Manny Malhotra Interview - 2014 NHL Awards

Last month we caught up with Masterton nominee and Vancouver Canucks fan-favorite Manny Malhotra at the 2014 NHL Awards to discuss his gruesome eye injury, return to the NHL and brother-in-law Los Angeles Laker Steve Nash. These are his stories.

Q: How many operations have you had on your eye since the injury on March 16, 2011?
A: That's not something I get into.

Q: Are you continuing to have operations or is that behind you?
A: No, I've been healed for a couple of years now. It is what it is. I'm just moving forward.

Q: Are there any exercises you do to help maintain or improve your vision?
A: There are things you can do. Things that are often undervalued in training are eye-hand coordination type of exercises. It is something that can be improved.

Q: What was the biggest challenge in your comeback to the NHL after being shutdown by GM Mike Gillis of the Vancouver Canucks?
A: I think the biggest thing was having to prove to teams that I was healthy and I was able to contribute. A lot of things were said in the media, as far as my health was concerned, that were inaccurate or didn't reflect the way that I felt. So, I think just getting over a lot of those hurdles was probably the biggest part of it.

Q: Do you think a visor would have prevented the injury given the deflection of the puck and angle it approached your face?
A: It's hard to say.

Q: Do you live with the thought that it could have been prevented if you were wearing a visor?
A: No, I don't live with that. It's gone.

Q: You returned from a potentially career-ending injury to play in the Stanley Cup Final in just three months.  Describe the experience of returning to the ice and skating in a Stanley Cup Final.
A: It was an incredible experience that season, from being told that the season was over for me to working my way back into the lineup to get to the Cup Finals. Every boy dreams of playing in the Stanley Cup Final so to have that opportunity ... I can't speak enough about the city [Vancouver] and how passionate the fans were. It's a feeling you can't describe playing in front of rabid fans like that during the Stanley Cup. It was definitely one of the highlights of my career.

Q: Your former coach Alain Vigneault recently remarked that the New York Rangers were closer to winning the Cup in the 2014 than the Vancouver Canucks were in the 2011, noting "we had so many injuries and there wasn’t much left in our tank". When you returned to the lineup, did you see a depleted and exhausted team compared to when you last played with them in March?
A: Obviously we had our fair share of injuries and suspensions, and what not. Obviously it didn't allow us to function as the team that we did in the regular season, but that's just the war of attrition that every team goes through in the playoffs. 

As far as what that team was, I think we were still an incredible team even though we had all of those injuries and suspensions. It was the team concept, the team focus that we had. We didn't focus on individuals ever, in or out of that series. It was a real team effort. That concept never went away.

Q: Talk about the feeling after the Game 7 loss to the Boston Bruins.
A: It's not something you can really put into words. It's just utter disappointment that you didn't achieve the goal that we set out at the beginning of the year ... to build and get better on a daily basis, to build our team concept, to get better systems and to get better team-wise. We felt that we got to that point and we reached the pinnacle, but we just weren't able to make that last step to win a Cup.

Q: You played the entire 2011-2012 regular season but were shut down by Vancouver Canucks management just 9 games into the 2012-2013 season. Tell me about conversation with management that resulted in that decision.
A: At the end of the prior season [2011-2012], Mike [Gillis] had voiced his concerns about my health and safety out on the ice. He said that I would be given a chance the following year to prove that I was healthy and safe out there. I felt that I did that. I was feeling much better on the ice after a summer of training more on the ice and doing some more vision training stuff. I felt like I was trending towards being more like myself and being "normal" out there, but he didn't see it the same way. 

Again, you can't really describe the feeling when someone tells you that you are not allowed to do what you've done since you were seven years old ... "that's the end of the line" kind of thing. In my head, I knew I still had the ability to play and I knew that I had the ability to contribute while being healthy and safe on the ice. Waiting for that opportunity was a long time coming that summer.

Q: Did you skate with the Vancouver Canucks during the 2012-2013 season? Did you hang out with the team that year?
A: I was around the team a little bit. In and out. I continued to train. I continued to skate. Like I said, I didn't feel like it was time for me to hang them up. I felt good on the ice. So for me it was lonely being away from the team and from that team atmosphere. Seeing the guys on a daily basis, training with them, traveling with them. It was a tough year to be away, to be so close to the team but not a part of it whatsoever.

Q: How many teams approached you for your services at the end of the 2012-2013 season?
A: We had a few talks with a couple of teams. Obviously nothing came of it. Nothing to in-depth or serious. Carolina was the one team that was willing to give me that opportunity to be on the ice and to prove myself. I keep telling everybody that I was very grateful for the opportunity that they gave me.

Q: Talk about the day you were called up from the Charlotte Checkers to the Carolina Hurricanes.
A: We were on the road, we had a game that  night. I went to the rink in the morning. My agent was trying to get through to me. I finally picked up the phone and he gave me the news. He said that Jimmy [Ruthford] wants to talk to you, you 're being brought up. It was such a happy time because there were really no guarantees going to Charlotte.  

It was a 25 game contract with no guarantees that I was going to go to Carolina, so to get that call to say that I was going to be given a shot to go back to the NHL, I was so happy. I went back to the hotel, packed up my bags and I was off on a flight for a game the next night. It was just such a happy feeling. I made the call to my wife and my parents to let everyone know that I was going back up. It was a great time.

