Zemgus Girgensons Q&A

PuckCentral: I'll start by asking how you feel your season has gone? For you personally and for your team?
Zemgus Girgensons: I think the team has been doing its job and playing really good. The team and as well myself we have been through a lot of ups and downs. I and my team has faced a lot of challenges this year and I think they are just making us stronger. My season has been full of injuries so I can't say its been a good season but I can tell you I have been enjoying it with my teammates.

PC: Do you feel any added pressure to perform down the stretch with this being one of your last chances to impress scouts?
ZG: I never had really felt any pressure about impressing someone or worrying about my draft status. I just try to play my game, enjoy it and help my team to do good.


PC: Also, have you felt pressure at all during the year, with this being your draft year?
ZG: As I already said in last question I don't feel any pressure about these things. I just let them to fall in place by themselves.

PC: Rumour on the street is you played two periods with a broken jaw? Did you think it was broken at first and just played through it or did it surprise you to find out it was broken? I'm not sure of the whole story but it seems pretty remarkable, and I'm sure the scouts and NHL GM's will love that kind of toughness and determination.
ZG: When I delivered the hit to the guy I understood something is not right. I just kept playing and in the excitement of the game you kinda forget about the pain. I didn't think it's broken 'till i saw the xray.

PC: Obviously Latvia wasn't favored to win the World Junior Championships but considering the division you guys were in, I think you performed well. What have you taken away from that experience? Do you think it's made you a better player?
ZG: I think it was a great experience playing on that team especially being one of the underdog teams. As again that was a just another challenge for me and I think it made me a better player for sure.

PC: Any favorite memories from the WJC that stand out that you'd like to share?
ZG: I think the whole tournament was great and really well organized. Every team was treated as professionals and we enjoyed that.



PC: At this point you're ranked very high in the draft rankings, some have you in the top 10, some have you just outside, does it give you any extra push to try and get yourself inside the top 10?
ZG: It's something that I can't control right now with my latest injury but my plan was try to get there by playing really good in playoffs and winning the Clark Cup.

PC: You're likely to be the first ever Latvian born player taken in the first round, how big of an honor is this for you? And what does this mean for Latvian hockey?
ZG: It will be great honor if that happens and I'm always proud to represent the country I am from. I think that would give a great spark in younger kids in Latvia that everything is possible and if you work hard and dedicate yourself to it you can achieve it.
PC: What made you decide to come to America for hockey, especially at a young age?
ZG: It was just that hockey in Latvia kinda stops at age 14 and kids are trying to get out of the country to improve their game. Most kid at that age choose to stay in Europe closer to home but i decided to come to North America.

PC: You're committed to the University of Vermont, what made you decide to choose Vermont, and even more, what made you decide to go the “NCAA” route? Obviously that's a little out of the norm for Europeans.
ZG: I thought that NCAA will be best fit for me to grow as a person and develop as a hockey player. I chose UVM becuase I played in Vermont for a year and I will feel comfortable adjusting to it. And of course I loved the coaching staff.



PC: What can Zemgus Girgensons bring to an NHL club?
ZG: I always would bring the highest intensity work ethic and team first attitude every single day and try to make the team better by my strenghts.

PC: Finally our last question, and we ask this to everyone. Who do you try and model your game after? Or do you just try and be “Zemgus Girgensons”?
ZG: I don't try to really play like someone but I think my game is similar to Ryan Kesler.

Zemgus Girgensons is a draft eligible prospect. He is likely to be a top 20 pick this year. You can follow him on twitter at : @Zemgus94.
**This interview was conducted via email.

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Update

We haven't exactly been putting our tons of stuff the past month and a bit, so I'd liek to apologize. We plan on putting in a lot of work the next few weeks to make up for it. Here's osme stuff you can expect!:

-At least one Q&A
-Prospect Reports
-CHL Finals Preview
-New Mock Draft
-Opinion Pieces

Contact us at:
Twitter:@PuckCentralHQ
Email:puck.central@gmail.com

2012 Mock Draft 2.0

We're going to do something a little different this time around, we're going to each give our individual Mock Draft. So you're going to see two drafts here.



