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Russell and Agent Media Availability (aka, another presser)
#1

Ready, please grade!

It's my second off-season without having any GM duties. The league is as full of drama as ever. Russell is in his second season of regression and just won his second cup; unlike certain teammates he did not get engaged immediately thereafter, but he has had his house invaded by rookies.

Ask me questions about the team, Russell and plans for the future, or whatever else, and I'll probably answer most of them.

Quote:Originally posted by Eggy216+--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1' id='QUOTE-WRAP'><tr><td>QUOTE (Eggy216)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->wat?[/b]
Wat what?

Quote:[i]Originally posted by KleslaR+--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1' id='QUOTE-WRAP'><tr><td>QUOTE (KleslaR)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->How has this off-season been?[/b]
Good! Winning the cup (or being in the finals) definitely makes the offseason seem like less of a drag - when you're not playing games for a month it can drag on forever, but with a winning team there's never more than a few days between the end of finals, the draft, free agency, regression, fantasy starting, etc. Regression is definitely the least fun part, although Russell is still mostly hanging in there.

Quote:Originally posted by KleslaR<br />Lets say a repeat is out of the question. What are your plans for the playoffs? What team would you love to knock out of the playoffs in a sweep?
If we can't get all the way I obviously want to get as far as possible. It's always fun to knock out the Chiefs or the Stars, and although things have been lower key lately the Pack and the Rage used to have a really fun rivalry back in the day and I think both teams are growing enough lately that it might be fun to rekindle that. And it'd be fun just to see Buffalo in the playoffs at all. If we want to be knocked out in the second round I'd want it to be by West Kendall, because our two teams have done a lot of eliminating each other recently, they're a really strong team so I wouldn't feel bad losing to them, and they're one of my favorite non-Wolfpack teams in the league so I'd love to see them do well.

Quote:Originally posted by KleslaR<br />Are you looking to hit the 20 goal mark or the 30 assist mark more next season? Which would you rather do? This answer might make you look like a team player or a puck hog. Both are fine though, bacon is delicious.
Bacon is delicious, agreed. Russell definitely likes bacon. He also likes scoring goals, of course, but in the end he's always been built as a playmaker. The goal is always to get out there on the ice, clear the way with big hits, and get the puck to his teammates in front of the net.

Quote:Originally posted by KleslaR<br />Why is it that Eggy can't count to 7?
Probably because he's too busy thinking about fifty thousand other things. Like keeping us in line, or trying to get himself hung in Town of Salem. Or, you know, grad school.

Quote:Originally posted by KleslaR<br />With Laukkanen coming up as your goaltender in the future, how are your cup chances looking?
I think they're looking great for a long time. Our team is really young and we've got some great players just waiting to step in this season and in the next 2-3 seasons with very few inactives who we'll be phasing out pretty quickly. Russell and Tanner are the two big losses the team will be looking at, and Russell still has a few seasons before he really starts to feel his age out on the ice. Laukkanen is going to be a star when he finally gets his chance to shine - it's great that he's been so willing to let Tanner keep his ice time as a veteran, but he's been learning everything he can in the meantime and is looking like one of the biggest draft steals in SHL history.

Quote:Originally posted by KleslaR<br />With Tanner potentially being less active but still a solid goaltender, do you feel obligated to do your best to help him reach some of Aittokallio's records?
I know Tanner would like to break a few of this records, and it'd be great to see him do so, but I'm more worried about makings sure the team as a whole does their best. I think Tanner is as well, especially since team success is what's going to get him his records anyway in the long run.

Quote:Originally posted by KleslaR<br />What pre-game routines you simply cannot skip or you'll have a horrible game?
You know, Russell isn't the most superstitious guy so he didn't used to have that many specific rituals or routines. But in the last few seasons the locker room has developed its own routines that I think he'd be a little lost without. Makinen coming in really upped the pre-game energy, and at this point Russell has gone from rolling his eyes at the loud music and dancing to really taking in that team energy and using that when he makes his way out onto the ice.

Quote:Originally posted by KleslaR<br />What is the hardest part of being a forward? Do you think you'd have it easier as a defenseman when you don't need to worry so much about scoring goals? Or are there other things that bring it on level with stress?
I think all positions have their own sources of stress. Goalies obviously have the most, but forwards and defensemen are fairly equal - maybe if Russell was a sniper he'd be more preoccupied with his goal scoring ability, but any player should be trying to play whatever role is best for their team so whether it's goals or shot blocks or strong playmaking, I don't think forwards or defensemen have more or less pressure. I'd say the one stat that I'd be worried about if Russell suddenly started failing was faceoffs, since as a center if you're failing there you know you're having a problem.

