How
old were you when you received your first pair of
skates?
I can't remember that but my first time skating
was 18 months on a frozen Bay or a point of Lake
Ontario at Princess Point. That was my first
recollection of skating.
I was so young so I don't remember but I've seen
pictures. I've been told that I only had the
skates on for a little bit and then right to the
sneakers afterwards. I didn't have them on for
long.
How did
you get into hockey?
My dad played a lot when he was growing up. He put
me and my older brother in power skating when we
were young and we both seemed to enjoy it. We've
played organized hockey as early as we could.
It was kind of where we both went in at the same
time so it wasn't – my brother's only 18 months
older than me and being very close in age, we both
started at the same time so it was more my dad,
more my dad having a passion for it and wanting us
to get a feel for it as well.
Did you always know you wanted to be a
professional hockey player growing up?
No, you don't even care at that point, you just go
out and have fun and enjoy it and that's what
keeps you coming back.
You don't think about [being a hockey professional
hockey player] until you're a bit older.
When did you know that this was the right path
for you?
I think when I had to make a decision when I was
16 to go to college or go to the OHL and that's
when I started to think more along the lines of
'Is this something I want to do as a career?'.
That's probably the first time I ever really sat
down and thought about it.
What was your first hockey team?
My first hockey team was... Lawfield... Lawfield
Canucks, actually. I'm thinking about it now and
my first team was the Canucks. It's in Hamilton,
where I grew up for the first seven or eight years
of my life. That's ironic – I never even thought
about that.
What
position did you start out as on that team?
You play everything. Your coach would tell you
what position you were and you'd go out and ask
the referee, 'where do I line up?' So, if you were
told you're a left winger, you'd go out and ask,
'I'm a left winger, where do I stand?'
Growing up, the hockey rink was my...
Home away from home.
Hanging out at the arena, we'd play and when my
older brother would go on the ice, I would hang
out. It was kind of where we lived, we'd go to
school, come home, and then usually head to the
hockey rink all night.
What was hockey like growing up in your
hometown?
It was huge. In the summer, you're playing ball
hockey in the streets and I had two brothers and a
bunch of friend in the neighbourhood so we're
always playing ball hockey in the street. Between
the three of us, we're probably at the arena for
three to five hours a night.
Pretty much everybody you go to high school with,
you play hockey with someone or your brother did.
There weren't too many people who didn't play
hockey in our town growing up.
What
is your proudest hockey moment?
Probably playing in my first NHL game. It kind of
kicked later on because you don't really think
about it at the time because you're so nervous
about it. Right now, just looking back at it, I
know it took a lot of hard work and a lot of years
so it was my proudest moment.
I was actually in Winnipeg, we just played our
last game before the Christmas break and I was
heading home for five days back to Ontario. I was
having dinner with Mike Keane and his wife after
the game and I got the call from Dave [Nonis], and
he said 'you're coming up tomorrow'.
Right away I thought, is this a joke because
obviously I didn't know if it was Dave or not, he
said it was but it could've been easily, Alex
Burrows or somebody playing a joke on me. I
remember that call still and the next day I was in
Vancouver.
What is
the best piece of advice you've ever received?
My dad always said, 'if you're going to do a job,
do it to the best of your ability, no matter what
it is.' That's probably the best piece of advice,
not only for hockey but for life. If you're going
to do something, do it as good as you can.
What advice would you give to someone aspiring
to play professional hockey?
Don't give up your dream. It takes a lot of hard
work, there are a lot of setbacks. A lot of times,
for myself, there were a couple years where I
wasn't one of the better players and I started to
doubt myself, so believe in yourself, work hard
and you'll achieve your goals.
You just keep going, keep plugging away and you
always try to get better, that's the main thing.
When you're younger, pretty much everything you
can work on, you can get faster, you can get
stronger, the only thing you can't do is grow. If
you're a short guy, make sure you're one of the
strongest guys.
What was the biggest obstacle you had to
overcome to get to the NHL?
I came out of college and I didn't really have
high profile name or anything and I had to work my
way up. Probably just working my way up the system
was my biggest challenge. I wasn't given a spot,
much like Alex [Burrows] and Rick
Rypien, I had to go and prove I could play in
this league.
I
remember when I signed my first contract two and
half years ago, I kind of felt that up until then,
I played games but I could be sent down at any
time. It felt more real when I signed that
contract, it felt good and I could take a breath
and now I can concentrate on just getting better.
Do you ever still get the feeling like this is
unbelievable that you've made it here?
Absolutely, when you talk to some of your friends
that you play hockey with growing up and you see
them in the summer time. Even going home in the
summer and just seeing some of the people you went
to high school with, everyone's so excited for you
and they're happy and watch you on tv all the time
so it's surreal to hear that.
How did you
feel when you scored your first NHL goal?
I felt relieved at first. It was kind of funny how
it happened because I didn't really know if I
scored or not because I heard the post. I heard
the post a few times before so I wasn't sure if it
went in but after I saw that it went in, I was
pretty happy, pretty relieved that I finally got
the first one.
Was there anyone that's helped you through your
hockey career?