Bradley's Draft:

1-Edmonton: Nail Yakupov (Best player in the draft. I think Edmonton trades down though.)
2-Columbus: Ryan Murray (Columbus needs to once again rebuild and Murray is the best place to start.)
3-Montreal: Mikhail Grigorenko (He has crazy skill. Plus there's a good chance his junior coach could be coaching the Habs next season.)
4-New York Islanders: Filip Forsberg (Big, skilled winger. Will compliment John Tavares very nicely.)
5-Toronto: Alex Galchenyuk (Could probably go higher but teams will hesitate because of his injury.)
6-Anaheim: Griffin Reinhart (Toss up between him and Dumba. Reinhart is the safer pick, plus they already have Fowler.)
7-Minnesota: Mathew Dumba (Simply too good to pass up. High risk high reward type player.)
8-Carolina: Radek Faksa (Really safe pick. Plus they took Murphy last year so I can't see them taking a defenseman this year.)
9-Winnipeg: Cody Ceci (Hard to choose between him or Trouba, went with my gut.)
10-Tampa Bay: Morgan Rielly (Great puck moving defenseman, which is what Tamp needs.)
11-Washington: Jacob Trouba (Caps get a very good two-way defenseman with great size.)
12-Buffalo: Teuvo Teravainen (Scoring winger. Should blend in well with the rest of Buffalo's young forwards.)
13-Dallas: Brendan Gaunce (Should be a great fit with Jamie Benn. Hard worker, who can grind it out and score.)
14-Calgary: Sebastian Collberg (Calgary needs offense. Collberg provides that.)
15-Ottawa: Pontus Aberg (Sens love their Swedes, plus their defense is good and young,another forward wouldn't hurt.)
16-Washington: Olli Maatta (Could easily take a forward here but Hunter coached him in junior so that could be an influence.)
17-Florida: Derrick Pouliot (Once again I agree with Trevor that he has potential to run Florida's PP once Campbell is gone, as long as he's developed properly.)
18-Columbus: Zemgus Girgensons (If he slips to Columbus here they'll be laughing. Great prospect who can potentially be a top 6 center)
19-San Jose: Slater Koekkoek (Like many players in this years draft, injuries derailed his season. He could have competed for a top 10 pick. Should be a solid defender someday.)
20-Phoenix: Tomas Hertl (Might be a bit off the board but he's a good player with lots of potential. Defense is solid so they need to start drafting forwards.)
21-Chicago: Andrei Vasilevski (Chicago's goaltending is questionable. Vasilevski is the best goalie available so they should take him.)
22-New Jersey: Malcolm Subban (Have potential in Wedgewood but Subban is a great goalie with tons of potential. Can't afford to only have one good goalie prospect in their system.)
23-Tampa Bay: Martin Frk (Missed a lot of time with a concussion, so draft stock has fallen. Tampa can afford to be patient with him. Could be a steal at 23.)
24-Boston: Brady Skjei (Solid defenseman with loads of potential. Needs a team who can develop him and be patient with him and Boston can do just that.)
25-Philadelphia: Hampus Lindholm (To be honest I don't know much about him but from what I've heard he's a solid defenseman, which is what Philly needs.)
26-Buffalo: Phillip Di Giuseppe (Many thought he should have made Team Canada at the WJC. Solid two-way player with a knack for scoring. Should fit in well with Buffalo's forwards.)
27-Pittsburgh: Tanner Pearson (A bit of a wild card since he's already been passed up in two drafts. Took his game to another level this season but needs a team who can be patient with him.)
28-St.Louis: Matt Finn (Potential to be a top 3 or 4 defenseman. Some people would have him going much higher.)
29-New York Rangers: Oscar Dansk (I know this is a bit of a bold prediction since the NYR have Lunqvist but he's getting to older now so they can take the proper time to develop Dansk and by the time he's ready Lundqvist will be at the end of his career.)
30-Vancouver: Colton Scissons (He doesn't play too far away so I'm sure the Canucks have seen plenty of him. He's a hard working player who can score. Also has great leadership qualities.)