Q: And in your third game back in the NHL, you scored the game winning OT goal against the Philadelphia Flyers.
A: Yeah, the first couple of games just being back and being in the league playing games was just a fun experience. I was just so hoped up on adrenaline. But in game 3 when I scored that OT winner, it was such a great feeling for a couple of reasons. As a team we were on a bit of a slide. We were talking about playing the right way. We went down a goal late in the game and stayed resilient, stuck to our game plan, got a tying goal late and then to win it in OT we were rewarded for playing the right way, which is great as a team. Personally, everybody always loves to score so it was fun to be able to contribute on the offensive side of things. It was a good crowd in Carolina that night and it was a big game for us. It was just such a good feeling to be able to contribute and have that feeling that you're back in the league.

Q: Do you keep in touch with anyone on the Canucks?
A: Quite a few of the guys. Dan Hamhuis lived a few blocks from us, our wives got along and we had similar aged kids, so we hung out quite a bit. Daniel and Henrik [Sedin]. Kevin Bieksa. Chris Higgins is skating this summer with us. Periodically I check in with certain guys but for the most part those are the guys I keep in touch with most often.

Q: Are there is any coaches that you keep in touch with?
A: Not really, not on a regular basis. Playing with Kirk [Muller] in Dallas and then having him as a coach is a different kind of relationship than I've had with other coaches. But it's more so keeping in touch with trainers and players than coaches.

Q: Who are some of your favorite linemates thus far in your NHL career? I remember you had a good thing going with Jannik Hansen and Raffi Torres in Vancouver in 2011.
A: Yeah, I really enjoyed playing with those two guys. I played with Jason Chimera in Columbus. He was fun to play with. Again, we were very good friends and our wives got along, so it was fun playing with him. And we played together for a couple of years. It's nice when you have that chemistry with someone on an ongoing basis. But yeah, coming back to Raffi and Jannik, that was a really fun line to play with. Both guys contributed.

Q: Who are some of the more influential coaches you've had in the NHL?
A: My experience with Hitch [Ken Hitchcock] in Columbus was a real career defining experience for me. I learned a lot from him. We had some great conversations about the game and what's expected from me personally in my own game. He's such a tactical coach that you learn alot about the game of hockey. Then moving on to San Jose, Todd McLellan was an incredible communicator and very good tactically. You always knew where you stood with him. So, I really enjoyed playing for Todd and his staff. You pick up little things from every coach that you play for, but those guys really helped me along.

Q: Proudest hockey accomplishment? Is it the comeback?
A: Yeah, that would be up there. Personally, I never refer to it as a comeback in my head I was never gone. I was always being told I wasn't playing any more, that I wasn't going to play for this organization.  But, in my head, I was continuing to train as though I was playing the next year. The more I look at it, making it in the NHL is such a big accomplishment. To do it twice? You look how hard it is and how you have to make the most of every situation. I think just being here is an accomplishment in itself.

Q: Where is home for you
A: Vancouver. We live in Vancouver. My wife's from the west coast.

Q: What's your favorite hockey road city?
A: So many unique experiences everywhere. Montreal is fun to play. Toronto, friends and family. New York, the most famous arena. You know, the list goes on. Chicago, the noise. San Jose, the noise. There's so many things you like about each city it's tough to say which city is the best, aside from your favorite restaurant here and there.

Q: What's your record on the Grouse Grind?
A: 37 or 38 minutes.

Q: Your brother in-law is a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash. Who's better at soccer, you or Steve Nash?
A: I'll say Steve, out of respect, because he plays more. But I play the physical game with him and he couldn't keep up.

Q: Are you playing in Steve's charity soccer Showdown this year?
A: Not this year. It's too far to travel.

Q: Have you watch Steve Nash's ESPN production "The Finish Line"?
A: Yes.

Q: Did that series documenting Steve's injury and struggle to return to the Lakers resonate with your plight to continue your career in the NHL?
A: There were a few episodes that he had that kind of detailed what I went through. Not this past season but the year before [2012-2013] when I was pushed aside and told they were shutting me down. So I could definitely relate to a lot of things that he touched on.

Q: Did you speak with Steve about that connection?
A: A little bit. When we were in LA, I had the chance to go to lunch. We both had practice days so we went for a lunch and discussed it a little bit. We keep in touch sending texts here and there, but we both kind of bounced ideas off each other and what it was like to go through. I can pick his brain when it comes to training. He's obviously found the fountain of youth. To be playing at 40 years old at the level he is, is pretty impressive.

Q: What is your training regime in the summer?
A: I don't lift weights and I don't ride the bike.

Q: What's left, skating?
A: A lot of on-ice work. A lot of body weight circuits, core expands, that kind of stuff. I've found that the older you get, the more that speed, quickness and agility comes into play as opposed to hitting the gym and lifting weights.

Q: Who do you train with?
A: Myself quite often. I skate quite often with Jeff Tambellini. He runs a hockey program in Vancouver called Factory Hockey. I'll go to his gym to work out with them once in a while and skate with them twice a week. I'll also rent the ice for myself twice a week with my skating coach. Being on the ice four times a week and hitting the gym from time to time to do body weight circuits is what I found works best for me.

