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Halifax Herald Hockey Hoe-Down
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(This post was last modified: 12-02-2019, 10:39 PM by FinnRhys.)

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Welcome to this edition of the Halifax Herald, I am Quentin Roschembacler. You may recognize me from such publications as the Raiders Review or the Peabody-winning Nova Scotia News podcast, the Raiders Round-Up. Anyways, I have been on hiatus this past season on assignment covering foreign affairs, but thankfully I am back and today I have a special “welcome back to the beat” interview with former (and arguably beloved) Halifax defenseman FR Finn-Rhys. So without any further ado, let us get into it and catch up with the newly called-up defenseman.

QR Welcome, FR, thanks for doing this.
FR: Welcome to you Quentin! It is good to see you back covering the Raiders again. How was your hiatus?

QRIt was good but I definitely missed being in Halifax and covering you all. So, FR, can you tell me a little bit about how last season went for you, both from a team perspective and individually?
FR:Well we missed having you around in the press box and chatting us up in the locker room. It is good to have you back. As far as last season goes, I think the story tells itself. Last season certainly did not have the results we were looking for. We went into the season with high hopes, but honestly, I think we knew deep down that it was going to be a tough season going into it. We lost a lot of talented players to SHL call-ups and we only returned a handful of experienced guys to the line-up so there were bound to be growing pains. The guys we did bring back, however, were pretty awesome and they really showed their class by mentoring the younger guys and helping to bring them along and play the Halifax way.

QR It certainly was a rough season statistically and in the wins and losses way. Was there ever a point that the team threw the towel in?
FR:Definitely not! Outsiders may not understand it or be able to see it as clearly as people inside the organization do but there was never really any moment where we just gave up and threw in the towel. We are professionals and this is a high class organization and without a doubt we played tough, gritty hockey regardless of our overall record. None of us like losing and you cannot just replace the talent that we lost out of thin air. It takes patience and hard work and we definitely gave it our all day in and day out. I think there was definitely a recognition that we would probably lose more than we won but I honestly do not think that shaped how we played the game or practiced. We know greater things are in store for the franchise as long as we keep working hard, take our lumps and keep improving every week.

QRYou were at the top of your game last season, at several points you lead the team in points, and you were selected to be an alternate captain. Can you tell me what that was like?
FR:Individually? I mean, it was awesome that I was able to play as well as I did and to contribute the way that I did, especially offensively. None of that really has to do with my individual skill, however. I mean, honestly, we have a lot of talent in the franchise and those young guys pushed me to improve and really made me want to set the example. I think I worked harder last season than any other because I wanted to emulate for the younger guys the way Ed Balls (@Flareon) wants us to play hockey. To be selected by my peers to be an alternate captain and to sew that A on my jersey was one of the proudest moments of my young career. As far as points, it did not hurt that I was able to take advantage of my time on the power play. I do not know the numbers off the top of my head but I think the majority of my goals came from power play opportunities and really, all of that comes down to working really hard at improving during the season and playing with some really gifted play makers like Atlas (@Rublic) and Krash (@CementHands).

QRBut even while having the best season of your career statistically, the Raiders decided to trade you to Colorado for a S51 4th round pick. How did that make you feel? Was it a slap in the face to have a great player like yourself valued at a 4th round pick?
FR: Whoa, not at all! Listen, you and I both know hockey is more than just a game. It is a business at the end of the day and honestly, it was not a surprise that I was getting traded. I know some of the media made it seem like there was bad blood between me and Halifax but I want to unequivocally state that any such things are totally false. I knew going into the season that I would likely be traded at some point and I gave my ok with it to the Halifax General Managers before the season even started. I already knew that it was likely I would only have one final season playing in the SMJHL before being called up and I wanted Halifax to do whatever they thought was best for the team. If that meant keeping me then great, but if that meant trading me then so be it. Let’s be honest Q, I was a late season trade with only about 10 or 12 games left in the regular season and I only had those games and whatever the post-season would bring before moving up… there really isn’t a lot of value in a player like that. I am just grateful that Halifax was able to get some value for me and I am incredibly thankful to the management for putting me in a better position to win a Cup in my last season. I know it couldn’t have been easy for the Halifax management but they found a franchise in Colorado that was a contender and worked a deal and I think it was a win-win for both parties.