Other Prospects to Consider:
-Steffan Matteau
-Tom Wilson
-Ludvig Bystrom
-Jarrod Maidens
-Nikita Gusev

Trevors Draft:

1-Edmonton: Nail Yakupov (Slam dunk top prospect.)
2-Columbus: Mikhail Grigorenko (I could see Murray here also.)
3-Montreal: Ryan Murray (Not who I would take based on what they need but best player at this point.)
4-New York Islanders: Alex Galchenyuk (Have a history of taking who he wants and likes Sarnia players.)
5-Toronto: Filip Forsberg (Scoring forward we need,has loads of skill,good potential,probably wont come over right away.)
6-Anaheim: Mathew Dumba (Loads of potential but riskiest top pick.)
7-Minnesota: Griffin Reinhart (In any other draft hes a potential top 5 but in this one hes barely mentioned.)
8-Carolina: Radek Faksa (Rutherford not a big fan of taking defence in 1st round probably lowest risk player.)
9-Winnipeg: Jacob Trouba (Could see him switching with Reinhart since Trouba is from USA.)
10-Tampa Bay: Morgan Rielly (Is that puck mover they need.)
11-Washington: Olli Maatta (Think they take a dman and forward,Hunter has coach Maatta before so thats why hes here.)
12-Buffalo: Brendan Guance (Would place him lower based on how I rank,but for this mock this is where I see him very safe prospect.)
13-Dallas: Cody Ceci (Lack a top prospect on defence.)
14-Calgary: Teuvo Teravainen (Scoring winger,great compliment to Baertschi and has star potential.)
15-Ottawa: Pontus Aberg (They are fairly good with prospects,like Swedes and no immediate rush to bring him over.)
16-Washington: Sebastian Collberg (Scoring winger they need,and a good prospect in there system.)
17-Florida: Derrick Pouliot (Surprise team this year,might take a step back but could be future PP QB when Campbell is gone.)
18-Columbus: Slater Koekkoek (Injury has hurt his stock but was pushing for top 10 before injury and has top 4 dman potential.)
19-San Jose: Matt Finn (There prospects are weak and they need to replenish,Finn would help and his name is ironic.)
20-Phoenix: Zemgus Girgensons (Only so far he can drop,good potential but for whatever reason he falls to here,this years faller.)
21-Chicago: Malcolm Subban (They lack a real good goalie and not sure if hes the answer but dont think they like Vasilevski.)
22-New Jersey: Andrei Vasilevski (Future heir to the throne for Brodeur,high potential but could also go dman.)
23-Tampa Bay: Tomas Hertl (Hertl is a good prospect for them,good playmaker,possibly a goalie. If Vasilevski is here hes there man.)
24-Boston: Ludvig Bystrom (Not many holes,good prospects,can afford to let him develop overseas and not rush him.)
25-Philadelphia: Hampus Lindholm (They improved there defence but could improve more,good pick for them here.)
26-Buffalo: Martin Frk (With there 2nd pick they pick a crafty forward who has fallen after an early injury,could be a steal.)
27-Pittsburgh: Phillip Di Giuseppe (Would probably prefer Frk however,Di Giuseppe has good 2 way came and can score.)
28-St.Louis: Stefan Matteau (Will play in the QMJHL next year,so deep in prospects they will just take BPA.)
29-New York Rangers: Brady Skeji (Will be going NCAA route gives him time to develop,good prospect.)
30-Vancouver: Jarrod Maidens (Got hurt,but is good 2 way player and I see them going to the CHL with this pick.)
Other Prospects to Consider:
-Gemel Smith
-Tom Wilson
-Oscar Dansk
-Dalton Thrower
-Scott Laughton

If you agree or disagree let us know!

