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+---- Thread: Jasper Clayton Trade Press Release/Conference (/showthread.php?tid=56199)
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- Eggy216 - 09-16-2015
4,603 Words
Earlier today, Jasper Clayton was informed that today’s games against the Colorado Mammoths and the Halifax Raiders would be his last in a Detroit Falcons uniform. After extensive negotiations, he was to be shipped off along with his teammate (and fellow Brit) Michael Burch to play for the Montreal Impact.
Jasper Clayton recorded 13 goals and 51 assists for the Falcons across 96 games played, for a total of 64 career points in a Detroit Falcons sweater. Despite sporting one of the worst plus/minus ratings in the league this season at a -18, Clayton thinks he can still turn things around this season with the Impact, and looks forward to getting a chance to win the Four Star Cup with his new team.
Following the trade, Jasper Clayton released the following statement to the media:
I would like to thank my GM Colin Schmidt for all his support over the last season. It was great getting to know you and working alongside you at the draft and throughout this season. I was really hoping Burch and I could bring a Four Star Cup home for you in your first season, but all the same I hope that Matthias Holmberg turns into a stud defenseman for the Falcons, and hopefully you pick up something good with that second round pick.
I would also like to thank my former GMs Tommy Creller and Vesevolod Nikitin for everything they did for me over the last two seasons. Without Creller I probably wouldn’t have made it anywhere in the league my first season, because god knows I had absolutely no fucking clue what was going on. And to Nikitin, while you may be gone now I really enjoyed getting to know you these last two seasons in Detroit.
To my Falcons teammates, I just wanted to thank you guys for all the fun this season. It’s been a rough year, but we got through it together. I wish I could’ve seen it out with you guys until the end, but that’s just the way things go. You guys are a strong group, and you’ll be absolutely amazing next season, even without me and Burch there. Schmidt knows what he’s doing in Detroit, and in a few seasons you guys will all be a force to be reckoned with. Hopefully I get the chance to play alongside some of you guys in the SHL someday.
To the Falcons veterans, you guys are an awesome group. Pejonis, you know I love you and I’m definitely going to miss you. You should start posting places other than in the Falcons locker room so I can actually see you again. Mazais, I know you’ll miss my monologues, but I promise to send them to your inbox since I can’t post endlessly in the locker room anymore. Kekkonen, I know you’re hating your rookie season so I hope that your next one goes better
. JPL, haven’t seen you around in a while but it was fun getting to know you all those times you’d come and stop by the locker room. Girard, come back! You can blame it all on me.I’m really excited to be joining the Montreal Impact for the end of this season, and I’m proud to be joining such a formidable contending team along with my good friend and teammate Michael Burch. I appreciate being given the opportunity to win the Four Star Cup this season, and I look forward to being one of the last few pieces on this unbelievably strong team.
Jasper Clayton
Jasper Clayton and Michael Burch will make their Montreal Impact debuts tomorrow against the Colorado Mammoths and the Vancouver Whalers. The Detroit Falcons will close out their regular season in Montreal, which will be the first time the former Falcons will have the chance to play against their old teammates.
The floor is open to questions as well, if anyone would like to ask any.
Are we gonna drop gloves when we square off tomorrow?I'm trying to turn over a new leaf in Montreal. I took way too many penalties this season as a member of the Detroit Falcons, and there was no reason for my lack of discipline on the ice. It really hurt my team and put us in a bad place. As the top defenseman on the team, there was no reason that I should have ever acted the way I did. I plan to be a lot more reserved now that I'm on the Montreal Impact, and you can expect me to be playing a much cleaner game throughout the rest of the season and in the postseason.
That being said, if you cross my path and look at me funny I swear to god I will beat the shit out of you D-Squad or not. :stomp:
Would you recommend the Falcons to a new player joining the league?There's no question about it, I would definitely recommend the Detroit Falcons to any player, new or old, who needed a team to play for down here in the SMJHL. It's a great organization, with nowhere to go but up. They're going through some hard times right now, but that shouldn't be discouraging to anybody looking for a city to call home. Everyone there is really friendly, and would love to have you. If you want a team that's going to have fun with a lot of activity, Detroit's the place to be. In a season or two, they're probably going to be on top of the league with all these draft picks they're currently collecting, plus with some great players waiting to come up through the ranks like Tim Buckner and Sven Karlsson, this is going to be one hell of an organization.