Q: Given the recent changes with the Canucks organization, including the departure of GM Mike Gillis, would Vancouver be at the top of your wish-list of teams to play for next season?
A: You never know. The fit has to be right with both parties. I did really enjoy my time in Vancouver. It's fun to play where you live. But you never rule out any possibilities. There's positives and negatives to every team. Once the time rolls around when we're UFAs, and this time we can talk ahead of time, we'll see where the best fit is for us, hockey and family wise.

Q: Will your family move with you?
A: Oh yeah. It's tough being away from them for too long.

Q: What training tips do you have for adult beer-leaguers who hit the ice once or twice a week?
A: Have fun. If you're playing rec hockey, you're having fun. Just go enjoy yourself.

Manny signed a one-year contract with the Montreal Canadiens on July 1, 2014. The 34 year old center will earn $850,000 next season.

Many thanks to Manny for speaking with us. Best of luck next season.

Jon Cooper Interview - 2014 NHL Awards

Last month we caught up with Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper at the 2014 NHL Awards to discuss lessons learned at law school, life as a diehard Vancouver Canucks fan, and his uncanny likeness to Michael Keaton. These are his stories.

Q: What is it about your coaching style that has made this team better?
A: I get that question all the time. It's hard for me to answer. I don't want to even try. You'd have to ask the guys that. I'm sorry, it's a tough one for me to answer.

Q: You said earlier that, from a team perspective, you feel like you 'belong' in the NHL. At what point of the season did you feel that way?
A: I would say that the Stamkos injury was a defining moment for our team, myself included.

I'll be honest, I doubted what was going to happen after that. I think I put on a strong face, but really deep down inside you're doubting a little bit what can really happen. I think that was a defining moment for all of us. When we handled that, I felt that we could handle anything. And then eventually we had to handle more, but I think that was probably the point when I thought we belonged.

Q: Why did you decide to go to law school?
A: Because I was going to get into the agent business. That's basically what it was.

Q: How did law school prepare you for what you are doing now, if at all?
A: I've been asked that question a couple of times. The only way I can really probably define it ... a couple of reasons. Doing what I'm doing right now, you had to do that in law school quite a bit. You have to speak in front of people, you have to convince people. Especially when I address our team. It's no different than addressing a jury. You've got to convince them of your case. In a way, it's the same in hockey. You've got to convince your team to play for you, to play the style and to believe in it. A lot of what I've kind of crafted in my head and how I approach things, when I look back now, I did a lot of the same things in law school. So, I think that's probably the best correlation I can make.

Q: I understand your father is here with you in Las Vegas. What role has he played in terms of the way you are, the way you communicate and the way you coach?
A: My father's a good dude. Probably all the good things I do in my life, I probably pulled those from him. I don't know that's a tough question for me.

Q: Are there any current coaches that you consider role models?
A: I'll be honest, two guys that I got to know fairly well when I was coming up through the ranks that offered a little advice were probably Babs [Mike Babcock] and Q [Joel Quenneville]. Those two guys. I've just really respected what they've done. I got to know them for various reasons before I got to the NHL. And I took it upon myself when I was in need to call those guys and they were really helpful for me.

Q: Did you grow up a Vancouver Canucks fan?
A: I did.

Q: Are you still a Canucks fan?
A: I am. Western Conference, so why not. I'm just not a Canucks fan in June. No, it's hard not to be a fan. I'm from Prince George. I'll never forget 1982. I was in New York in 1994 and I remember it being heartbreaking because all my friends were New York Rangers fans. I've always cheered for the Canucks so it's hard for me not to.

Q: Does having a Vezina nominee on your team help with the Jack Adams nomination?
A: I think there's a direct correlation.

Q: Two out of the three Jack Adams nominees (Roy, Cooper) this year have Vezina nominees from their team (Varlamov, Bishop).
A: Yeah, there is a direct correlation. Goaltenders can make coaches look really good ... and really bad.

Q: Do you ever hear that you look like Michael Keaton?
A: You're probably like the 1000th person to say that ... "I'm Batman" [Michael Keaton impersonation]. Yeah, I was a big Courtney Cox fan too and I remembered that he dated her 20 years ago. No, I get that a lot ... the Michael Keaton.

Many thanks to Jon for speaking with us. Best of luck next season.

Ben Bishop Interview - 2014 NHL Awards

Last month we caught up with Tampa Bay Lightning netminder Ben Bishop at the 2014 NHL Awards to discuss childhood hockey heroes, current goalie mentors, and playing for head coach Jon Cooper and GM Steve Yzerman. These are his stories.

Q: At 6'7" you're one of the tallest players in the NHL. Talk about the advantages of being tall and playing goalie in the NHL.
A: I like to think my height is an advantage because I take up more net. But I've been tall my whole life, so I don't really know anything different. I try to think of my height as an advantage with no disadvantages.

Q: What sports did you play as a kid and how did you end up focusing on hockey?
A: I played every sport growing up. I played basketball, football, soccer, baseball, tennis, everything. It just came down to liking hockey the most. I have no idea why. It didn't run in the family. My dad didn't play. I just kind of stuck with it and enjoyed it. And it worked out.

Q: Who were your hockey heroes growing up?
A: Being from St. Louis, I loved Curtis Joseph. He was the man. Brendan Shanahan and Brett Hull, those guys too. They were definitely who I loved to watch growing up.