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Email:puck.central@gmail.com

Nail Yakupov

During the month of November I had the luxury of being able to go to the Subway Super Series game 3 in Ottawa.For those that don't know the Super Series is  a 6 game series between QMJHL,OHL,WHL allstar teams and a Team Russia junior team. I was very excited for this game, it consisted of many of the top OHL players all in one game, but when I saw that Russian sniper, Nail Yakupov, of the Sarnia Sting was selected to play that game with Russia, I knew it would be a special game.

I expected Yakupov to live up to his hype as the top draft eligible prospect, but he did so much more then just live up to the hype. He was a game changer every time he was on the ice. When Yakupov stepped on, all the momentum switched over to Team Russia, he controlled the pace, the puck always followed him. I've never witnessed anything like it. In a game that consisted of most of the top OHL players, most of which were already drafted, and the best junior players Russia had to offer, this draft eligible kid was easily the best player out there. And after the game I had the chance to meet him, and despite the loss, he took the time to sign an autographs for fans, and take pictures, he could have ignored them like a lot of the Russian players did but Yakupov didn't. He isn't just a great hockey player, he's also a great guy.

Yakupov's biggest downfall, which is no fault of his own, is that he's Russian. As many of us know Russian hockey players have a very bad reputation when it comes to North American hockey. The stereotype is that they're lazy,one dimensional players, who care about nothing more then money. On top of that bad rep, a few players have left the NHL for their home countries league, the KHL,which usually pays more.This only worsens the image of Russian hockey players. Yakupov gets the same knock on him that every other Russian player gets, lazy,plays with no heart or drive, not a team player,he'll run to the KHL first chance he gets,etc. I'll be the first to admit that I was hard on Russians, but since I started following Yakupov and Grigorenko I've had a change of heart. When I saw Yakupov play, he played with more heart and drive then any other player there, he competed harder then anyone else. The effort was always there. I haven't seen him play since, other then the World Juniors on TV but I know he always competes, he's that type of player. He loves the sport of hockey, I saw a piece on him and he talked about how when he goes to the rink and he just shuts everything out, it's just hockey. That's the type of passion you want from a player, it's what separates elite players, from good players, puts them above everyone else, with that said Yakupov is an elite player. Yakupov came to Canada to play in the OHL, and he left one year before a lot of Russian players do when they come to play in the CHL. He wants to play in the NHL, and he proved that by coming over here two years before his draft rather then one. He could have stayed in Russia and gotten paid a lot of money to play there, but he still chose to come here, I think that says a lot about him. I think a lot of the "lack of heart, or passion" comments come from people who read, or saw that he skipped out on the CHL Top Prospects game, but what people fail to see is that at the end of the day his doctor told him he shouldn't attend the game since he was just coming back from an injury. Yes he was playing with Sarnia for a few games before the Prospects Game but he you can bet his minutes were lowered, and he was taking it easier then normal, but at the Prospects Game he would have had to go all out, and play against players who were going all out, so it was probably best for him to sit it out.

Yakupov does have his faults though, but he's young and most players do. Yes it's true, his play in his own zone is average at best, he doesn't help out all that much without the puck, but he doesn't hurt the team by it. He also plays a bit to physical, and wild at times which sets himself up for big hits, and injuries. All these faults can be fixed with proper coaching, and maturing though. The positives that Nail Yakupov can bring to the team that drafts him are far greater then any of the negatives. He has game breaking speed, and a lethal shot, plus he has a matching set of hands to go with the speed and shot as well. He uses his teammates more then people think too. I'm sure a lot of you have seen his famous interview after the Canada-Russia game, some people were commenting saying he was arrogant, but that was just a kid who was truly excited about beating his countries biggest rival. In my opinion that interview is a perfect example of the passion, and heart he puts into the game. Obviously english isn't his first language so some of the wording may have came out as cocky but I think he meant well by the comments.