Yes, obviously you don't get to this point without
help. I had a great supportive family. My dad kind
of got me into hockey and I had two brothers that
I played with growing up so the support from all
of them. I've had the support from my wife and my
in laws all the way through. Coaches and team mates.
You get lots of support from people, you don't
make it unless you do.
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What is your
favourite Moose moment?
We opened the MTS Centre and the first game was
pretty special, closing the old arena, that game
was pretty special, and our playoff run we had
during the lockout season was a pretty fun time.
We had a good team, we had a close team and it was
a lot of fun.
Who did you
get a long with best on the Moose?
I got along really well with Josh Green and Alex
Burrows, Ryan Kesler, a lot of the guys that are
here now. Wade Brookbank was my roommate. Tomas
Mojzis, got along with a lot of the guys there,
Lee Goren. Just to name ten there.
What would you be doing if you weren't playing
hockey?
If not hockey, then... I don't know. I went to
school for finance so I'd probably be at an
investment firm right now. It was just something
that I was interested in when I went to school. I
was a business major and I had to pick one area.
Finance and money... I just wanted to learn how
everything worked. I got an offer from an
investment firm to go work but I turned it down so
I'd probably be there right now. Or a professional
golfer. I'm okay [at golfing] but I'd probably be
more serious about it if I had more time because I
really like it.
When was your first hockey fight?
I do remember actually. I was playing shinny
hockey in the summer time and I just got into it
with one guy. I got into a lot of fights with my
brother actually growing up so those are probably
the first ones I had. I can't remember, I think I
was 14 or 15, I think.
What are some of your hobbies outside of
hockey?
Outside of hockey, I like golfing, I like water
sports, going to the cottage, stuff like that,
going to movies, relaxing. I like a lot of
different types of movies, I like funny movies
like Anchorman and Old School and then I like some
of the more serious movies like Shawshank
Redemption, a variety.
If you could play a game in any city in the
world outside of North America, what city would
you choose?
Any city outside North America... it would be
somewhere in Europe probably. Probably Italy, I've
got roots from Italy. I had a friend that played
over there and he told me all about it and he said
it was pretty neat so I'd probably like to go play
there. I've never been but probably this summer.
What advice
would you give to others trying to maintain good
grades and juggling a demanding athletics
schedule?
It's just a balancing act that you learn when you
get there, you have to manage your time and that's
a big thing about college is managing your time.
Getting your studies done and then knowing when to
go out and have fun and then knowing when to go to
the rink and work hard. Everybody did it so I
wasn't the only one but it's just something you
have to learn to deal with.
Morning
Routine?
My alarm clock is a one year old – I basically
get up when my son gets up (usually 7:30 or 8:00).
We turn on the TV so he can watch his favourite
cartoons in bed: Curious George and Sid the
Science Kid. Then I go make some oatmeal for
everybody so we sit and watch cartoons together.
Favourite item in the house?
I like my sectional. It’s an Italian leather
sectional I got four years ago at a store out in Coquitlum, thought I can’t remember what it was
called. It’s very soft and comfortable - I spend
many hours on it.
Always in the fridge?
Vitamin water. Restore is my favourite, flavour
It’s grape.
Question you always get asked at parties?
Can I get you a beer?
Self Indulgence?
Dairy Queen ice cream cake. That’s my favourite.
I’ve asked for it the past ten years and I’ve
never been disappointed. I prefer it to be plain,
without the icing on top.
My second year, when I got injured, there was a
lady in my building who owned a Dairy Queen. She
put a picture of me on a cake and the words “Get
well soon” and delivered it to me.
Holy Grail concert?
Tragically Hip. I’ve seen them twice: once back
home and once here in the Commodore.
Favourite song?
I like Wheat Kings.
Hockey momento?
I keep some things, but I give them to my dad.
He’s got most of the stuff: the puck from my
first goal, and my first point, he even has my
draft jersey… no, I think I wrestled that from
my dad this summer, but he gets most of my stuff.
Pets?
No pets right now.
Obsolete item you won’t part with?
I get rid of most stuff that’s not useful. If I
don’t use it, it’s gone.
On
the TV?
I can’t say that, it’s too embarrassing. The
guys will give it to me… I’ll go with “So
You Think You Can Dance Canada”. It’s a good
show.
Collections?
Nope. Nothing.
Next purchase?
My next purchase is going to be book shelves for
my office at home. I don’t have one right now,
but I will this summer. It’s more for my wife
– I guess I should say HER office.
Childhood career?
When I was really young I wanted to be a dentist
and go to Colgate University, I don’t know why.
I used to go to Junior B games in my hometown all
the time when I was little and there was a guy who
got a scholarship to Colgate and he was my
favourite player. I guess that was it. But that
went away pretty quickly.
Bed routine?
I’ll usually watch a movie at night –
something we’ve recorded on the PVR – and wind
down with my wife. We always have tea, but we mix
it up, sometimes Earl Grey, or Orange Pekoe, or
some specialty tea (she picks). The time sort of
depends on when my son goes down, usually 8 or
8:30.
Last thing?
I always put my Blackberry Pearl by my bed. I’ve
had it for the past two years and I’m lost
without it.
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