So tell us a little bit about how your summer was, how did you spend your time?
I made the move out to Calgary, Alberta, so that was a change that we made as a family. We headed out there and I had a good opportunity to do some things that I've never got to do before. I was fly fishing and I have made some buddies out there too. I spent a lot of time with my new brother-in-law, so that was a lot of fun. Just a lot of family time with the wife and my son, hanging out and watching him grow up is pretty special.
How does it feel to be back?
It feels great to be back, I mean, I've always loved coming back here. I've been here now for seven years so I've spent a lot of my life here. I love my house and our set up, and then coming back to the rink and seeing all the guys and the awesome facility that we have is great. You know, you don't really realize what you're missing until you get back and realize how great we have it here. It's good to be back and working hard and seeing everyone put in the effort.
What was the mood like when you arrived at the facility and did it feel different from other seasons?
It definitely feels good. Everyone's come in, everyone looks like they're in shape. Everyone's eager with the changes that have been made and we're looking forward to proving how effective our team can be.
A large amount of the team, including veterans, have already returned to the area. How encouraging is it to have full skates this early?
It's great. Being back early, having the team together, it says something about not only building chemistry on the ice, but off the ice as well. Everyone's working hard and putting in the effort. It's just a huge bonding experience for the guys to be back together this early.
There's a new head coach in John Tortorella behind the bench. What's your excitement level to play Torts
It's been great. I'm really looking forward to the opportunity to play for him. I've heard a lot of good things. It's gonna be a hard camp, but it's all worth it for the style of play that we're going to play moving forward.