Nail Yakupov may be Russian but he is the top prospect in this years draft and there aren't many people who disagree with that. I think it's unfair for people to associate Yakupov, Mikhail Grigorenko, and even Alex Galchenyuk, despite the fact that he's technically American, with the old Russian stereotype. I think it's time to embrace this new rising of Russian stars and give them a fair chance in the eyes of all fans. These players are all extremely talented and every team in the NHL should want them.

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Top 15 Prospects

This list will consist of my top 15 prospects, however I'll be excluding players in North American professional leagues (NHL/AHL).

1)Dougie Hamilton,Defenseman(2011-9th Overall, Boston):
He's a massive (6'4,198lbs) Two-Way defensmen who handles the puck extremely well but it's his incredibly smooth skating that has everyone paying attention. He can play a physical,defencive game, as well as a dominating offensive game (50GP-17G-55A-72P). He's not expected to put up those kinds of numbers in the NHL but I think he has top 2 D-Man potential, and will step into a top 4 role with Boston very soon. He's a leader on and off the ice, and under the supervision of one of the NHL's best defensemen,Zedano Chara, he could be a future captain of the Bruins. He's the kind of guy you would build your blueline around and I think he'll be considered a "steal" at 9th in a few years.


2)Jonathan Huberdeau,Center(2011-3rd Overall,Florida):
Huberdeau is a highly skilled forward who skates fast, and has a decent pair of hands to match that speed. He has great vision and scores goals like they're nothing, however at the WJC this winter he showed he's an incredible playmaker by setting up Mark Stone about 15,000 times a game and finishing the tournament with 8 assists. The Florida Panthers feel they have a franchise player in Huberdeau and are taking all the right steps in developing him, which started with sending him back to the Seadogs after a great pre-season. I think it's safe to say Huberdeau will be in Florida next season and is an early favourite to take home Rookie of the Year(I know it's still WAY to early).


3)Vladmir Tarasenko,RightWing(2010-16th Overall,St.Louis):
I know what you're all thinking, "Where's Kuznetsov, or Granlund?". Well to that I say, Tarasenko is simply a better prospect. Tarasenko is a big physical winger(6'0,202lbs) with an incredible amount of skill. He was the captain of an underdog Russian team who won Gold at the WJC a few years ago, and was a big part of their historical comeback. He's played incredibly well this season in the KHL, putting up 23 goals,and 24 assists in 54 games, not bad for a 20 year old. I think if he comes to the NHL next season he'll make a huge impact on the St.louis Blues and could also be a favourite for the Calder.


4)Evgeny Kuznetsov,Center(2010-26th Overall,Washington):
Kuznetsov is an extremely skilled forward, with tremendous skating, and a deadly shot. He's considered by many (Not me) to be the best prospect in the world. He's had two good WJC, but despite leading the tournament in points this year (14), he only had points in two games. I think he's an unprecitable player, who's a little too cocky for my liking, but you can't argue his skill. When or if he comes over he'll likely fall into Washingtons top 6 right away.


5)Mikael Granlund,Center(2010-9th Overall,Minnesota):
Mikael Granlund, like Kuznetsov, is regarded as one of the best prospects in the world. He lit up the Finnish League as a 17 year old with 40 points in 43 games, and has continued to dominate. He has world class playmaking abilities, and has hockey sense that is next to none, however it's his skating, and size that could slow him down at the next level. With all that said anyone who watches hockey knows that being a small player doesn't mean much if you're smart player, which Granlund is. If he comes over next season I don't think he'll be a "huge" impact but he'll get points and develop nicely on a young Minnesota team.


6)Brandon Gormley,Defenseman(2010-13th Overall,Phoenix):
Brandon Gormley is a solid two-way defenseman that just about any team would love to have in their system right now, which makes you wonder why he fell to 13th overall in 2010. He won't dazzle you with his hands, or constant huge checks, but he gets the job done at both ends of the ice. I think once he develops more he'll get decent time on both the powerplay and penalty kill.