They also have a great alumni network over there in Detroit, so if you need veteran players to help you out along the way at first there's more than enough people there from various teams to give you advice along the way. From more recent alumni like Ray Pejonis (Latvian Bastard) and Kappo Kekkonen (Wannabefinn), to the much older alumni like JPL (Caboose) and Mazais (Chris Johnson), there's so many great people in that locker room. Hell, even the GM, Colin Schmidt (with one L, mind you) is a former Falcon. It's a great place to be and I would have loved to finish my SMJHL career there, but it just wasn't to be. Hopefully someday I'll get the chance to step in that locker room again, and join the already strong alumni network.
This trade has led many to question whether it has already been decided that you will be playing in the SHL next season. Do you have anything to say about this?I have no comment either way on the matter. I have not yet discussed this with either Earnest Ciarelli or Nathan Russell, so I don't know what they're planning for me. Whether or not I'm in the SHL next year, this year is definitely a must-win for me. We've got a great team here in Montreal, and Burch and I are just the capstone pieces on what looks to be the strongest roster in the SMJHL. We went from second last place, to first place in the SMJHL. Losing this year would be a travesty.
How important do you think Mattias Holmberg will be for the Falcons next season?Mattias is going to be huge for the Detroit Falcons in the upcoming season. I haven't spoken to him at all, as we went in opposite directions here, but I have no doubt that he'll be a key piece in coming seasons. The Falcons are really lacking on the blue line, especially after trading me to the Montreal Impact. Adding Mattias to the roster could really change things down the line, especially as he has the chance to step up and fill the holes that were vacated when I left the team. If he keeps on training hard and pushing himself in practice, he could definitely be the centerpiece of an S26 or S27 Detroit Falcons Four Star Cup team. I wish him the best of luck in Detroit, and I hope he goes out there and makes the Montreal Impact regret trading him away. He's got so much potential, I would love to see him live up to it.
What are your main goals as you join your new club other than winning the cup, obviously?For me, I really want to prove that I'm better than the minus player I've been all season. I struggled all season trying to put up a good plus/minus rating, and it didn't help that so many of my points were coming on the powerplay. Well now that I'm on the best team in the league, I have the opportunity to go out there and put up some of the best numbers in my career so far. It's doubtful that I'll manage to wipe out that giant -17 next to my name, but it would be nice to at least have that number move a little more to the positive side of things. At the very least, I plan to have a positive plus/minus rating throughout the playoffs. I can't wait to get out there and show the Montreal Impact fans what kind of a player I can be for them throughout the playoffs, and that starts by showing them what I can do here in the regular season. Vive L'Impact!
Which player from the Impact contacted you first after the trade?I actually didn't get the chance to speak to any players before I got into the Montreal locker room, but the second I got in there everyone was so welcoming. It's a really nice atmosphere in there. The backup goaltender, Robert Andersson, is a really funny guy and it's great to have him around the locker room. It'll be interesting to see how he does next season when the Montreal Impact have to turn to him instead of that swiss cheese of a goaltender Earnest Ciarelli.
What makes you exited the most about being a member of the Montreal Impact?Definitely the legacy. They're one of the winningest teams in SMJHL history, and it seems like every year they've got a shot at the Four Star Cup, if not actually competing for it. Now that I'm a part of the team I have the chance to be a part of that legacy, and get my name engraved on the highest trophy in the SMJHL. I really wish I could've brought the trophy home to Detroit, but in the end it wasn't going to happen. This is definitely the best chance I've ever had to win it all - with the core that was already in place in Montreal, and adding myself and Michael Burch onto that core, there's a good chance that you might see one of the strongest performances to come out of Montreal in the last twenty-five seasons. It's going to be a great off-season, and I can't wait to see what happens.
It's also going to be interesting in the first round, as we'll more than likely be playing the Detroit Falcons. That's pretty exciting for me, because it means I'll get the chance to shoot on Austin Lemieux in an actual game situation, not just in practice. Time to show him how we Brits really play the game of hockey. It'll also be nice to go and see the fans once again. It's weird being in a new city, and knowing I'll only be here for a few weeks as a rental player, but at least I know the fans in Detroit will always love me.