Q: Who are the current goalies in the league that you look up to (or down to)?
A: Obviously you look up to guys like [Martin] Brodeur and [Roberto] Luongo. Guys that have been around for a long time and had a lot of success. You watch them and hope your career can last as long as theirs ... or even half as long as theirs. You look at guys like that with long careers and you admire that.

Q: Are you excited to have Roberto Luongo in Florida next year?
A: Yeah, it's going to be different next year. We play against them [Florida Panthers] quite a bit. We usually have our home opener against them and we will this year. It'll be a little bit of a different look with him down there next year instead of [Tim] Thomas and [Jacob] Markstrom last year. It'll be fun to see him.

Q: Different personalities, Tim Thomas and Roberto Luongo.
A: Yeah, exactly. I've never met Luongo or even played against him, so it'll be fun to get to go against him this year.

Q: Talk about head coach Jon Cooper and what he brings to your team?
A: He's a very smart guy. He's a lawyer. Intelligent. He's relaxed. He doesn't get too uptight. He's good with the young guys. He started out at the bottom. I used to play against him in Juniors, so it's fun to see someone who work their way up. He's a good guy. He's there for a reason. He's been successful in every league he's coached in. I think he's won every championship. He knows what he's doing and hopefully we can win a championship in this league.

Q: What does it mean when they say he's a player's coach?
A: I think in the league now there's more and more of that. He can talk to you. If you sit down and have a conversation with him you're not going to be worried about what you say around him, or be worried when he walks in the room. He doesn't want to be one of the guys, but he can easily fit in. He can be very personable and have a conversation with them. The guys like that.

Q: Talk about putting up these incredible regular season numbers, earning a Vezina nomination and not being healthy to skate in the playoffs?
A: It was almost like this season was incomplete. To get there and a week before it starts to have that injury ... it wasn't fun. You work all year to get there and then you can't play. It stinks. But I'll use that as motivation for next year and hopefully get back and be able help the team out at that time of year. 

Q: Talk about your relationship with goalie partner Anders Lindback?
A: He's a great guy. One of the nicest guys that I've ever met. And he's a great goalie partner. Nothing but good things to say about him. Anyone that's met him knows that he's a great guy, very caring. He's a good goalie. Hopefully he gets a chance wherever he is next year. I know he'll do well wherever he is.

Q: What's GM Steve Yzerman's level of interaction with the players on the team? Is he in the dressing room on a daily basis?
A: He kind of stands in the background. He won't be in the dressing room unless it's a very important game or something. He's a good guy. He's been around for a longtime and he's been in almost every situation you can think of. He's a good guy to talk to. He's the type of guy you can go in his office, ask him a question and he'll give you an answer. So he's really helpful for our players.

Q: Was he a Norris Division nemesis of yours growing up?
A: Yeah, he crushed my dreams a few times when he used to beat the Blues every year. It's different now that he's my boss, but he's a great guy.

Q: Tell me about the legend of John Tortorella in Tampa Bay?
A: I've only been there for a year. But I know that I went to Maine and he went to Maine, so he's obviously got to be a good guy.

Q: What do you do in the off-season? Where do you live? 
A: I've been in Tampa until last week doing rehab on my wrist. I had surgery a couple of months ago. Now I'm back in St. Louis for the next couple of months and hopefully be ready for training camp. 

Q: Who do you train with in the summer?
A: There's a few guys in St. Louis. The hockey market there is starting to get a lot bigger. Chris Wideman, a guy who plays in the Ottawa [Senators] system, and a couple of other guys that play in the league.

Q: Do you skate with other goalies?
A: I won't start skating until August. Mike McKenna, and then the Blues goalies will come back. We have a pretty good skate in St. Louis.

Q: Who's the goalie coach in Tampa?
A: Frantz Jean.

Q: Is it difficult to adjust to a new goalie coach when you join a new team?
A: Yeah. But at this level, once you're here, you're here for a reason. It's more about having someone in your corner to pick you up when you're down. He's a great guy and we had a good year together. Everything works well.

Many thanks to Ben for speaking with us. Best of luck next season.

Daniel Sedin Interview - 2011 NHL Awards

Last month we caught up with Art Ross and Ted Lindsay winner Daniel Sedin at the 2011 NHL Awards to discuss the playoffs, pregame soccer and fellow redheaded Vancouver Canucks. These are his stories.

Q: Is it difficult to enjoy the Awards given the outcome of the Finals?


A: I think you have to. This was a good night for us as an organization and as a team. We know we're going to have a good team next year and for a lot of years going forward. So we should be proud and just get back to work. The season is coming up pretty soon.

Q: Tell me about the pregame hallway soccer warmup tradition. Was that part of the team culture when you arrived?


A: It was brought in, I think, three years after we came into the league.

Q: Did you start it?
A: No, it was our coach Marc Crawford. I think we were struggling as a team for a bit and he said let’s change things up. So he brought a soccer ball to the rink to start things off and since then it’s been a tradition.

Q: Were the Canucks the first team to do it?
A: I don’t know, I think so. Probably one of the first to do it.

Q: Is the game two-touch with the last man standing declared the winner?
A: Yeah.

Q: How many flatscreen TV’s and lights have been broken playing the game?
A: A lot, yeah. It gets expensive.