7)Sven Baertschi,LeftWing(2011-13th Overall,Calgary):
Sven Baertschi has proved this season that he's an pure offensive dynamo, plain and simple. He averaged 2 points per game this season in the WHL (47GP-33G-61A-94P) and scored 3 goals in 5 games with the Flames. His impressive play with the Flames is the reason he's so high on my list. He should be with the Flames full time next season, and if he can play like he did in his first 5 games, he could be considered an early favourite for Calder.


8)Ryan Strome,Center(2011-5th Overall,NYI):
Ryan Strome is a crafty playmaker, with hands that just about any hockey player would dream about of having(Just youtube "Ryan Strome"). He has decent size(6'1,183lbs) but needs to get stronger. I've had the luxury to see him play quite a bit this season and he's impressed me, but in small doses. I think with the right development he'll be a great NHLer who compliments John Tavares nicely.


9)Charlie Coyle,Center(2010-28th Overall,San Jose--Traded to Minnesota):
Charlie Coyle was a key piece in the trade that sent Brent Burns from Minnesota to San Jose. After the WJC, in which Coyle represented America, he left Boston College to go play for the defending Memorial Cup Champions, the Saint John Seadogs. He's played extremely well for the Seadogs and has developed nice chemistry with fellow Wild Prospect Zack Phillips.


10)Brandon Saad,LeftWing(2011-43rd Overall,Chicago):
Brandon Saad is a big winger who can play a physical game defencive game, as well as a skilled offensive game. He slipped in the draft, but still made a very good Chicago Blackhawks team out of training camp, but was sent down after 2 games. In my opinion the first round of this years OHL playoffs has really been a coming out party for Saad, after he dominated a highly skilled Sarnia Sting team.


11)Mark Scheifele,Center(2011-7th Overall,Winnipeg):
Mark Scheifele is a big playmaking center with great hands and knack for scoring. Despite his size he's not really a physical player and his skating could definitely improve. Impressed a lot of people by making the Jets out of training camp but hasn't really impressed at all at the junior level this season, which is why he didn't crack my top 10.


12)Jakob Silfverberg,RightWing(2009-39th Overall,Ottawa):
Jakob Silfverberg isn't exactly a "high-profile" prospect and flew under the radar, but when he was named MVP of SEL people are starting to take notice. He was 2nd in scoring with 24 goals and 54 points in 49 games, which is impressive for a 21 year old. He's a gritty winger who can get it done in both ends of the ice, and will likely be part of Senators top 6 next season. Sens fans should put Zibanejad on the back burner and really pay attention to this guy.


13)Ty Rattie,RightWing(2011-32nd Overall,St.louis):
Ty Rattie is pure offense. He put up 57 goals, and 121 points in 69 games this season in the WHL. He's smart with the puck, which allows him to make plays, and find open teammates. He needs to play a more complete game and get stronger physically before he'll be able to produce in the NHL, but his potential his high.


14)Nathan Beaulieu,Defenseman(2011-17th Overall,Montreal):
Nathan Beaulieu is a big time offensive defenseman, with great vision and skating. He might jump into the rush a little too much, and take too many risks but as he matures he'll learn when to take those chances. As the case for many offensive defenseman, he needs to work on his defencive play more. He'll be able to anchor the Montreal powerplay for years to come.


15)Petr Mrazek,Goaltender(2010-141st Overall,Detroit):
This years WJC was a coming out party for the Czech goaltender. He won the "Top Goaltender" of the Tournament award and put himself on the map as an elite prospect. I know he's somewhat of an "off the board" prospect but I've had the luxury to watch him play several times this season and he's one of the best goalie prospects out there, I also thought I needed a goalie on this list. He has a great glove hand, and has cat-like reflexes. He has decent size and has great positioning. It's only fitting that Detroit would have drafted this kid 141st overall and  I think in a few seasons he'll be pushing Jimmy Howard for time in Detroit.


