What better way to get to know your new teammates than asking them the tough questions! Keep an eye out for more of these in the future around the league.

R- First off Hams, I wanna congratulate you on your draft position and ending up here in Montreal with me. For how high you went it’s absolutely a testament to how you are as a first gen and the positive contribution you plan to bring to the next level. I’ve got some great questions ready for you to let the people know the vibes, hope you’re ready!

H- Hey Rengoku, thanks for sitting down with me and having this conversation. Congrats on getting picked up by Montreal. I was shocked to see you still around after the first round but I know Montreal is pumped to get you. I've already heard analysts say you might be the biggest steal of the draft. I'm super excited to see you have success in the J and then play with you in a few seasons. I'm not going to lie, I don't know much about you so it's great to get to know a fellow player that I'll be spending much of my career with.

Q1: Fill us in on some short term goals you have as you prepare to get ready for the next season in Carolina. Any future plans based around when you think you’ll be called up?

A: Short term goals for me is to continue to improve and help Carolina make a deep run in the playoffs. Personal stats are less important to me, although I'd like to see each personal state be better than the previous year. What I really want is to be lifting the four star cup above my head before my J career comes to an end. As for future plans, I'll leave that up to my GMs. If they want to call me up early than I'll do it but I suspect I'll be in the J for 3 or 4 seasons.


Q2: What would you say looking forward are your top priorities? Money? Fame? Creating a clothing line specifically for gophers?
 
A: You know, that's a genius idea. I'm sure there's a void in the gopher clothing market. Maybe we could do a collab? For me, it's really all about winning cups. I want to help the staff, teammates and coaches who believed in me by bringing cups to the team. Carolina took a chance on me in the first round of the J draft and Montreal took a big chance on me in the SHL draft so I'd love to make sure their decision is a good one.

Q3: What do you believe is going to be the greatest challenge for you and your fellow new draftees of this class? Any advice for the future first gens?

A: I think the biggest challenge will be being patient. We all just enjoyed our first season in the J and most of us will have to wait another 3 seasons before going up to the big league. That's a long time but trusting the process and sticking with it will be worthwhile in the end. As a first gen myself, my advice would be to ask a ton of questions, get to know as many people in the league as possible quickly and participate as much as you can/want to. This league has a million different ways to participate.


Q4: What has been the greatest lesson you’ve learned throughout your rookie season in Carolina that you will take with you in this transition out of the SMJHL and into the big leagues of the SHL with Montreal?
 
A: The biggest lesson I've learned so far is how hard it is to be a rookie. In the J, I was expecting to come out and have a great season. I worked hard and thought the results would come. I think my season was decent but our team struggled due to the number of rookies we have. Now that we have a season of experience I think we'll be a force. I think going into the SHL will be similar. Perhaps even more of a difficult time for rookies. So I know I just need to trust my coaches and GMs and grind through the tough years. Trust that the good years will come.

Q5: A bit more of advice to pass down to the next generation of players joining the SMJHL… in your opinion, how important is a players public image within the community?


A: I think it's the most important part of the game. Through my media pieces (interviewing GMs in the J and in the SHL) and during scouting, I've heard it from almost all teams that a solid locker room is better than any on ice accomplishments. You can create the best player in the league but if teams think other players will fit better in their locker room they'll take them. Adding to a locker room in a positive way and getting your name out there will make teams very interested in you.

Q6: How do you keep your teammates focused and motivated when times are tough, the losses are piling up and things seem grim?
 
A: I think it's all about keeping the locker room light. In S79 we started horribly and couldn't get ourselves out of the hole we dug. After the first 2 weeks of the season we actually had a decent season. Those first two weeks were rough for myself and the fellow rookies. But with guidance and reassurance from our GM, 7, we listened and continued to work hard to get ourselves winning games. Seeing yourself be successful against top teams like Maine and Nevada makes it worth it. You have to make sure players stick around during the loses so a lighthearted, fun locker room will help with that.

Q7: Now this is probably the easiest question I’ll ask you throughout this interview… would you rather fight 100 human sized ducks or 100 duck sized humans? Think carefully.

A: This is an easy one. 100 duck sized humans. I understand it would be an army of them but ducks are no joke. Those things can be scary! Especially geese. They are nicked named “Cobra Chickens” for a reason


Q8: Any sports heroes you aspire to be like? To follow that up as well, how would you compare them to these icons you idolize?

A: Someone I look up to is Ash Catcher. The desire to be the best, like no one ever was is very inspiring. His dedication to achieve his goals is something we should all aspire to have. Even with these hefty goals and others constantly getting in his way, he keeps his cool and finds a way to improve with humility. I think I'm similar to Ash but can always work on becoming more like him.

Q9: What’s one thing you do to celebrate hard fought wins? Do you plan to carry that tradition into the locker room once you’re brought up to compete with Montreal?

A: For me, it's all about celebrating with my teammates. I don't really have a tradition after each win. Maybe I should think of one. Wear the same socks until we lose? Eat gummy bears before each game? In these leagues, winning is tough. It takes the entire team to win. Really I just try to keep the team morale high. Celebrate the wins and keep a positive room after the loses.


Q10: We’ll end this off with an easy one; Best victory meal, best loss meal & favorite way to eat a hotdog? There are incorrect answers for this…. 

A: Ha! I love myself some spaghetti with Bolognese sauce. It's simple but you can't go wrong with it. After those loses, I love a bowl of lucky charms. The marshmallowa slap. That's what the kids say, right? As for a hot dog, I'm usually a simple ketchup, mustard, relish kind of guy. Throw some cheese on there if I'm feeling fancy. I do enjoy the specialty dogs like a chili cheese dog but I'm often to lazy and just go with the typical ingredients.


Rengoku: Well Hams, hopefully we provided a riveting insight to the teams who were unable to draft you, as well as showed some more of your individual personality to the folks at home. I wanna thank you again for taking the time to sit down with me. Best of luck this upcoming season in Carolina and look forward to hitting the ice with you in Montreal as we continue to work hard on our way up the ladder.

A: Thanks for chatting, Rengoku. It was great to learn more about you. Best of luck this season. Hope you score all the goals, expect when you play the Kraken.



(1518 words split 50/50 with @ghamss)