What will you miss the most from the Falcons?Definitely the people. We had so many great fans, players, and alumni in Detroit, and leaving the Falcons means that I'm not longer a part of that network. While I know a lot of them are going to keep in touch with me now that I'm playing for the Montreal Impact, it just won't be the same. Don't get me wrong, Montreal has some great people here too, but it's just not the same. I'm not going to walk into the locker room and suddenly see the Latvians Ray Pejonis and Chris Johnson chatting with each other in the middle of the locker room. Montreal's nice, but it's not going to be able to replace Detroit that easily.
Who was the Sweggiest Falcon player, and where would you set him/her on a scale from 1-10, where 1 is WOAT and 10 is Swegkingu?The Sweggiest Falcons player? That would have to be Austin Lemieux, but he's only a nine. Because nobody can ever be as Sweggy as SwegKingu.
If you could choose between a marshmellow filled wiener and a meatless taco, what would you pick?I would choose the meatless taco. Because even though it lacks meat, it still has all the wonderful sauces and vegetables that make up the taco. The meat is an important part of any taco, but when you take it out at least what you have left is still the core of an actual taco. Thus, even though it's lacking in one very important key element, the meatless taco will still be the better option.
Where are you now that I need you?I'll always be with you. In your heart.
How bad does the Pack want the services of Nuck in the organization?I've been trying to get PB and Storm to trade for you, but they keep saying something about not needing another worthless scrub in the organization, and that I'm all the dead weight they need on the team this season. I have no idea what that's supposed to mean, but every time I bring it up with them that's the response I get.
If NEW does not make a move to get Nuck, are you going to cry until they trade you to HAM?I tried that already, all that happened was they handcuffed me to Connor O'Reilly. Makes it really hard for the two of us, especially considering that I'm still playing in the SMJHL (formerly for the Detroit Falcons, now for the Montreal Impact), while he's up there playing for the New England Wolfpack. Plus he's thinking about leaving in free agency so next season we might be two different places again. . .really, I tried, but it looks like it's not going to work out :(.
What do you contribute to the odd way the SHL has shaped up to be this year? (why is every one only a few points different in the standings)I think the obvious answer is that it's because all the players are equally close in their builds. When every player in the SHL has the exact same build, it's down the sim's randomness engine to determine who wins games, so everyone's just going to end up randomly winning the exact same number of games.
Why is Detroit the best SMJHL franchise of all time?The Falcons have a storied history, winning the cup more recently than any other team except the S24 Vancouver Whalers <s>and the S25 Montreal Impact</s>, and they've got a strong alumni network that keeps on coming back to talk to all of us and help us all out. Also they have that Nuck guy, which is really unfortunate because it used to be such a nice play until he came along.
Who are these Firebirds people speak of?The what? Never heard of them.
Would you rather be hot or cold?I'd rather be cold. I'm from Buffalo, so I'm used to it. It never seems right when I'm hot.
Water or pop?Definitely water. While I love the taste of soda, I've been trying to cut back on it so I really don't have a choice here.
Why do we not see more defensive dedicated D-men in the SHL?I think RomanesEuntDomus hit on a really good point in the build changes thread - there's no way to track their stats other than hits and shots blocked right now. It's definitely an issue I'm having with my build, where I'm trying to be a stronger defenseman by stripping my opponents of the puck and having a really high takeaways stat with a really low giveaways stat, but there's no way for me to really know how well that's working out. But I'm lucky because as an offensive defenseman I can check out my points to see how well I'm doing, not just my defensive stats. Were I a defensive defenseman, it would look like I was doing nothing.
I am assuming you seen the picture of Storm, did you have any idea that he was a tomato prior to that?I had absolutely no idea. It came as a complete shock. It just goes to show on that on the internet, nobody knows you're a tomato.
Where you in the Skype call when JHS's mom was hitting on Nuck last night?I was unfortunately not in the call for that, I was busy doing homework for my History of Quebec class.