Q: Let’s talk about all the redheads on the Canucks. Obviously there's you and Henrik, Schneider and Torres. Do you accept Jannik Hansen as a redhead?
A: Hansen, no way.

Q: Really?
A: Not even close.

Q: What about Victor Oreskovich?
A: Yeah, he’s up there. Bolduc is for sure a redhead. Yeah, we have a few. I think that’s what makes us a good team.

Q: Do you have private meetings to discuss your redhead superpowers?
A: Yeah, all that. Absolutely. We go for redheaded dinners.

Many thanks to Daniel for speaking with us. Best of luck next season.

Ryan Kesler Interview - 2011 NHL Awards

Last month we caught up with Vancouver Canucks Selke winner Ryan Kesler at the 2011 NHL Awards in Las Vegas to discuss hip hop, stick flex, weight loss, and interview bombing. These are his stories.

Q: I understand you’re responsible for some of the music during the Canucks pregame warmup skate?


A: Yeah, that’s true.

Q: Did you select the track that starts it off every night, Jay-Z’s "Public Service Announcement" from the Black Album?

A: Yeah.

Q: Do you control the jukebox in the locker room as well?
A: Yeah, as well.

Q: What do you like to line that up with?
A: Ah, Luongo likes house music before games so I throw a little of that in. And I like my hip hop stuff, so we mix it up a little bit.

Q: Talk about your experience in the Stanley Cup Final.
A: It's still hard to swallow now. In the next couple of weeks we're going to look back and realize we had a great season, and we came one game away. Obviously it wasn't our goal to come one game away. We wanted to win. But we did a lot of things as an organization that we've never done before. Time heals all wounds, right?

Q: How much weight did you lose during the playoff run or was it stable the whole time?
A: It drops a little bit, not too much though.

Q: Did you experiment with stick flex during the playoff run? I’ve heard some players go with a softer stick as the season gets longer.

A: No. I went with the same one and it worked out.

Q: Any interview bombing plans for the NHL Awards this evening?

A: You never know. Maybe.

Many thanks to Ryan for speaking with us. Best of luck next season.

Roberto Luongo Interview - 2011 NHL Awards

Last month we caught up with Vancouver Canucks three-time Vezina, two-time Pearson and one-time Hart finalist, and 2011 Jennings winner Roberto Luongo at the 2011 NHL Awards in Las Vegas to discuss pregame preparation, teammate Cory Schneider and the Boston Bruins backstop Tim Thomas. These are his stories.

Q: What goes through your head during the singing of the anthems while you’re rocking back and forth before the game begins?

A: You know, just trying to stay warm I guess. Thinking about my game and making sure that I’m thinking about what I need to do to be successful on the ice. Just trying to stay active and not worry about feeling a little bit cold or what not.

Q: What about those kids that participate in the Canucks warmup and line up next to the players during the anthems?
A: They’re awesome.

Q: Is it distracting to have a toddler out there on the ice with you?
A: No, not at all. I think every time it’s been a goalie I’ve had a pretty good record. Maybe next year I’ll try to have one every game.

Q: I noticed one of the goalies that lined up next to you was wearing a Chicago Blackhawks jersey.
A: Yeah, I think it was against the Blackhawks. So it might have been in the playoffs. That would have been ironic.

Q: Talk about the importance of Cory Schneider to the Canucks?
A: It’s huge. He had a fantastic year. Every time he played he gave us a chance to win. He has a bright future ahead of him. He's going to be a superstar in this league. I was happy to have a partner like that and hopefully that will continue.

Q: Have you had a chance to chat with Tim Thomas this week?
A: We spoke briefly. He's a great goalie. I have a lot of respect for him and the talent that he has.

Many thanks to Roberto for speaking with us. Best of luck next season.

* See also Today In NHL History - Luongo's Playoff Poop.
* See also Today In NHL History - Luongo's Stick Gets Stuck.
* See also Today In NHL History - Luongo Trade (FLA-VAN).
* See also Today In NHL History - Luongo Trade (NYI-FLA).
* See also Roberto Luongo Interview - 2009 NHL Awards.

Michael Grabner Interview - 2011 NHL Awards

Last month we caught up with New York Islanders forward Michael Grabner at the 2011 NHL Awards in Las Vegas to discuss being traded by the Canucks, waived by the Panthers and nominated for the Calder Trophy all during a 10 month span. These are his stories.

Q: What memories do you have of your time with the Vancouver Canucks?
A: Good memories. I was drafted by Vancouver in the first round. I had some great years there with a lot of good people. And my time in Winnipeg, I’ll always remember we went to a finals there. The first goal I scored in Vancouver was my first NHL goal. I got my first playoff goal there too. It’s a time I’ll always remember. I’m grateful for what they did for me. Being traded is part of the job so I have no hard feelings. You just move on.

Q: How did you find out that you were being traded? Had that been discussed as a possibility?
A: It was during the summer and I was back home. My agent called me and I knew they wanted to get some defensemen so they’d be stronger on defense. It’s like I said, it’s part of the job. I didn’t have any hard feelings. I just tried to get ready for training camp in Florida.

Q: What happened in Florida?
A: I felt good coming into training camp. I felt I was in good shape. I just had a poor showing in the preseason and didn’t play my game. I didn’t do what I had to do. It’s my own fault. I should have played better. I didn’t really play my game. I got away from it. When I got picked up by the Islanders, I tried not to look back and just give it all I have.

