We were able to sit down with New Orleans Specters and Team Canada’s defender Lyle Odelein III to talk about the SHL draft which took place this past Sunday.  We also asked Lyle about last season and this coming season with the New Orleans Specters.  So, without further ado, here is our latest interview with one of the New Orleans Spceters alternate captains, the defensemen Lyle Odelein III:

Q: Hello again Lyle, as always, many thanks for taking the time to sit down with us.

A: Not a problem, I am glad we could make this work.  I’m just about to head back to New Orleans to get ready for the upcoming season.

Q: Makes sense, with the IIHF tournament unfortunately over for you and your fellow Canadians, you can now focus on the upcoming season.

A: Ya, I had hoped to be staying here for another couple of days at least, but we just had an overtime loss in the quarter finals to a solid Great Britain team.  That’s two tournaments in a row we got knocked out in the quarters, it’s a tough loss, but I have no doubt that us Canadians will be back next tourney, stronger and hungrier.

Q: Glad to hear that!  Now let’s talk about the SHL entry draft that just took place this past Sunday.

A: For sure, I’m a big fan of the draft, I’ll never forget my experience coming up to the draft and then the actual draft, hearing my name called out when I was picked.  Something that will stick with me forever, I hope that all this seasons draftees had the same experience as I did.  It was pretty frickin’ awesome!

Q: No doubt, I can totally understand a player’s draft day to be very memorable.  And this draft, one player was selected by the New Orleans Specters.  With the 13th overall pick the Specters selected Erben Kasius.

A: We sure did, and I think JoeK and TDZ stole another one this draft!  We got a great young defender in Kasius.  I’ve seen him play a bunch, since he plays for the St. Louis Scarecrows, which is were I started my career.  I couldn’t be happier to have Erben join us, he is going to be a great SHL’er!

Q: Well he’ll be in good company in New Orleans with all of the alumni that are currently there.

A: You’re right, there’s a bunch of us here. St. Louis and New Orleans have a whole lot of connections, it made it a whole lot easier for me to make the transition from the SMJHL to the SHL, hopefully it’ll be the same for Erben.

Q: Kasius isn’t the only new addition to the team, your front office was busy coming up to the draft and made a few moves.

A: They sure were.  It’s tough seeing guys go, but I trust in our GMs fully, they are the best in the business.  I’m am really going to miss Bergen and Watson, solid people and players.  But the one that I’ll miss the most is Sean Stevenson Jr.  He was my partner for the most of the season, I learned a lot from him and really enjoyed the time we spent together.  Tampa Bay got a good one with Sean, best of luck to you man, gonna miss ya!

Q: And coming back the other way, the Specters added Filip Zadina, another Crow alum.

A: Ya, I was lucky enough to play with Zadina in my rookie season with the Crows.  He was a great player in the juniors and that hasn’t changed in the big leagues.  I can’t wait to get back on the ice with him, it’s gonna be fun.

Q:  Any other moves being made?

A: I think the only other change we’ve got is that DeMaricus Smyth is going to be doing what Osin Fletcher did a couple of seasons ago.  DeMaricus is going to be lining up with us blueliners at the start of this coming season. 

Q: Wow, he is a great player, I have no doubt that he’ll be able to carry that over to the back end.

A: For sure, I watched DeMaricus play before I even joined the Specters, he was lights out!  When I got drafted by New Orleans and realized that I might get the chance to play on the same team as him I lost my shit!  Now having gotten to know DeMaricus and play with him for the last three seasons, finding out that I now might be playing beside him on the blueline, I’m just as excited as I was when I was drafted!  It’s unreal, he is going to be an amazing addition to the backend.  And we’ve got Hamr moving up from the SMJHL to join us as well, our defense is looking pretty friggin great if you ask me!

Q: You sound pretty excited for this coming season.

A: Hells yes, I am!  We were so close last season to reaching the Challenge Cup finals, it was a heartbreaker of a game seven.  But we have moved past that, our sights are set on this coming season.  We all had productive off seasons and are ready to hit the ice again as a team.  Keep an eye out for the Specters this season, we are going to be ready to rock right from game number one.

Q: I for one can’t wait to get the season started and see what this new look Specters team can do out there.  Well, that about wraps it up for our time, thanks so much for taking the time to sit down and talk with us, I know you’ve got a plane to catch back to the Big Easy. So, safe travels and best of luck to start S53 of the SHL!

A: Thanks a lot, I hope next time we talk will be at the end of the playoffs and that I have the Challenge Cup sitting beside me!

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