ST. PAUL, Minn. - The calendar did Matt Niskanen's wallet a favor this year, when the NHL determined that the Washington Capitals' only regular season visit to Minnesota would come in the first half of November.

Even with the Caps winning the Stanley Cup last season and Niskanen bringing the most renowned trophy in sports to the Iron Range and Lake Vermilion for a day in the summer, there are higher priorities among his many friends at this time of year.

"Normally I'd have to supply a lot of tickets, but not this time because it's deer season," Niskanen said on Tuesday after the Caps practiced at Xcel Energy Center prior to their game with the Minnesota Wild. "Nobody wanted to come down. My parents are coming. Everyone else either is deer hunting or has to work because they've been deer hunting."

The constant of friends wearing blaze orange and heading to the woods, even with their Cup-winning friend visiting the state, is a reminder Niskanen may get more attention on the ice, but things don't really change away from the rink.

"This season maybe some teams use us as a measuring stick, but personally I haven't noticed anything different," he said.

Still, there are hockey-related changes to be had in multiple places for Niskanen, who played for the University of Minnesota Duluth, is in his fifth season with the Capitals and 13th NHL season.

Long paired with Russian defenseman Dmitry Orlov on the Caps' blue line, he now often finds himself skating with Czech defender Michal Kempny under new Washington coach Todd Reirden. When former coach Barry Trotz left for the New York Islanders' bench over the summer, the Caps handed the reins to Reirden. It was not a tough transition for either the coach or Niskanen, as they'd worked together for nearly a decade, first in Pittsburgh and now in DC.

"He just adds so much in terms of being able to help young players develop. I've seen it here and in my prior location, the role that he's had in the development of some really good young defensemen," said Reirden, who played defense for Bowling Green from 1990-94. "He has a calming influence with how he plays the game. He plays it right and is able to add both offensively and defensively.

"Whatever is asked of him, he does and he's extremely coachable in that regard. Whatever our team needs that particular night he's willing to do."

Niskanen, a three-sport athlete in high school, led Mountain Iron-Buhl to the nine-man state football quarterfinals in 2004 as the News Tribune Player of the Year. Then he took Virginia/Mountain Iron-Buhl to its first high school state hockey tournament appearance in 2005 before anchoring the Bulldogs' defense for two seasons.

Bulldogs coach Scott Sandelin said he actually went to watch Niskanen quarterback the Rangers in the fall of 2004.

"That was the first time I saw a nine-man football game, but it was kind of fun," Sandelin said. "Even though it was cold.

"He was a pretty mature kid as a freshman coming in. Some kids you get out of high school, you never know, but Matt was pretty mature and knew his game."

Now at 31, Capitals teammates look to Niskanen as a veteran presence on a team trying to duplicate the feat of their arch-rivals, the Penguins, and win back-to-back NHL titles.

"In my opinion he's one of the most underrated D-men in the league with what he brings to this team every night," said former Gophers center Travis Boyd, who has played four games for Washington this season. "He plays 24 or 25 minutes a night, hard minutes against top lines and I don't think people give him enough credit for how good he is offensively. He kind of flies under the radar in terms of D-men in the league but what he does for this team is second to none."

In a career that has also included playing for Team USA in the IIHF World Championships, one would think that Niskanen is running out of goals. Those people underestimate the thrill the Capitals experienced on June 7 in Las Vegas.

"Everyone dreams of just having a chance to win one. It's amazing that we accomplished that. It's a dream come dream come true," Niskanen said of the Stanley Cup. "But that was a hell of a good time. The journey to get there in the playoffs was the hardest thing I've ever been a part of, but it is so worth it, the feeling when you reach that goal."

Having dealt with injuries, the suspension of forward Tom Wilson and a coaching change, the Capitals sat in seventh place in their eight-team division on Tuesday morning. But Niskanen said the team's goal is clear: to have the most coveted trophy in hockey spend another summer in Our Nation's Capital.

Like the annual lure of deer season on the Iron Range, some things don't change, even after you've won the Stanley Cup.

News Tribune college hockey writer Matt Wellens contributed to this report.