Q: Talk about the struggles of the young and talented Islanders.
A: Yeah, they struggled at the beginning of the season. But from December on, we were pretty high up there in points. So I think it was a good experience for us to live through the ups and downs we had. We started to play some solid hockey towards the end of the season. Now we need to build from that and take a step forward, not a step back.

Q: What was the biggest difference for you between the Islanders, Panthers and Canucks? Was it just the opportunity to get playing time?
A: Yeah, Vancouver had a stacked team. We had some injuries in New York and that gave me the opportunity to get out there, get ice time, start to develop my game and get everyone used to me. After December I started playing pretty good and just tried to keep on going.

Q: Did you watch the Canucks during their playoff run this year?
A: Yeah, I watched most of their playoff games. I watched the Finals a lot. It was a lot of good games they had. They just came up a little bit short.

Q: Do you keep in touch with any Canucks?
A: Yeah, I texted Luongo a couple of times, Bieksa, I saw Kesler at the All-Star Game. I was there for four years at training camp and stuff so you get to know them pretty good. All the guys are pretty good. They were good teammates.

Q: What did you say to Luongo when you texted him?
A: I just told him after the Chicago series, after they finally got past them, just to keep on going. He’s a great goalie and he’s really competitive.

Q: Do you train with anyone in the summer?
A: No, I just train back home. I usually come back early and go to Spokane where my girlfriend’s from and train there. Vanek and I are the only NHL players from my home town and I think he trains over here.

Many thanks to Michael for speaking with us. Best of luck next season.

Mike Gillis Interview - 2011 NHL Awards

Last month we spoke with Vancouver Canucks GM Mike Gillis at the 2011 NHL Awards about chirping officials, management philosophy, the season that was, and preparing for the season-to-be. These are his stories.

Q: In the first round against the Chicago Blackhawks you made a statement about the officiating.


A: Yes.

Q: With the benefit of hindsight do you regret making that statement?
A: No. I made what I thought was a factual statement at the time. You know, you can’t look back and regret things. We’re all competitors. We’re trying to compete as hard as we can. I don’t look back and regret those things. You try to learn from them and move on.

Q: Were you surprised that the NHL fined you for the comments?
A: I don’t know. I guess, yeah. I wasn’t surprised. No, I guess. I don’t know. I don’t know the answer to that. I mean, I didn’t really consider it at the time. The league felt it was an appropriate thing to do. In hindsight I agree with them and we moved on.

Q: How do you build a team that can respond to varying officiating standards throughout the season and playoffs?
A: Well we designed our team around being the best possible team and I’m not going to deviate from that because of one opponent or one circumstance. We’ve played every team in the league and were successful. The circumstances are what they were. We didn’t win the 7th game. You know, you can look back at a lot of reasons why we didn’t win the 7th game or didn’t play as well as we might have.

We had a lot of injuries. That’s not an excuse it’s just the way the NHL playoffs go. The healthiest team at the end of the day may be the team with the best opportunity to win. So, I‘m not going to comment any further on the officiating. Hopefully I’ve learned my lesson.

Q: Talk about the management team you’ve built in Vancouver.
A: It’s all about people. I’m incredibly fortunate. I’ve got three people I talk to every day in Lorne Henning, Laurence Gilman and Stan Smyl. They’ve got years and years of experience. We don’t make any decisions without everyone’s input. We have great young people that we’re developing that we include in the process as best we can. We have a very open environment where people are encouraged to say what they are feeling and what’s on their mind, and it’s never held against them. So, I’m very proud of the accomplishments we’ve made. I’m proud of the people that work with us. I still think that as we evolve we have an opportunity to continue to get better, so I hope that’s the case.

Q: Do you have a management philosophy?
A: I do. I came with that. I don’t believe in being in isolation. I don’t believe in making decisions in a vacuum. I don’t believe in going off and doing my own thing. We make all of our decisions as a group. I think it’s a healthy environment and at this point I can’t argue with the results. You know, it’s difficult to maintain those environments so we have to work very hard at it everyday to encourage it, foster it, and allow it to grow.

Q: Does your philosophy about group decision making include the coaches?
A: That includes the coaches but there are some decisions that the coaches don’t necessarily want to be involved in. They are very focused on the next day and what’s happening directly with the team. We give them autonomy as well. We let them run our hockey team and coach it the way they see best. In the clear light of day we have discussions about it but we allow them the autonomy to coach the team.

Q: What level of interaction do you have with coaches and players during the playoffs?
A: Oh, everyday.

Q: What do you talk about with them?
A: Not players necessarily, other than just being around. We talk about lots of different things. We talk about how to relax, how to stay balanced, what the lineup is going to look like, what we need to do to improve, how to make changes in the course of a series. You know it’s one of those things where you have to keep thinking all the time. The moment you stop thinking and hoping that you’re going to get a result is the moment when you begin to fail. So we try to think and work our way through different problems that we’re facing and hopefully we’re successful at the end.

Q: You recently remarked that your skill set as a former player agent would make it easy to get deals done with other agents in a short period of time. What are some of the more difficult tasks you have as a GM that maybe you didn’t develop as a player agent?
A: Well working with a lot of people, you know, having a lot of moving parts. I ran my own business and ran it a certain way. So other than being at a large law firm, which I was at earlier in my career, I didn’t have a whole lot of experience in working with multiple layers of people where they have multiple layers of responsibilities. I’ve been fortunate to have good people around me that have helped with that process. So that’s been maybe the biggest learning curve for me.

