Hockey defensemen come in all shapes and sizes.

There are the two-way dynamos, the prolific point producers whose style of play was defined by guys like Bobby Orr, Ray Bourque and Paul Coffey. They use their skating ability and puckhandling skills to push the puck into the offensive zone while still being adept at protecting their back end.

Then there are the body checkers, the bruising blueliners known for their physical play – players like Scott Stevens and Vladimir Konstantinov, who were respected not only for their defensive abilities but also for their ability to deliver big open-ice hits.

Some players are distinguished by their play at the point on the power play. Retired NHL defensemen Al Iafrate and Al MacInnis were known for their extremely hard shots. Current Boston Bruins blueliner Zdeno Chara, the largest NHL player ever at 6-foot-9, 250 pounds, is known for putting every inch and pound into his hard shot.

Finally, there are the irritators, players like Chris Chelios and Chris Pronger, whose gritty playing style tends to get under the skin of opposing players and often earns the derision of the other team’s supporters.

The Red Wings prospect would be the first to admit that he suffered through a crisis in confidence during his first full year as a pro last season.

“When I got the chance to play, I just didn’t believe in myself,” he said. “I was getting rid of the puck too fast. I wasn’t patient. I was scared to do anything because I didn’t want to mess things up.

“Last year nothing went in and I became frustrated. I was doing stuff that I’m not good at. I made mistakes. But when you’re young and inexperienced, it happens.”

“Where are you from?” is usually a simple question.

If you check various sources to determine the hometown of rookie goaltender Thomas McCollum, you’ll likely find several answers. If you ask him, he’ll tell you Cambria, N.Y.

The Griffins’ netminder grew up in Cambria, which is small enough that its post office is in nearby Sanborn. The hospital in which he was born is in Amherst, but few people know where that is, so it’s easier to say he hails from Niagara Falls, which is only 10 minutes from his home. And if you’re looking for a bigger city, there’s always Buffalo, which is roughly 45 minutes away.

No matter how one maps his youth, McCollum hails from Niagara County, which means that he is more than a little familiar with one of the natural wonders of the world.

In the B-movie classic, Escape From New York, the borough of Manhattan has been turned into a giant maximum security prison from which the character of Snake Plissken (played by Kurt Russell) must rescue the U.S. President.

Griffins forward Patrick Rissmiller can probably relate to the situation.

Rissmiller, who signed a three-year contract with the New York Rangers before last season, was assigned to the club’s AHL affiliate in Hartford after playing only two games with the Rangers.

Trying to make the most of his situation, Rissmiller commuted from the Big Apple to Hartford for the better part of the 2008-09 season.

Ever the optimist, he hoped things would be different this year. But when the Rangers sent him back to Hartford with nary a look, he felt like he had become imprisoned by his circumstance.

That’s when the Griffins came to the rescue.

Watch Daniel Larsson on the ice and the young Swedish netminder doesn’t immediately jump out at you as a star in the making. At 6-foot, 180-pounds, he is hardly an imposing figure. He’s not prone to making acrobatic saves, nor does he flash a lightning-quick glove.

Even his mask is undistinguished.

For the first half of the Griffins’ 2009-10 season, Larsson has worn a plain white mask, save a simple Red Wings logo, the result of his old mask developing a crack a couple of weeks before the 2009 Calder Cup playoffs.

Ask Larsson about his favorite flavor of ice cream and you half expect him to choose vanilla. He’s so quiet and unassuming that you might lose him in an empty room.