How awesome was it that she sent him to do the dishes so she could get Bubba's phone number?Is she hot? Did you hit that?
How truly sweet was it that after His mom left, his sister started hitting on Nuck?It's not gay when it's in a three-way.
How do you feel about the return Detroit got from you, compared to what PGF got from Kelowna? Do you think your GM got the proper value for two great players in yourself and Burch?Apparently he could have gotten more for the two of us, but I mean who had any idea Kelowna was going to be throwing around first round picks like that? I think he got fair value for two rental players, especially considering Detroit is definitely not a position to make a playoff run this season. I don't know about Burch, but this is likely my last SMJHL season, so moving me was really Schmidt's only option.
Who will you miss most in Detroit?I don't think I could pick just one person. Saying goodbye to everyone in that locker room was like a lineup of a some of my closest friends in the SMJHL, and realizing that I wasn't going to be seeing them every day anymore just didn't feel right. Hopefully none of them forget about me, and I know a lot of them will be rooting for me in the playoffs this postseason.
Do you think Montreal will win the cup this season with their acquisition of you and Michael Burch?It's going to be really tough to get past the Kelowna Knights with all of their acquisitions as well, but I definitely think Montreal is going to be in the cup finals this year. They already had a great core of players in place, and in our first two games with the Impact Burch and I were able to tally seven points between the two of us. We've really found our place here in Montreal, and we're only going to be making things better for them.
If/when you get called up to play for New England, which defenseman do would you want to be paired up with?I'd really like to have the chance to play with Connor O'Reilly. He's a great defender, and was snubbed for Rookie of the Year last season, so I really hope he stays in New England and gives me the chance to share the ice with him. He'd be a great mentor to show me the way in my first season.
It is well known that you were a huge locker room guy in Detroit. Do you see yourself stepping up and being a leader for the rest of the season in Montreal?Oh, definitely. Just because I'm in a new locker room doesn't mean I'm going to change the way I act in the locker room. While it might seem a little strange to them, I've already stepped in and tried to be extremely vocal in the locker room. It's just the way I am, and it's the way I always will be.
Has any member of Montreal impacted you yet (in terms of welcoming you, showing you around, making you comfortable, etc)?SwegKingu. He called me Sweggy. That made me feel very welcome and comfortable.
What are your thoughts on the future of New England? They had a huge draft in your draft year, drafting Lord Pretty Flacko, Zack Hoover, Chris Welch, Jack Durden, Roman Morenov, and Julie-Ann Marshall. Will you be the top player coming out of that draft class, and how many do you think will make the jump up to the SHL the next season?That draft class was absolutely amazing. It's hard to argue that they didn't have the absolute best draft last season of any SHL team, picking up so many great players. Also, you forgot Collin Wood. How could you possibly forget Collin Wood?
I would love to be the top player coming out of that draft class, but there's so many great players in there it's impossible to say right now who the top player is going to be. And as far as how many will be making the jump next year, Hoover already has, and I'd guess that Roman Morenov and I will be joining him along with Lord Prett Flacko and Julie-Ann Marshall at least. We'll probably see a few others making the jump this coming season as well.
What are the thoughts and opinions you have on each of your fellow S25 SHL Wolfpack draft class? (See above for list)*sigh*
Lord Pretty Flacko- LPF has been one of my good friends around here for a while. We got to know each other. . .well I don't know why or how, really, but it happened and that's all that matters. I'm really excited to have the chance to play with him on the Montreal Impact, and I'm looking forward to continuing to play with him once we hit the SHL as members of the New England Wolfpack.
Zack Hoover- HOOOOV. One of my good buddies since the prospects tournament, we got to know each other while playing under Kyle Prince as members of the Lions. While I would have loved to play with him in the SMJHL, we're really happy to be reunited again in the SHL. We're going to be racking up the assists together next season and throughout our careers with the Wolfpack. Looks to be a fun career together!
Chris Welch- Welchy's a pretty awesome guy. I didn't know him at all before joining the Wolfpack together, and I'm really glad I've gotten the chance to know him know. Although I haven't seen him in a while because he's been really busy and that makes me sad :(. He should come visit again!
