Five Questions with Connor Carrick

NHL.com's Q&A feature called "Five Questions With…" runs every Tuesday. We talk to key figures in the game and ask them questions to gain insight into their careers and the latest news.

The latest edition features New Jersey Devils defenseman Connor Carrick.

Connor Carrick still remembers the neurological ticks that at times disrupted everyday life as a child whenever he felt some level of anxiety.

Whether it surfaced in the form of a nose scrunch, finger snapping or chewing on his shirt didn't really matter.

The New Jersey Devils defenseman isn't ashamed to share these stories because he wants others who might be experiencing similar episodes to know they're not alone.

"I remember as a kid taking those standardized tests and I'd be raring to go because I wanted to do my best; I knew it was important," Carrick said. "I would chew on my shirt at the moment of intensity, and by the end of the testing, I'd look down and my shirt would be chewed on down to my belly button.

"It looked like I jumped into a pool."

Instagram from @connorcarrick: 🧠🧠🧠#MentalHealthMonday.My neurological tic intensifies during particularly demanding periods of my life. Fortunately, as I grow with myself each day, I better learn, improve, and accept my features and flaws as a human being..I hope my inward learning about myself, my dealings with all things stress, anxiety, and inner tension leads to lessons we can hopefully share together so we can improve the quality of self we present to the world.

Carrick, now in his sixth NHL season, has become an advocate in helping those with any sort of mental health issues. When the NHL season was paused on March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus, Carrick took the opportunity to begin the Instagram from @connorcarrick: 🧠🧠🧠#MentalHealthMonday.My neurological tic intensifies during particularly demanding periods of my life. Fortunately, as I grow with myself each day, I better learn, improve, and accept my features and flaws as a human being..I hope my inward learning about myself, my dealings with all things stress, anxiety, and inner tension leads to lessons we can hopefully share together so we can improve the quality of self we present to the world. to help in his pursuit of improvement and well-being -- physically, mentally and spiritually.

"I really enjoy the self-education front, listening to people I respect and look up to," Carrick said. "I'm not saying I have all the answers, but it's nice to call doctors and athletes and discuss the ins-and-outs of their careers. I'm just trying to lead listeners to certain places where I found a lot of help, and it's been really rewarding so far."

Here are Five Questions with… Connor Carrick:

What was the genesis behind the "Connor Carrick Podcast"?

"I do think I can be long-winded and more well-spoken and thought-out than certain players who just simply don't prefer to have conversation and that style that I like to. I thought there's a uniqueness there that I can make the best of. There were three groups that I think really are attracted to know my platform. First are the young male and female athletes, the student-athletes. I get a lot of messages about routines, habits, what I've learned growing up, and I'm more than happy to share that. That generation is very impressionable and really ready for guidance ... I know I was at that age. The next group would be classified as the 20-somethings trying to do something; those kids out of college that don't know what they want, but they're wiser or ready to take action, so I guess if I showed the work I put in by showing up, being average at something and growing into something big, it would be a good case study for them to look to for inspiration. The third group would be the families. I've read a lot of messages from moms and dads wanting to know what I recommend, what do I think, what do I eat, my mindset about things, and preparation. The easy way to gain attention, respect and clout is to be a 100-point guy every year, but that's really hard. The podcast has been hitting between 3,000-4,000 downloads a week and it's already in the top five percent of all podcasts, so I'm very happy about that."

Do you still have a few of those neurological ticks?

"It's subsided. It's weird, over the course of my life I've had other ones. I'd snap my neck back and try and make that little crackling sound. I'd do it on the soccer field when I was really young and it kind of evolved. I've done the nose scrunch for quite some time, which is fine. It's sort of a physical cue for me to breathe and check in with what I'm excited about because I'm doing something that matters to me. I'm cool with it because it's discreet. Kids made fun of me when I was younger, but it wasn't ever life-altering, nor did it severely bother me. Guys will ask me about it now, but it's all good."

You've played for the Washington Capitals, Toronto Maple Leafs, Dallas Stars and Devils. Who are the most talented forwards you've practiced against?

"To me, the most consistently impressive was Nicklas Backstrom (Capitals). He was just so perfect. I swear, it would be like months before a puck at his feet would get away from him. Every single pass was just perfect; the next sauce pass he makes that lands wobbly would be the first. There's no difference between the way he played and the way he practiced because he was just so calm, saw everybody and never got hit. Auston Matthews' (Maple Leafs) shot and his ability to score 5-on-5 is world class. In terms of creativity, Mitchell Marner (Maple Leafs) was great. We used to do this drill with [former Maple Leafs coach Mike] Babcock where the forward would swing down anywhere they wanted, grab a puck and go 1-on-1 against a D-man. Your job as a defender is to totally shut the play down and Mitch would do this thing where like he'd skate super-low, gather speed almost like Patrick Kane would, and just be so creative. He'd spin around and go behind the net, re-gap if he didn't like what he saw and flip it to himself the whole length of the ice to try and beat you to it. You never knew what you were going to get with him. Alex Ovechkin (Capitals) can't do 1-on-1 in practice like he does in a game; barrel a defenseman down and rip a one-timer into the pile on the power play. So, it wasn't as hard to play against [Ovechkin] in practice."

Can you name some impressive defensive partners you've skated with in your career?

"I'd say Miro Heiskanen (Stars). He played the left side and I was playing like 20 minutes a night with him. I thought that was going to be a huge stepping-stone in my career before I got hurt in Dallas. I thought there was a real opportunity to cement a spot in that top four. I thought John Klingberg (Stars) was also outstanding; his ability to control a game and control the pace of play was so underrated. There wasn't a rush he couldn't be a part of from a skating and energy standpoint. Between Heiskanen and Klingberg, you had a fourth guy gapping up and ready to kill a rush because they were already a part of it. They're outstanding."

You were selected by the Capitals in the fifth round (No. 137) of the 2012 NHL Draft. What do you remember about your draft-eligible season?

"One of my favorite players growing up was (Edmonton Oilers defenseman) Mike Green, who played for the Capitals at that time. I also really looked up to John Carlson since he scored the famous goal at the 2010 World Junior Championship to give the United States the gold medal against Canada. I was an offensive player at the time and I remember how super exciting is was with the way they had built their team. We had a strong defensive corps at the USA Hockey National Team Development Program. It was Seth Jones, myself, Jacob Trouba, Matt Grzelcyk, Brady Skjei, and Patrick Sieloff. I was actually the last defenseman taken off that team that day; Seth Jones wasn't eligible until the following season and we all knew where he was going. There are a lot of players on that board selected before me who I wanted a piece of. I was ready to go after people and, you know, I'm well aware of how I've done versus some of those players and how we've all lasted and grown in this game. I like to think that some of my best hockey is yet to be played. I've had some ups and downs in my career but I'm looking to hit a stride."