Schenn pumped about tonight's debut

DETROIT - Luke Schenn is excited.

Marian Hossa has mixed feelings.

And Ron Wilson? He’s not sure yet.

Such are the roller-coaster of emotions that come with opening night.

When the puck is dropped between the Maple Leafs and Red Wings tonight in the kickoff of the 2008-09 season for both teams, Schenn said he will be more pumped up than nervous.

“You dream about this night,” Schenn said after the Leafs morning skate at Joe Louis Arena. “I played against guys like (Evgeni) Malkin and (Sidney) Crosby during the preseason, so I know what its like to face stars. And Detroit has plenty of them.”

Schenn recalled being at The Joe for Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final between the Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins four months ago.

“Now I’m playing against them,” said Schenn, the fifth overall pick in the 2008 entry draft. “It’s amazing how quickly things have gone.”

Schenn’s parents will not be at the game, unable to get a flight in time from Saskatoon. They will, however, be in attendance for the Leaf home opener Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens at the Air Canada Centre along with his sisters Madison and Macy.

For the time being, Schenn estimated that “up to 100 people” might join his dad Jeff and mother Rita at their Saskatoon home to watch the game tonight on television.

Hossa, meanwhile, admits it will be “kind of weird” watching the Wings Stanley Cup banner being raised to the roof during a pre-game ceremony. After all, the Wings defeated Hossa’s Pittsburgh Penguins in the final to win the Stanley Cup.

Subscribing to the credo that “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em,” Hossa turned down more lucrative offers to sign a one-year, $7.45 million US deal with the Wings.

“It will be nice to get things going,” Hossa said.

As for Wilson, the one-time Leaf defenceman who now coaches the team, he said the pre-game skate likely will bring some finality to his busy off-season.

“I think when I’m standing behind the bench, watching all the activity during warmup, it will finally sink in: I’m the coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs,” Wilson said.