Jack Durden- I haven't seen Durden in forever! Stop just posting in the Vancouver Whalers locker room, I want to feel your love too!
Roman Morenov- I don't know Morenov at all, but he's been a great defenseman all season for the Montreal Impact, and it's great that we're getting the chance to play together in the SMJHL to end the season. It's going to be really helpful to have this experience together this season because there's a good chance we'll be together on the third pairing next season for the Wolfpack.
Julie-Ann Marshall- Jules is a pretty cool guy, even if his name is a girl's name now. I mean, I understand that Julie-Ann is supposed to be Julien, but still. It's a girl's name and I'm going to keep referring to him as a girl because it's so confusing.
Collin Wood- By far the steal of the S25 SHL draft. By picking him up with the final pick of the entire draft, the New England Wolfpack picked up. . .well an inactive that will never go anywhere. I guess that doesn't really make him much of a steal, does it?
Best memory from your career in Detroit?Getting hazed. That probably sounds like a weird first memory, but the entire team bonded around the rookie hazing incidents last season. It was great. All the rookies and the vets grew really close together after we rookies all get hazed with the My Little Pony costumes, and it's something that's stuck with our group ever since then. Plus Stonehands ended up with his awesome beard died in rainbow colors, which looked just plain awesome.
I also have a special place for Girard taking a game misconduct penalty in the Conference Finals last season, and watching our lead dwindle to nothing with him off the ice. It was just such a perfect reflection of our season last year, with Girard taking penalties and getting thrown out and then us struggling to move on without him. It was kind of funny in retrospect, though at the time we were obviously pretty disappointed that our season had to end that way. But that's just the way things go.
Who is your favourite person to talk to on Skype? Choose wisely >
I'd have to go with Tanner. He's a really friendly and funny guy, plus it always amuses when he puts his video on because I don't think I've ever seen him anything more than that winter hat he occasionally wears from time to time. But really I enjoy talking to everyone on Skype, I'm really glad that the Wolfpack/random other people have decided to use it as a go-to means of communications.
- Dangles13 - 09-16-2015
Are we gonna drop gloves when we square off tomorrow?
- Schmidt - 09-16-2015
Would you recommend the Falcons to a new player joining the league?
- Alucard - 09-16-2015
This trade has led many to question whether it has already been decided that you will be playing in the SHL next season. Do you have anything to say about this? How important do you think Mattias Holmberg will be for the Falcons next season?
- Nereus - 09-16-2015
What are your main goals as you join your new club other than winning the cup, obviously?
Which player from the Impact contacted you first after the trade?
What makes you exited the most about being a member of the Montreal Impact?
- TheNextGreatOne - 09-16-2015
What will you miss the most from the Falcons?
- Samsung virtual assistant - 09-16-2015
Who was the Sweggiest Falcon player, and where would you set him/her on a scale from 1-10, where 1 is WOAT and 10 is Swegkingu?
- Mac - 09-16-2015
If you could choose between a marshmellow filled wiener and a meatless taco, what would you pick?
- dankoa - 09-16-2015
Where are you now that I need you?
- Eggy216 - 09-17-2015
Updated for now. Will get to the rest tomorrow.
Also taking more questions.
- Eggy216 - 09-17-2015
Updated in full
- JNH - 09-17-2015
What the fuck
(also u omitted me from the vets piece smh)
- Eggy216 - 09-17-2015
Quote:Originally posted by JNH@Sep 17 2015, 12:59 PM
What the fuck
(also u omitted me from the vets piece smh)
It's because of JPL. I wrote him in, and thought I'd written you in too.
I'll fix it later when I'm on a computer.
- JNH - 09-17-2015
Quote:Originally posted by Eggy's Multi@Sep 17 2015, 01:06 PM
It's because of JPL. I wrote him in, and thought I'd written you in too.
I'll fix it later when I'm on a computer.
I'm just fucking with you, it's fine
Weird but now you can join me as an Impact/Falcons alum
- Eggy216 - 09-17-2015
Quote:Originally posted by JNH@Sep 17 2015, 01:09 PM
I'm just fucking with you, it's fine
Weird but now you can join me as an Impact/Falcons alum
I was telling Schmidt how weird that is - I'm a Falcons alum now.