My grandparents immigrated to Canada to start a farm and at the time I was born my dad had taken it over. So as a kid growing up on a farm I spend a lot of my free time working on the farm and helping out my dad. Together with my younger brother we would mostly take care of milking the cows, feeding them and cleaning the stables. When we were a little older, I guess like 12 years old, my dad thaught me how to drive the tractor so we could also work the field where we had some crops or just mowing the grass. Growing up on a farm thought me a lot responsibility and made me pretty strong even as a kid. During the winters my dad would build us a small hockey rink so we could practice.

So I've never actually had a paying job. I helped on the farm a lot and later when my hockey career was starting off my mom drove me everywhere. So I kind of think that it was a way of me paying them back for everything they have done for me.

Even now in the off season I go back to the farm and help out.