Honorable Mentions:
Justin Schultz,Defenseman (2008-43rd Overall,Anaheim)
Joel Armia,RightWing (2011-16th Overall,Buffalo)
Vlad Names,Center (2011-27th Overall,Tampa Bay)
Mika Zibanejad,Center (2011-6th Overall,Ottawa)
Ryan Murphy,Defenseman (2011-12th Overall,Carolina)

Let us know your opinions by emailing us or tweeting us!
Twitter:PuckCentralHQ
Email:puck.central@gmail.com

Sean Monahan(Ottawa 67's) Interview

Sean Monahan is a center for the Ottawa 67's and is regarded by many as a potenital top 3 pick in the 2013 NHL Draft. He took the the time to answer some questions for us after the Ottawa 67's-Niagara Icedogs game on March.9th, 2012.(5-1 loss for the 67's).
                                       

PuckCentral: Obviously it was a tough loss tonight, but what kind of positives can you take from it?
Sean Monahan: We know what to expect from them the next time we play them which is the following weekend, so it's something we know to expect.

PuckCentral: In my opinion you were the best player in the third, how would you say you played this game?
Sean: I think it was a tough battle there ,not all the bounces went our way but I think we all battled through, so not a bad game overall.

PuckCentral: There was a bit of a big fight there in the third, what are your thoughts on people trying to take fighting out of junior hockey?
Sean: I don't think it's a good thing, hockey is a game of emotions, which fighting sometimes involves, so I don't agree with taking that out of the game.



PuckCentral: With guys liek Toffoli, this is their last season, is there any added pressure to perform well in the playoffs for them?
Sean: Well there's always a lot of pressure in the playoffs for sure, but with guys like that there's a little bit more pressure because they want to succeed so it's kind of helping them with their future.

PuckCentral: How has a players like Toffolli and Prince helped you?
Sean: Well they're great players and they've played in the league for a few years so they taught me the ways and you kind of learn by watching them in practice and how they react in games.

PuckCentral: At this point do you feel any added pressure for the draft?
Sean: It's pretty early so im not looking too far ahead at that right now.

PuckCentral: Craig Button actually asked me to ask you this(Through Twitter), What's it like having to wait another year for the draft?
Sean: Well obviously I'm pretty anxious for the draft but patience is key so I'm just going to go from there.

PuckCentral: Having a higher profile guy on the team like Ceci, he's obviously expected to go high in the draft, is that helping you prepare yourself at all?
Sean: Yeah, just watching what he's going through and how he has to react to all the media and that kind of stuff, so I know what to expect going into next year.

PuckCentral: A lot of top OHL guys have gone high in the draft, like Tavares,Hall, or Seguin, I dont know if you've played against a few those guys, but who's the most skilled guy you've played against in this league so far?
Sean: Most skilled, I'd probably have to say Joey Hishon on Owen Sound last year, he's really offensive and creative and you just never know what to expect when he has the puck.



PuckCentral: What aspect of your game do you take the most pride in?
Sean: I think D-Zone coverage, just coming from the D-Zone out, it makes you a much better hockey player.

PuckCentral: A little bit about you for the people reading, what was your favorite team growing up?
Sean: The Leafs.

PuckCentral: Who was your favorite player?
Sean: Steve Yzerman.

PuckCentral: We ask everyone this question, Who do you try to model your game after the most?
Sean: Jonathan Toews and Joe Thornton.

After those questions I asked Sean if he'd take part in a "Puck Central Quiz", which consists of random questions about hockey,personal preferences, and I even called in a little favor.

 Here's the quiz:

1)Question: Who would you rather fight, Dougie Hamilton or Jamie Oleskiak?
Answer: Probably Dougie Hamilton.

2)Question: PS3 or Xbox?
Answer: Xbox.

3)Question: Is Strome really that annoying on the ice(Because he looks kind of annoying)?
Answer: He can get annoying but it's just part of the game.

4)Question: Will you play on my ball hockey team in June? (This would be my favor)
Answer: Sure.

5)Question: Crosby or Ovechkin?
Answer: Crosby.

PuckCentral: What do you think about Crosby coming back?
Sean: Its pretty exciting to see the best player in the league back.

For those of you on twitter give Sean a follow at:
@Monahan20

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