Quote:Originally posted by KleslaR<br />How many bathrooms does your mansion have?
It's not really a mansion, just a big house, so only five. One off the master suite, then one of the guest bedrooms has its own and there's another shared bath on the second floor. There's a half bath on the main floor, and another in the basement off the game room.

Quote:Originally posted by KleslaR<br />If your team can't win the Cup next season, which team would you like to see win it? And who would they beat in the finals so you could mock them for the entire off-season?
I already sort of mentioned this earlier, but I'd love to see West Kendall finally win a cup. They're a really good group, both in terms of personalities and on-ice play, so I'd both feel happy for them and feel like they've been deserving of one for awhile. I'm not really the sort to mock another team for losing (except maybe if they lose to my own team) but I'd like to see the Blizzard make it to the finals again, they're a good group.

Quote:Originally posted by probablydrunk<br />How much mac and cheese?
The thing with mac and cheese is it sounds delicious, but it's rich enough that I can't actually eat that much at once. So... enough for leftovers? Were you around back in the day when Riggsy (before he disappeared on the Pack) changed his name to Cheese so that Mac and Cheese were both leaders on the team.

Quote:Originally posted by akamai<br />"Unlike certain other teammates" HMM WHO COULD THAT BE :->
Quick, tell Russell what's next on the wedding planning list or else he's going to invent something.

Quote:Originally posted by akamai<br />Starting to miss GMing or are you still happy to have a break from it?
Definitely still happy to be able to sit back and enjoy things without having to worry about all the details. I'm just getting to the point where I'm feeling like I have the energy to be more involved in the site than I have been in awhile.

Quote:Originally posted by akamai<br />If Russ had to be stuck in traffic with a teammate, who would be his pick and why?
This is a really hard question, because there are so many answers! He'd probably say someone like Tanner or Reid so that they could have adult conversations, but as much as he'd tell you he never wants to be stuck in a car with Makinen and the other more energetic young players he'd probably be secretly really amused and enjoy the entertainment.

Quote:Originally posted by akamai<br />What's Russ's fave pregame/postgame meal?
He's a pretty basic guy, so probably pasta and chicken beforehand or a nice steak or burger if they're going out afterwards.

Quote:Originally posted by akamai<br />As a veteran of the team and of the SHL, what's the best piece of advice you've received that you would pass onto new members?
Not to be afraid to ask questions and get involved (but to make sure they pay attention to what's going on at the same time). And not to worry too much about where you're going to get drafted until you end up there - there are great people all over this site and your experience will be what you choose to make of it, if you're going to a team that's not doing to well or is in a rebuild you're probably going to be with a bunch of young folk like you who can make the place your own, whereas if you're going to an established team you're going to have a lot of veterans to learn from.

Quote:Originally posted by cltnsnw<br />How does it feel to add a second cup to your resume?
It feels great! The first one was as Russell was just starting to reach his prime, playing depth minutes (and a lot of defense, randomly) and now he's the first line veteran. I was also in my first full season as GM for our first win, and in my first season after passing on the GM duties this time. So I've seen them from very different perspectives, which is pretty cool. I also knew, the last time we won, that I was about to start a huge rebuild, and it's great to know now that that rebuild has finally finished and we should have a realy strong team for many seasons in the future.

Quote:Originally posted by Jenny<br />What's it like living with Landvik? What's the most annoying thing she does around the house? The best thing about having her around? Relatedly, are you excited for Dominique to come liven up the house as well?
It's great, Russell didn't know he wanted a little sister until she showed up. The most annoying thing she does it probably call him out whenever he does something stupid - there's no respect for a veteran there, she calls it as she sees it. The best thing is probably the same thing, honestly! He sees himself in Mia more than most of the people on the team, and not only loves her attitude but also loves someone who will practice playing a bit more physically out there with him. Mia / Russell bash brothers should happen at some point.

Definitely excited about Deets moving in! The house is busy enough already with Mia and Bennett there, so Deets doesn't make it any more crazy, but he's just such a happy presence and makes everyone around him feel good.