QR So you are happy how the trade went down?
FR: Absolutely! I will always have a special place in my heart for Halifax and the Raiders organization. I truly love those guys and that place. And Colorado is one hell of a world class organization. Their management @NONAME and @hhh81 welcomed me and made me feel right at home as soon as I got off the plane in Denver, as did the players. I was truly welcomed with open arms and the locker room was great with not making me feel like the odd man out or the “new” guy that was just a loaner. Guys like Bo Kane (@NONAME) and Emiko Spektor (@"mantorune") really went out of their way for me and the excitement in the locker room was contagious.

QRAfter the trade to Colorado, you moved on to the playoffs as one of the favorites to win it all. What happened that kept you from winning your first Cup in your last season?
FR: Well, just to clarify because it is a little nuanced, I actually have won a Cup before, just not in the SMJHL. I have won Gold with Switzerland in the WJC and I won a Challenge Cup with Edmonton as a post-season call up in S49. But to your point, we were expected to be a contender for the Four Star Cup and we just weren’t able to get it done. We played a really tough series against a quality team in Carolina. I know you want more explanation or some nugget of gold on why it didn’t happen but honestly, it just didn’t work out. We made a lot of early mistakes in the series and Carolina took advantage of them and really jumped out to a big series lead. We made some adjustments and really started playing better hockey, a lot more competitive hockey, but we just made too many mistakes that they took advantage of and Carolina did a really great job at limiting their own mistakes. While it was certainly not the result we were looking for I am still incredibly proud of being a part of the Raptors organization and what we were able to accomplish. I expect only great things in the future for Colorado, especially with all of the young talent that they have right now with guys like Henrik (@Thatguy91) and First-Name (@gurbs) and my Swiss compatriot Kuster (@kuschy). Honestly, I would really love to see both Halifax and Colorado in the finals.

QRWho would you want to win that matchup?
FR: You know what? Nevermind. I don’t think I could really root against either team. Could we have it where they both win?

QRchuckles Unfortunately that isn’t how it works. So tell me, we only have a few minutes left before you said you had to leave, can you quickly tell me a bit about your off-season and how things are looking for you in Edmonton?
FR: No worries, I can stay a few more minutes before I need to catch the flight. The off-season has been a good one. I spent a lot of my off-season back in Halifax. The Raiders were gracious enough to invite me to use their facility for off-season training and I had some things I had to take care of in Halifax like selling my house and shipping my car to Edmonton and things like that. Hockey-wise, I was able to play some IIHF hockey for Switzerland and then I was still eligible for WJC play so we, Team Alpine, are currently getting ready to play for the Bronze Medal for that. I also was able to find a small apartment in Edmonton and move my stuff in and get a bit more situated with the area and the team’s facilities and staff. We had a good pre-season and the talent in the SHL is as you would expect, a lot better than the SMJHL. There is definitely a bit of a learning curve but the team has put me in a really good position to bring me along gradually with some third line minutes and getting a lot of practice time against our first and second line forwards. The mentorship Tommy Tuck (@Muford), Karl (@karlssens) and Brady (@caltroit_red_flames) have shown me is second to none and they have been really great about showing me little things I can do to improve my game and work up to their level. It is going to take a lot of time and work but I am excited to see how much I can improve this season and hopefully I am able to contribute in a meaningful way.

QR Well, I think that is all that we have time for today. Thank you again FR for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk with me. Have safe travels to Finland for the WJC Bronze Medal game and best of luck for your future in Edmonton. Also, just really quick, congratulations on earning your first SHL point in your first regular season game!
FR: Thank you Quentin! I really appreciate it. Hopefully I will be able to stop by Halifax again and we can grab a few beers and catch up again.

QR That sounds great! From the Halifax Herald, I am Quentin Roschembacler signing off from this edition of the Halifax Herald’s Hockey Hoe-Down.

WolfpackBlizzardRaptors  raiders Switzerland  FINN RHYS  Switzerland raiders Raptors Blizzard Wolfpack


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#2

Nice write up! We miss you over in Halifax...

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#3

Raptors

We were blessed to have ya around while we could! Now go tear up the SHL.

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#4

We know the answer that wasn't reported was Halifax! Gonna miss you this season FR, if you're ever wanting a good old lobster cook just give me a shout and I'll ship a box over for you!

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#5

raiders raiders raiders I will miss you folks!!! You all better be available for off season meet ups! First round at any of my bars is on me! raiders raiders raiders

S52 "A" Alternate Captain of the Calgary Dragons
"GM" - Former Prince George Firebirds and Regina Force General Manager
"C" - Former Captain of the Halifax Raiders
S48 Brandon Holmes Trophy Recipient - Top Defensive Forward

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#6

Thoroughly enjoyed having you around bud, even though it was only for a short while!

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