08-27-2018, 10:40 PM(This post was last modified: 08-29-2018, 08:52 PM by grok.)
(ready for grading. initial post 385 + answers 1744. 2129 words total)
Good evening, everyone. Always nice to see familiar faces out in the press field. Y'all make our world go 'round and you don't hear it enough, so thanks for being here.
First off, I want to thank everyone in Detroit for being so supportive. This team has been unreal on and off the ice, such a strong support system. Having a good group around you keeps you sharp, keeps you focused. You don't do it for yourself anymore, you do it for the team. Each and every guy in that locker room has a story, and I have a story about all of them, and when that happens you capture something special. I'm looking forward to leading that group to some real success next year, and we definitely have the pieces to do it.
Buffalo is such an exciting future for me. I love the group, management is already incredible, and I already feel like I'm a part of something bigger than myself. There's a lot to prove in this locker room, especially on the ice. FourFour is the guy and everyone knows it, but I'm looking forward to a chance to be the future and to get a little extra time to acquire some SMJHL hardware along the way. I'm going to show this team that they made the right decision.
Although I'm very happy to join the Stampede, I am a little disappointed in my draft position. I figured a league-leading season among goaltenders in shutouts and first star awards, top-two finishes in save percentage and minutes played, a healthy bankroll and completing every single training my team offered would earn some respect around the league, but I guess it didn't earn me enough respect to leave the goalie board first. I'm a little bitter about it, I won't lie. But Buffalo is such a good place for me to develop into a dominant player and show the rest of the league they made a mistake. Which they did.
It's been an action-packed 24 hours, and I'm looking forward to hitting the ice with my new teammates in training camp tomorrow morning. Until then, I'm opening the floor to questions from the press.
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08-27-2018, 10:44 PMkit Wrote: how r u
im so good you could call me a fineapple.
Honestly I'm really excited. I got drafted by a good team and I'm in a scenario where I can dominate with the Falcons for a number of years, so I really dig it.
08-27-2018, 10:53 PMWannabeFinn Wrote: How does it feel to know you’ll be with Hippo Passamus for the foreseeable future?
Fantastic. Hippo is great in the locker room (really good English, especially for a Swede) and has been working super hard in the off-season. I'm already super excited to play with him in the juniors next year where he's poised for a breakout season, and to get to take that on and off-ice chemistry to Boston with us makes me very optimistic about the future.
08-27-2018, 10:53 PMWannabeFinn Wrote: What was going through your mind when the first goalie selected was at 16th overall, and it wasn’t you?
Honestly I was confused and a pissed. I made every training, did tons of work with the media, made my WJC team as a rookie, led a team projected seventh to a playoff spot as the rookie starter, led the league in two goalie captions and am going to be a finalist for multiple end-of-season awards. It feels really shitty to have all your work towards improving your draft position count for nothing. After last night, I literally don't know what it takes to go off the board in the first round as a goaltender, and I'm convinced that how you perform on the ice literally does not impact your draft position.
08-27-2018, 11:12 PMSlappydoodle Wrote: What’s the first thing you’ll do when that SHL money starts coming in?
I actually have a photo op scheduled with Buddy's Pizza downtown. I go to Buddy's before every single home game to carbo load--it's my pre-game ritual. I even take a slice with me on the bus to away games. So the very first thing I'm going to buy with my first SHL paycheck is a slice from the pizza that pushed me to an incredible rookie season, sharing that moment with the Detroit fans that made it worth all the effort.
08-27-2018, 11:12 PMSlappydoodle Wrote: Are you lucky in retrospect to not go high in the draft, given that you ended up with a young team that should be good for the foreseeable future?
I'm still pretty livid about going late, but I couldn't be happier to get drafted where I did. Buffalo is an incredible team with a ton of opportunity. I'll get to stick with a few Falcons players I really enjoy like Lagerfield and Hippo, spend a good stint in the minors working on my style, and really learn from one of the best in FourFour Jr. It's been such a welcoming environment and is practically custom built to make me into the hall-of-fame player I want to be in ten years.
08-27-2018, 11:12 PMSlappydoodle Wrote: Are you excited to play and share a LR with the Aussie man-god @Avakael?