Q: Have you spoken with other GMs that have taken their team as deep as yours about how to best manage the short summer before your players are back at training camp?
A: Not yet. We’ll see everyone at the Draft this weekend. I’ll have a chance to catch up with some of the guys. I haven’t had that opportunity yet.

Q: Do you have any mentors or strong relationships with other NHL GMs?
A: Yeah, I have a lot of strong relationships. Other guys have asked me for different advice about what it was like to be an agent and how they thought. And I’ve asked them for advice about operating teams and their philosophy. So there’s a number of people I know I can ask questions of and get answers.

Q: What lessons did you take from this past year and what are you going to do over this short off-season to prepare the Canucks for next year?
A: Well I think we’ve learned a lot of lessons this past year. We didn’t let anything that happened in the past effect us moving forward. So every day, we don’t look at what just happened, we look at how to get better the next day. And if we continue with that process I think we’ll be OK. We have to get our players healthy and ready to play. We have a lot of depth. We have a lot of good young players and they’re going to get opportunities. I hope we’ll be OK. Maybe we’ll have a slow start, I’m not sure. I hope we’ll be OK.

Q: What are the next steps for the Canucks?
A: We have to get back to the final round. You know, there is so much success built on failure and understanding what it takes to get that little bit extra as an organization. There is a ton of material out there about how you have to fail before you succeed. I'm hopeful we can keep our players together and have another opportunity to push through again and get to the Stanley Cup.

I think there are some areas that we're going to try and focus on this summer. We'll change the role of certain players that we need to focus. We need to have some younger players get the opportunity to play. We have a couple of ideas. I'm happy with this group, I don't think you can argue with the results for the most part. I think we need to keep getting better as a group. If we do that we will have an opportunity to go far.

Q: Your coach Alain Vigneault received a Jack Adams nomination for the second consecutive year. Talk about his accomplishments this season.
A: Well we had the best powerplay, were second in the league in penalty kill, led the league by a fairly wide margin in points and got to the 7th game of the Stanley Cup Final. So that’s a pretty good coaching job in today’s NHL. To be the top of the league in goals for and bottom of the league in goals against I think it’s quite an accomplishment. I think he’s very deserving of the nomination and I would certainly vote for him myself if I could. But I don’t have that choice.

Q: How does it feel to be named GM of the Year?

A: Well, I don’t know. It’s great I guess. It’s nice. I appreciate it. But I’d trade it anytime for a Stanley Cup.

Q: When do you get to take a vacation?
A: I don’t know, we’ll see. Maybe after July 15th for a few days. I’m not sure yet.

Many thanks to Mike for speaking with us. Best of luck next season.

Alain Vigneault Interview - 2011 NHL Awards

Last month we caught up with Vancouver Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault at the 2011 NHL Awards to discuss beating the Blackhawks, losing to the Bruins, and the struggles of Keith Ballard. These are his stories.

Q: Describe the feeling of beating the Chicago Blackhawks in overtime of Game 7 after meeting them in the playoffs for the third year in a row. Was it just a relief? Did you think your job was on the line?

A: Well, I knew I was in my window without a doubt. I do think that when we lost to the Blackhawks in the two years prior they were the better team. Sometimes the better team doesn’t win all the time but they were the better team. This year we were the better team but for whatever reason for in the 4th and 5th games we didn’t play well and they took a little bit of the momentum. In the 6th game we played really well in Chicago and should have won, but we lost in overtime. I was confident going into Game 7 and we got it done in a dramatic way. They’re the defending Stanley Cup champions and they have some great players there. That’s why it was such a tough series.


Q: Knowing what you know now about the Boston Bruins what, if anything, would you change heading into a best-of-seven series with them?
A: Nothing, really. We didn’t know much about the Bruins because we don’t see the teams out East. We knew they were a great team and we knew they were going to play real hard. And that’s what they did. At the end of the day we took them to a 7th game. I think overall, we played real well at home except the last game and they played real well in their building. That’s hockey. Sometimes there’s not a lot separating teams. It’s a play here or a play there. And in the final game they made more plays than we did.


Q: With some distance from the Stanley Cup Final can you appreciate some of the positives from this past season?
A: Yes and no. If you look at the big picture there’s lots to be happy about but our goal was to win the Cup and we didn’t do it. I do think, though, for us it’s a step in the right direction. To get the number of points that we did you have to be the better team on the ice most of the time. So our guys did that. We got through three rounds and came up short in the last one. But with the accountability and type of people we have in our dressing room, we have a lot of confidence that we can get right back to where we were and this time make it a good one.

Q: What impressed you most about the Canucks this season?
A: The whole team effort. The whole group wanting more responsibility and more accountability, and then going out and taking charge. They did a real responsible job. They wanted it, they worked for it, they came close, and I think we’re going to be that much more motivated and focused for next season.

