07-08-2018, 12:47 AM(This post was last modified: 07-08-2018, 12:48 AM by 39alaska39.)
I sat down today with Czech draft prospect Alex Winters in an attempt to get a better perspective on the young winger. He came over to the US when he was 14 to attend boarding school and is now eligible for the upcoming SJHL draft.
How was it coming to the US as a kid?
My family thought that if I come to the US and go to boarding school, I have better chance of making it as hockey player. It was hard, but good. My father played here before moving to Pardubice for work, and I was blessed to follow him.
How would you describe your game?
I like to think of myself as a player that likes to find the open man, but can score. Growing up watching Datsyuk and Jagr made me want to work on my hands, so I like to think I’m good at that too. Being my height does give me some advantage on corner battles though.
Jagr and Datsyuk are both fantastic players, legendary even. Do you worry that saying you’re want to emulate them might come across as arrogant?
Well I hope not. Everyone comes into the league with a belief that you can be something amazing and contribute. Even if you’re fight for minutes at the beginning of season, you can become a great player and succeed in the league.
I’m sure your agent has tried to give you some expectations of where you should expect to get drafted, what are your thoughts on that?
I’ve tried not to worry myself with it too much. With the draft coming up soon, I’ve just been trying to keep busy and keep from being nervous. My mom has been making me eat, she’s afraid I’m going to starve (laughs). I’m not worried about that though, the teams might agree with her though. I just want to contribute wherever I end up.
Since you’re not really sure where you want to go, have you thought about your living arrangements at all?
Well mum wants to come with me, so I’m hoping to live with a billet (laughing). She was sad that I went to boarding school and left her and dad back in Pardubice, but I think it would be best for me to stay with a local family. I don’t know much about the cities themselves, but I know that all the organizations are top notch. I just want to be best for team, whichever one.
Growing up in the Czech Republic, did you have the chance to play with any of your countrymen that are also on the board for the upcoming draft?
I did, just a couple though. I played with Oliver [Kovacs], Marc [Palicka] and Luke [Thomason] on a couple of youth select teams through the years. Great guys all of them, looking forward to competing against them and maybe getting a chance to play with them at some point in my career.
Any last thoughts or things to say to a GM who might be reading this article?
I’m just hoping to be the best player I can be, and if you take a chance on me, you’ll be getting a player that works hard and is willing to do what he can to help the team win championships and be a contributor.
Best of luck at the draft Alex.
Thank you.
This is my first article on here, so any thoughts or recommendations are greatly appreciated.
Alex Winters (retired)
Matej Winters (retired)
Dominik Winters S45 Jesster Trophy Winner Challenge Cup Winning Goal Club: S52
39alaska39