@Avakael is great and I'm super excited to play behind such a high-quality D, even if it's just in training and the pre-season. Since I'm a part of the leadership in the Falcons' locker room and spend a lot of time with the defense there, I'm sure there are lots of lessons and techniques I can pick up from playing with such an exceptional position player.
08-27-2018, 11:54 PMWaters Wrote: You were the second goalie selected back in July and you remain the second goalie drafted in your SHL draft, albeit in a very different context. Playing behind a veteran who still has his best years in front of him, what will be your main challenges en route to earning a starting SHL spot, and how do you plan to overcome them?
Honestly I don't see myself "overcoming" FourFour Jr. He's about to enter his prime as a goaltender and I've only been in this world for one season. I could see a long-term plan for me in the Stampede system that involves a "passing of the torch" in six to eight seasons when I start to reach my prime, but it's also possible that FourFour Jr. has some life-sustaining secret from his father that keeps him healthy forever and changes that whole plan. Regardless, I just have to keep my training regimen on track and the league will sort that out for me.
08-27-2018, 11:54 PMWaters Wrote: Not only is your SHL team young and full of talent, it could be argued that your SMJHL team had one of the top drafts and is heading into S43 with a legitimate shot at the Four Star Cup. What's it going to take for Detroit to come away with it?
I don't think the gameplan changes a whole lot from last year. We have the same kind of impact players who can take over games as we did last year, only this year everyone is sharper and more skilled. We were dangerous last year when Hippo took over a game by delivering seven hits, when Palicka took over a game by winning 80% of his faceoffs, when Tig took over a game by scoring two goals one assist, when I took over a game with a 38-save shutout. Plus, we'll have the addition of some rookies in roles we really need who will bring their own signature skills. We have so many players that can win a game on their own that other teams have to mitigate from multiple angles, and when we find a seam we push until it breaks. It's a unique brand of hockey for the SMJHL and I think the skill we gained in the offseason is what we need to convert it into a finals appearance next year.
08-27-2018, 11:54 PMWaters Wrote: What do you want to achieve in terms of individual accolades over the duration of your SMJHL and SHL careers?
I love this question because I always have the answer. I see my career as a three-step process: Play the game, win the game, change the game. In the SMJHL I'm already working step one. In some ways, my very good season could get me to step two if the awards committee agrees. I want to be a Hall of Fame candidate, to put my numbers in the rafters in Detroit and Buffalo. But to do that I have to be more than good--I have to be great in a way that changes the game forever. That's more important to me than any number of cups and trophies and rings. I want the name Robinson to be remembered.
08-27-2018, 11:54 PMWaters Wrote: You will probably be capped very early into the season, if not before it. Do you like your chances to win the S43 Goalie of the Year award, possibly your second in a row depending on if the votes end up favorable for this season's award?
Absolutely. I'm the same player, only more skilled, playing in front of the same defense, only more skilled. I think I have as good of chances as anybody going into S43, and I don't think it's a stretch or conceited to believe that.
08-27-2018, 11:54 PMWaters Wrote: In terms of your international career, how important is that to you? Do you place an IIHF gold medal on the same shelf as a Challenge or Four Star Cup?
I want it all. Four Star, Challenge, IIHF gold, WJC gold.
08-27-2018, 11:54 PMWaters Wrote: Many Falcons found their names called sooner than later in this draft, and some found themselves being picked much later than you would think. Names like Tig Murphy and Hippo Passamus come to mind as top round talent that came out of the Falcons' class, while players like David Fantobens, Mark Palicka and Dank Boija fell under the radar and were picked towards the backend. What players do you think may defy expectations, and what players do you think will have the best chances to have a fantastic career?
Tig and Passamus are going to be stars in this league. Fantobens and Viklund are going to massively outperform expectations and make people regret their choices. Eero got did dirty and should have been a much higher pick than he was. I honestly think the whole Falcons S42 draft class could be SHL all-stars if we can keep up our training and production, but those five stick out on the top of my mind.
08-28-2018, 01:27 AMSlashACM Wrote: how does it feel to be selected as backup goalie for the prestigious World Junior Championships? do you feel it affected your draft stock that you made it to the team over a line of other goalies that tried out, some very deserving of a backup spot as well? What do you think made you stand out and do you think it was the right choice?
