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With the draft nearing, we here at The Rag decided to conduct an interview our personal favorite player on the Detroit Falcons, Ty Murphy.  As many of you probably already read the published article, I thought it would be interesting to published the raw unedited account of what happened that day.  He was just walking into his showcase practice where SHL scouts were waiting to see him and other draftable teammates skate.  The following is all verbatim from my journal.

Reporter: Hey Ty, thanks for doing this.  Just have a couple of quick questions for you before your showcase practice.

Ty Murphy: No problem my man, I always have tie for my friends at The Rag.  Hey why do you guys call yourself The Rag anyway?  Aren’t you an online publication only?

R: Shut up Ty.  Now, how are you feeling about your position in the upcoming draft?  Any regrets concerning your training this season?

TM: I feel pretty good honestly!  I don’t think I’ll be going number one overall, but I feel like I definitely surprised a lot of people this year.  I have no regrets with my training, the player fitness staff here in Detroit is better than even a few SHL teams’.  I feel physically amazing, it’s just a matter of developing and sculpting my skills to be at the professional level.  But I’m willing to do whatever it takes.

R: Do you have a specific team you hope takes you in the upcoming draft?

TM: Y’know, I think it’d be a little arrogant to say I want one team over another.  I have no preference; I really just want to be a part of the SHL.  My plan is just to put my head down and work.  I know being an undrafted free agent in the SMJHL means I had to work hard to get where I am, I just hope the scouts see it that way as well.

R: Sounds like you have a chip on your shoulder there, Ty.  Well bud, have a great practice, we’ll be in there watching your drills and we will catch up with you after.

Ty: Awesome man, thanks.  See you after.

After Ty walked into the arena, we made it to our seats.  The crisp air flew into our nostrils as I told my assistant to go find me a hot chocolate.  Some time passed then the players made it out onto the ice one at a time.  Ty comes out in his typical full tuck jersey and skates a few laps around before coach blows the whistle and calls for a knee.  The atmosphere seems eerily lighthearted as most players are laughing and joking around.  Just another practice to them, but with how many scouts are in the stands it’s hard to imagine they are not taking this seriously. 

The players line up to start shooting drills.  They have one player passing through defense and two players who are trying to get open for a shot.  Ty murphy is always the best passer out on the ice.  Absolute crisp yet soft handed passes that always hit the tape of the target.  Today is no different.  He is hitting his wingers with unbelievable passes through traffic.  The kid is starting to look like a SHL rookie already, and it’s just the start of practice.  The next drill is a scoring-off-the-rush drill, a classic 3 on 2.  Podonovic is standing on his head out there, but the players are getting good looks.  Ty is keeping his head on a swivel, making good positioning plays when he doesn’t have the puck and setting teammates up nicely when he does. 

The next drill The coaches have them do is a skating drill.  Sprints from one boards, stopping, then back to the benches.  Ty stands at a mere five foot eight inches tall but that does not stop him from being one of the fastest players on the ice up and over those boards.  His balance while stopping and starting looks effortless, like a hot knife gliding through butter.  After the skating drills coaches were running them threw conditioning drills.  Even though it is the beginning of the offseason for this team they are still out there grinding towards the next four-star cup victory. 

The players leave the ice as I finish my last drop of hot chocolate.  I head down the stairs to the back lot so I can hopefully catch Ty again on his way out.  A few players come out, Kermit Murphy walks by me and attempts to unzip my zipper.  That guy is fucking weird, man.  I finally see Ty as he walks over to give me a quote and answer a few questions. 

TM: Hey man, what did you think?

R: I ask the questions here dipshit, how did you think that went?

TM: I think it went well.  Was able to connect on a few passes out there and I definitely impressed them with my skating. 

R: You certainly did, you have improved greatly from the beginning of the season.

TM: Gee, thanks.

R: You betcha.  See ya Ty.

And off he went, casually strolling into the sunset.  What a player, what a man.  Is Ty Murphy love?  Is he life?  The answers to these questions may go unanswered unless you are a trashy trailer park girl who works at Hooters.  But he could definitely be a part of your SHL team if you give him a chance. 

And that concludes our pre-draft interview with future SHL superstar Ty Murphy.  He may not be big, but he certainly plays mean and fast.  The kid has a chip on his shoulder than only comes once every twenty seasons.  There is a special atmosphere that follows him around, and when you stand by him you can feel it rise within you.  It’s like an ancient Hun beating a drum within your chest, your left arm will go numb.  You might even lose consciousness.  It affects everyone differently, that is for sure.


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