Q: Talk about rehabilitating a player like Keith Ballard, someone that’s signed long term and is not finding a regular spot in the lineup.
A: You know, its unfortunate. When Keith came to us last year he was injured. He didn’t have a full summer of training. He’s got that this summer, he knows the environment, and he knows the expectations within our group. He’s a young man that’s got a tremendous amount of hockey upside and he’s a great person. I’ve never had any issues with Keith Ballard the person. As a player, obviously it took him a little while to find his groove and his comfort zone. I’m very comfortable that we can get both the person and the player together next year and he’ll be a big part of our team.

Q: Talk about how you deal with the media and some of the games they play misquoting a player or coach to create a controversy where perhaps none exists.
A: It’s not hard. Our players aren’t worried about what’s going on externally, it’s what ‘s going on in our dressing room. The media have a job to do and I would say for the most part they are very professional. It doesn’t effect our group at all. For example, this notion that you can’t win in Canada because there’s too much going on is wrong. Are you telling me the New York Yankees can’t win baseball games with all the attention they’re getting over there? You know, being in a Canadian city and a Canadian market with the scrutiny of the fans and the media and the high expectations, I wouldn’t want it any other way. I think our players wouldn’t want it any other way either.

Many thanks to Alain for speaking with us. Best of luck next season.

Barry Trotz Interview - 2011 NHL Awards

Last month we spoke with the Nashville Predators' first and only head coach Barry Trotz at the 2011 NHL Awards about his playoff series against Vancouver, home ice, diving and realignment. These are his stories.

Q: Talk about your second round series against the Canucks, specifically the challenges of matching up against the league’s top offensive and defensive team.
A: I just thought there were some terrific matchups. Shea Weber on our side was a real top candidate in the playoffs and did some great things. Ryan Kesler had a series that a player dreams about, very Mark Messier like. I thought that Alain’s team did a real good job of containing us offensively and I thought we did a good job of containing them offensively. It became sort of a low scoring grind-it-out type of series. And you know, they deserved it. We weren’t able to win at home which was a surprise because we’re typically a very strong home team. Then we won two games in their building where they’re extremely good as a home team. So it was very close. I mean, if you get a break here or there it might have changed the series for us. But they ended up being the better team. We had our crack at them.


Q: Despite your difficulties at home during the Vancouver series, describe the meaning of home ice for the Nashville Predators.
A: The meaning of home ice is huge. To me, our building is the loudest building in the league, 17,113 in there screaming. What’s amazing about our building is the fans have a great way of forcing us to bring our game to the next level. During TV timeouts, they’ll give us a standing ovation. I mean, it is very hard not to press on harder because you don’t want to disappoint - it’s so spontaneous, it’s so good. I think our market has grown immensely in the last 13 years. It’s a real strong market right now and I think it’s going to get better and better. We’re developing new hockey fans all the time.


Q: Discuss the culture of diving in the NHL and its apparent increase during this year’s playoffs.
A: Well, there are so many teams that are so close. Everybody’s trying to get the advantage. I believe the team that plays the best is always going to win and you don’t have to try and trick the referees. It just hurts the integrity of the game and goes against the culture. Now that you have replays and different camera angles you can see it all. No one wants to be put in a bad light, especially the referees. I think we should protect the referees and let the team that plays the best decide who wins the hockey game and not a phantom call a player gets because he takes advantage of a referee's bad angle and pulls a 'chicken wing' - by the way, I labeled that and should have put a claimer on it because everyone is starting to use it.


Q: What’s the missing piece of the puzzle for the Nashville Predators?
A: We’ve got to establish a little more of an offensive presence upfront. We need to develop a couple of forwards or get a couple of forwards. I don’t think we’re that far off. A lot of people say we need three or four guys, I think we’re two away. I mean, look at teams that are in the Finals. Defensive teams are in the Finals. This year the top two defensive teams in the league were in the Final. We were third in the league in defense and our goaltending stacks up with anyone in the league. We just need to develop a couple of forwards. If we get Matthew Lombardi back, that’ll be real huge to our offense, hopefully. Alexander Radulov could be the difference for us, maybe. I don’t know.

There are so many teams that are so close. For us it’s about maintaining the core. A lot of people forget that the Detroit Red Wings had ten really tough years that were followed by ten years of great success. Sometime you have to swallow those bitter pills. We swallowed a bitter one in Chicago last year but we were much more mature and better to handle the situations this year. So for us it’s just a little bit of growth. We’re a young team. We need to create a little bit more upfront offensively without losing our defensive mindset, in terms of being able to check really well defensively, and just keep growing.

I think we have a really resilient group, a great captain, and a great organization that is committed to winning. We’re through the tough times of just trying to survive. Our market is growing. We’re generating a lot more revenue as an organization and we’re spending that revenue. That’s just going to make us even better.

Q: In light of the recent relocation of the Atlanta Thrashers to Winnipeg and possible realignment of the league, if Nashville became part of the Southeast Division how would that change how you develop your team?
A: That would be a good question. That would be something I’d have to look at. We’ve spent a lot of time developing an identity and a culture. I don’t think we need to change. I would have to spend a lot of time dissecting the East a lot more. When you only play them twice a year you don’t really dissect them. I can give you an hour on the Detroit Red Wings with my eyes closed because we’ve played them so many times. That would probably be the learning process again. I think what we’d do is maintain our identity and play the way we do and then try to dissect the other teams a lot better than we do right now because we don’t play them.

Many thanks to Barry for speaking with us. Best of luck next season.