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*Good_Ole_Kimmy* · 07-11-2018, 03:07 AM

I'm here interviewing recent SMJHL draftee Andrew Martin.

First off, thanks for taking the time out of your day to do this interview, now why don't you tell us where you got drafted?
Thanks for the coming to me to do the interview, the pleasure is all mine! I was drafted in the sixth round 42nd overall by the Colorado Raptors.

Interesting, going into the draft what were your expectations?
Going into the draft, I'm going to be honest, I wasn't expecting much. I knew that teams were interested in me, I had been contacted by several, one being Colorado. I wasn't expecting to be picked in the first few rounds, I didn't really get the vibe that I was a super sought after prospect and I to be honest I think that the sixth round was about where I predicted myself to go. I'm just happy that Colorado took the chance on me, and I hope that I can prove to them that they made the right choice in picking me!

Why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself from prior to the draft?
Hello, my name is Andrew Martin and I'm from Hannover Germany. Last season I played for my hometown team the Hannover Indians, a team in the Oberliga. I think that really helped my development due to the fact that I was playing with men as an 18 year old

What has been your experience so far with your team?
So far the experience I've had with this team is exceptional. Like I said before going into the draft I knew that Colorado was interested in me, and I also knew that they take pride in the fact that they have one of the best locker room experiences in the league. This has proven to be true, every question I have is answered incredibly fast, and my coaches are doing a very good job in helping me build my player. While we may not be a contender this year, next year our team will be top notch just due to the amount of prospects that we have that are eager to win.

What do you think about your fellow draftees on the team? How have you meshed with them?
Well, seeing as almost all of our forwards on the team are rookies drafted alongside me, we kind of have to get along. And that's not to say that we aren't getting along. One guy in particular, Nate Forseberg, has stuck out as one of the best guys in the locker room. When he was asked to play out of position, he instantly said yes and changed his build. That speaks volumes about the type of person you are, look out for him to be a future captain.

What are your hopes pertaining to what type of player you grow into?
If you had asked me this a few days ago I would have told you that I strive to be the type of player that you can rely on to consistently score, but since then with the help of my coaches I've tried to evolve my game into becoming somebody that can be incredibly versatile by playing both center and wing, something that I hope will make me more desirable in the big leagues.

You mentioned that you are from Germany, what is it like moving to North America more specifically Colorado?
Well since I have been playing in Germany my entire life I have almost no experience playing on the smaller ice that the other players are used to, but that just makes it more fun! In terms of living here, life is very different in Colorado than it is in my hometown Hannover. For example, during these few days the Raptors organization has made an effort to teach me how life works in the US compared to Germany, one thing is that I live with a host family which is very different but they have been very welcoming and I can't thank them enough for opening their home up to me.

How do you think the Raptors will do this season? What are some of the strengths and weaknesses of the team?
Well right now almost all of our forwards are rookies drafted this season, and this is even more true with the recent trade of Cash Savage and Kevin Maddox two of our better veteran players. Even without those two we still have a great goalie and blue line, and most of our forwards are pretty skilled offensively. I think our only weakness is our lack of depth a center, but these issues are being solved with players like myself and Nate Forseberg stepping up to play center. If we aren't super competitive this season, every team should watch out for us next season because we are going to crush it!

What do you think of the city of Denver compared to Hannover?
All in all Colorado is pretty similar to Hannover in most aspects. Both Denver and Hannover are both pretty big cities with lots of things to do in them, and the are even similar right down to the hockey culture. In Hannover there are two teams the Indians and Scorpions, both are in the German hockey league Oberliga, which I think equates to the popularity of the Raptors with hockey not being as big in Germany as it is in the US. Overall I think that Colorado is a good fit for me just because it is so similar to where I grew up. One thing that is different however is that the general environment is drastically different between the two places. Hannover is built on a lot of rivers, while Denver is a lot more mountainous and offers a lot of different things that wasn't possible before, like rock climbing or hiking in the mountains. It also allows me to see different wildlife than in Hannover.

Do you have any pre-game rituals, and what are some of the craziest you have ever seen? What are some of the most common ones you've seen?
Personally I don't really believe in pre game mumbo jumbo but thats just mean, I've had plenty of team mates over the years that believe in that kind of stuff. One of the craziest was that somebody on my team last year would just run into the glass behind that net as hard as he could before every single game, I know crazy right? One of the most common would probably be having to be the first and or last on the ice or listening to a certain song before every game.

Finally, did you have any players that you looked up to growing up in the SHL?
One player that I will always have an admiration for Pavel Datsyuk. Something about the way that he played was just so amazing. It's like he always knew exactly what you do with the puck and exactly how to do it. Definitely an inspiration.

Thank you again for giving me the opportunity to interview you, and good luck with the season.
The pleasure is all mine.

(1190 words x2 for first media article)

*Tomen* · 07-11-2018, 07:30 AM

Thank you all for the amazing sigs & player cards
Germany

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