DETROIT - Joe Hicketts is accustomed to the underdog role.
Four young defensemen will compete for one spot on the Detroit Red Wings defense during training camp. Hicketts is the only one of the group with some NHL experience. But he doesn't appear to be the odds-on favorite to land the job.
It's just another obstacle for an undrafted 5-foot-8, 180-pound player who has cleared many hurdles just to get this far in his career.
Joe Hicketts among young defesemen competing for Red Wings roster spot
"Even going back to last year, you had those dreams of making the team, but I was a realist, there wasn't a lot of room, cap-wise, roster space," Hicketts said.