Quote:Originally posted by Jenny<br />What are your thoughts on the upcoming season? Is a back-to-back possible?
Definitely possible, and the standing so far are supporting that theory. The Pack have had a few seasons lately where we started weak but picked up steam towards the end, hopefully the opposite won't be true this season. But our team is only strengthened from last season, so there's no reason to expect us to slip from the top of the (heh) pack.

<!--QuoteBegin-Kevin "Juice" Bieksa+--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1' id='QUOTE-WRAP'><tr><td>QUOTE (Kevin "Juice" Bieksa)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Have you finally learned to say Patrikov and not Patrickckov?[/b][/quote]
To be fair, that was always 100% making fun of whoever it was that started it. But yes, now that I'm not a GM and don't have to be serious about things maybe I can spell your name right Tongue

<!--QuoteBegin-Kevin "Juice" Bieksa+--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1' id='QUOTE-WRAP'><tr><td>QUOTE (Kevin "Juice" Bieksa)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Thoughts on how that trade ended up:
To http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff60/NJ...HLEmoteJets.png
F Niklas Wikstrom

To http://i50.tinypic.com/6jf4ld.png
F Patrikov Bure
S27 WIN 2nd (26th overall) (Dickie Pecker)[/b][/quote]
I'd forgotten that's what the trade was, but it's turned out great. I obviously miss being on a team with Whiki ( :( ) but it's been great having you around and Bure has turned on beast mode lately so he's definitely been a big part of our recent success.

Quote:Originally posted by Allen<br />In 10,000 words or more, describe why the United States of America is the greatest hockey nation in the world.
10,000 words [ The US has had a pretty consistently strong team the whole time that Russell's been on the team, and even before that when he was watching from the stands and dreaming of being called up to play for his country. There's been a fair amount of turnover in that time that's definitely hurt the team a bit - we never have more than a couple of really strong vets playing at the same time, it feels like - but overall the core has been pretty solid. ] or more

Quote:Originally posted by HabsFanFromOntario<br />No questions, just wanted to say thanks for being PB
>:D<

Quote:Originally posted by Kristy95<br />Who were your own mentors when you came into the league how do you think they affected you on your journey throughout your career?
There are two people who really stand out to me from when I joined the league. The first is Erik Chisling, who was a hall of famer back in the day but had retired and was the General Manager of the New England Wolfpack (or Co-GM, the timelines are a little hazy in my memory) when I came into the league. He'd reached out to me even before I was eligible for the junior draft, scouting a few of my games in high school, and encouraging me to make a career out of it. I know he was hoping I'd play with his protege, Kaspars Tsizling, in juniors, but instead I was drafted by the Regina Force, and he would draft me to play on the team with Kaspars the following season. He was happy to answer any questions and give encouragement to me even when we were on different teams, and helped me to grow into a leadership and management role on the team after I was drafted there. (To translate out of character, <a href='index.php?showuser=177' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-3'>Ace</a> was a huge part of both encouraging me to apply to the site when I was interested by his reddit post, mentoring me throughout, and eventually making me his co-gm and then successor when he stepped down. I can't imagine how different my experience on the site would have been withouth him.)

The second person is Carter O'Callahan, who was a veteran player when I was drafted to the Wolfpack. He really set the standard for what a power forward could look like in this league, and he's the player I've looked up to the most throughout my whole career. He was always a great, mature voice in the locker room and a true inspiration on the ice. He was a huge part of our Challenge Cup victory in Season 23, and seeing him traded to the Seattle Riot that following off-season was hard to take, despite it being best for both him and the team.

Quote:Originally posted by iOBESE<br />As this years Fire Pigeon I see you as "The Mother of Pigeons" (GoT Reference) - do you accept? If yes, give us, the new fire pigeons, a speech!
Mother of Pigeons just doesn't sound as epic as Mother of Dragons, does it? That said, I'm happy to accept the title unless <a href='index.php?showuser=2078' rel='nofollow' alt='profile link' class='user-tagged mgroup-14'>rrireal</a> wants to fight me for it, since I believe that was previously her role in the complex family tree that is the Prince George Firebirds.

I'm not much of one for speeches, but I will say that I am incredibly proud of the team for fighting through the challenges of being one of the youngest teams in the SMJHL and making it all the way to the finals last season, and that seeing how much the roster has improved this season I firmly believe you belong back there in Season 31. It's wonderful to be part of a franchise with so much young energy right now, from second year "veterans" like Eduard Selich to the strong batch of rookies including Cukurs, Caelum, and O'Sullivan. I was never truly a Firebird, and I may be one of the few in the league to miss the Force, but I'm proud to be associated with this team.

