but if I have to, I will be."
If fans were not convinced of the Waibel Factor before this season, they certainly must admit there is something to it after the past couple of weeks. Although unsure of what exactly it is, the existence of it could not be doubted after the events during the weekend of Nov. 1-2 in the Alabama-Huntsville series. On the evening of Nov. 1, Jon Waibel was on fire. It was his 92nd career contest, never missing a game in his two-plus years wearing the Maroon and Gold. That night, Waibel scored one of Minnesota's three hat tricks in their 12-1 rout of the Chargers. Three goals in one game would be a great career night for any player, but looking at Waibel's scoring numbers over his previous years (1 goal freshman year and 5 last season), it was an outstanding performance. The Waibel Factor was off the charts that game.
"It was very exciting," Waibel said. "It felt great to contribute to the team - more than chipping in here or there. Getting three goals, it was kind of important to me and my confidence level. I have struggled scoring here the last two years. It was very exciting, just a great situation."
Bad news followed the next night. As the Gophers looked to sweep, and fans came in hoping for another surge from Waibel, the Minnesota line chart was lacking something. The number 5 was absent from the sheet for the first time in over two seasons due to a broken bone in his hand. How would the team perform without the Waibel Factor?!
As Jon Waibel sat with his hand elevated in a cast, wearing a suit instead of a jersey, he watched the Gophers defeat Alabama-Huntsville by a score of 4-2 to complete the sweep. But there seemed to be something missing from the game. A little less zip. A little less move. A little less...something.
Minnesota played five games without Waibel in which the team went 2-1-2. But lacking his presence, his factor if you will, seemed to take a little steam out of Minnesota's engine. And no one wanted to get the Waibel Factor back in the lineup more than Jon himself. "It was tough, very tough," Waibel said about sitting out. "If I could have played, I would have played. It's just not a good feeling, especially to see your team lose. As little as you may be able to contribute to the team, you will want t be out there with them, battling on Friday and Saturday nights. It was unfortunate."
It is not like Waibel had never played with an injury before. After all, this is the sport of hockey we are talking about. But he had always just played through it, including a broken wrist. During Waibel's sophomore year at Lake of the Woods High School in Baudette, Minn., he broke his wrist while competing. However, he was not made even aware of the injury until completing his junior season. For two seasons, he competed without a healthy wrist. He would have not missed a Gopher game with the broken hand either if it were his choice. And if his glove would have fit over the swollen hand. But alas, Waibel and his impact were absent for the longest stretch of games his entire career.
The injury to Waibel only added to the pile of unhealthy players in Minnesota's locker room. After losing captain Grant Potulny to an ankle fracture in the opening game of the season, followed by forwards Barry Tallackson's dislocated shoulder, Jerrid Reinholz's fractured jaw and Troy Riddle's sore shoulder, it seems like the injury bug has struck the Golden Gophers early and hard this season. While it may be difficult to watch the defending national champs play without some of their key players, there are also some positive points to competing without the usual lineup.
"It's been a rough first half of the year. We lost our captain the first game of the year and lost some other major players in the last three or four weeks. It's been good for some player because they are counted on for more roles than they would be otherwise. It gives everyone else a chance," Waibel pointed out. "And it helps in the long run because we'll have more experience on our team from top to bottom. But it takes time to adapt to the situation they're put in. Missing our big guy [Grant Potulny] on the power play, his freshman year he led the country in power play goals. It's tough to take him out of the lineup and replace him with somebody who can fill the role that he fills. But somebody is going to have to, and do it with the ability to which they can."
The Waibel Factor is back affecting the Gophers again. After fashioning a cast in which he can use his index finger and thumb to grasp the stick, Waibel rejoined the lineup against Michigan Tech at Mariucci. The impact of his return was unquestionably felt when he was back on the ice. That mysterious Waibel Factor. Maybe the final part to his effect, along with his hustle and tough play, is his somewhat zany personality. Roommate Paul Martin describes living with Waibel as "an adventure." Waibel, the man who used to chew and swallow 11 pieces of gum before each game, will be the first to admit, "I'm out there. I'm not going to lie. I'm out there."
Teammates also describe him as friendly and outgoing, fun with an upbeat attitude. While being considerate about others, he doesn't take things to heart. A happy-go-lucky guy, he lets people think what they may and worries only about being there for his friends and fellow players.
The Waibel Factor consists of hustle and toughness, qualities that other players do possess. But then there is that characteristic that only Jon Waibel can throw in: himself. Whether it's the addition of his easygoing, albeit eccentric, personality that completes the effect, it is difficult to pinpoint. One thing is certain: Jon Waibel definitely has a positive effect on the Golden Gophers and it is one unique factor Minnesota is happy to have.
Written by Athletics Media Relations Student Assistant Courtney Walerius