Quote:Originally posted by Tomen<br />Do you think Russell will stil play in S35?
I want to say yes, although he'll definitely be starting to be borderline by that point and I can't say for sure he won't decide to retire before then. I'd say if I had to make a guess, he will be playing in S35 but it will be his last or secont to last season. I know for sure he won't be retiring at the end of this season, so he's guaranteed through at least S33, and considering this is one of his best seasons ever so far he'd have to see a very sharp decline to retire in the next couple of seasons.

<!--QuoteBegin-Tomen@
Will Russell be a HoF? If not what do you think has to happen for him to get in?[/quote]
Honestly, I pay fairly little attention to the Hall of Fame here. He has been a very consistent, solid player, with a couple of cups under his belt already, but he only has one individual award so far and he's never been the flashiest player out there on the ice, so I'm never going to count on him getting the recognition that I think he deserves. It would be nice, though. If he can win another award or two before he retires that will definitely help his chances.

<!--QuoteBegin-Tomen[/i]
Will Russell ever play for another team?[/quote]
That's entirely up to his general managers. He's very committed to the Wolfpack, and considering that he's still an asset to the Pack and that the team is doing well enough to make use of his talents, I can't see a reason it would make sense to trade him at this point. That said, if the team were to enter a rebuild, or if a couple of years down the road they had their eye on the perfect replacement via trade or the draft and needed to move him to acquire them, he'd be happy to take one for the team. So I think it's unlikely, but I'll never say never.

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#2

wat?

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#3

How has this off-season been?

Lets say a repeat is out of the question. What are your plans for the playoffs? What team would you love to knock out of the playoffs in a sweep?

Are you looking to hit the 20 goal mark or the 30 assist mark more next season? Which would you rather do? This answer might make you look like a team player or a puck hog. Both are fine though, bacon is delicious.

Why is it that Eggy can't count to 7?

With Laukkanen coming up as your goaltender in the future, how are your cup chances looking?

With Tanner potentially being less active but still a solid goaltender, do you feel obligated to do your best to help him reach some of Aittokallio's records?

What pre-game routines you simply cannot skip or you'll have a horrible game?

What is the hardest part of being a forward? Do you think you'd have it easier as a defenseman when you don't need to worry so much about scoring goals? Or are there other things that bring it on level with stress?

How many bathrooms does your mansion have?

If your team can't win the Cup next season, which team would you like to see win it? And who would they beat in the finals so you could mock them for the entire off-season?
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#4

How much mac and cheese?
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#5

"Unlike certain other teammates" HMM WHO COULD THAT BE :->

Starting to miss GMing or are you still happy to have a break from it?

If Russ had to be stuck in traffic with a teammate, who would be his pick and why?

What's Russ's fave pregame/postgame meal?

As a veteran of the team and of the SHL, what's the best piece of advice you've received that you would pass onto new members?
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#6

How does it feel to add a second cup to your resume?
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#7

Updated through here, keep the questions coming!

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#8

What's it like living with Landvik? What's the most annoying thing she does around the house? The best thing about having her around? Relatedly, are you excited for Dominique to come liven up the house as well?

What are your thoughts on the upcoming season? Is a back-to-back possible?

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#9

Have you finally learned to say Patrikov and not Patrickckov?

Thoughts on how that trade ended up:
To Jets
F Niklas Wikstrom

To Wolfpack
F Patrikov Bure
S27 WIN 2nd (26th overall) (Dickie Pecker)



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#10

In 10,000 words or more, describe why the United States of America is the greatest hockey nation in the world.
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#11

No questions, just wanted to say thanks for being PB

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#12

Only 100 words :((
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#13

I went out of town and let this languish a bit, but one last call if anyone wants to ask me questions!

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#14

Quote:Originally posted by Allen@Oct 17 2016, 03:14 PM
Only 100 words :((
When I try to be clever and still mess things up :facepalm:

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#15

Quote:If we want to be knocked out in the second round I'd want it to be by West Kendall, because our two teams have done a lot of eliminating each other recently, they're a really strong team so I wouldn't feel bad losing to them, and they're one of my favorite non-Wolfpack teams in the league so I'd love to see them do well.

:wub:

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