It feels great. I told some reporters with SSPN early in the season that I really want to take a gold medal back to St. Louis for a real homecoming, and this is a great first chance to do so. It's an honor to serve one's country and I'm privileged to get the chance to take the ice in our national jerseys. Honestly I don't think it had any impact on my draft stock. If it did, I would have been the first goaltender drafted. Ultimately I had a very good season for a team people didn't think would make it, and Team USA has a strong defensive corps that can make up for the weak points in my game. I also kind of think of it as a righty/southpaw kind of situation. I play a stand-up game and Kryyst plays a butterfly game. Being able to switch up the styles if we need a boost on the ice, or to throw a curveball at a team that has our number is really valuable to a smart coach.
08-28-2018, 07:38 AMFantobens Wrote: You gonna miss me bb?
ofc bb
08-28-2018, 09:32 AMMayuu Wrote: If you had to pick another player you wish was in Buffalo with you, who would it be?
Man, I can't answer that question fairly. I'm gonna miss everyone at training camp, but I know I'll see everyone again on the first day of preseason. That keeps me going.
08-28-2018, 07:47 PMTomen Wrote: Once your SMJHL career is done what is the thing you want to be remembered for the most?
I definitely want to be remembered for my style of play. Stand-up goaltenders are a rare breed these days. I want to prove to the league that my style can still exist in a modern league where the butterfly and "taking away the angles" are the predominant methods.
08-28-2018, 07:47 PMTomen Wrote: You made it clear that you expected to be the first goalie to be taken in the draft. Did you expect to be selected by New England instead of Leitner or did you see yourself getting drafted by another team early in the second round?
Honestly, I didn't know New England was shopping for a goaltender. I had heard from a few teams with some interest, so I expected to be the first goalie off the board somewhere in the second round. I'm very glad it wound up being Buffalo, but there were certainly other teams I expected to take me first.
08-28-2018, 07:47 PMTomen Wrote: Which goalie do you consider your rival? Is it Leitner because he went earlier than you in the draft or someone else?
Obviously I'll be comparing myself to Leitner for the next few years. If I want to prove my value as a draft pick, I have to be better than him first and foremost. But I really consider every other player at my position a rival. Goaltending is such a solitary position that you have to directly compare yourself with every single player in the league to get a bead on where you are. A good team can support you but stats like SV% are still a good predictor even when you have a below-average defense in front of you. Not that I do! Buffalo and Detroit both have great defense. But you get what I mean. Gotta stay aware of the direction the league is going.
08-28-2018, 07:47 PMTomen Wrote: How do you feel about Buffalo's trades in the draft. Would you say it was the correct decision to trade down with Winnipeg and thhen do the trade with Texas or would you have rather seen someone get drafted withh the #34 pick?
Honestly, I think they made the right decision for the team. The draft was so deep this season that even the 50th overall was a strong selection in Bust. There are always good assets available on the trade market and they took advantage of that.
08-28-2018, 09:22 PMDude Wrote: Care to address the backlash coming about from your comments regarding your draft position? What about the quote "he's showing his draft value by acting that way"?
I haven't heard any backlash about my comments regarding my draft position, so there must be some cowards out there talking shit on me to others. I've made my case and I haven't heard any cases against me, and my value as an alternate captain to the Falcons in my rookie season clearly tells the league I'm a positive influence in the locker room, so I don't know. I suspect there are just people who get upset when anyone raises a stink over anything, no matter how right they are. "It's not what you're saying, it's how you're saying it" shit from folks too scared to stand up for themselves. Got nothing for em until they come straight to me. And they can.
08-28-2018, 09:32 PMDude Wrote: How does it feel to be snubbed by the big boy Falcons drafting you so late?
Buffalo (I assume that's what you're talking about) chose me with their second selection in the draft. They had an opportunity to choose the BPA from almost a full round before and they did. Hippo is a stud who is dedicated and has a great training plan, I don't blame them for picking him eighth overall. But I think Buffalo's management made the best choice they could and it's more of an indictment on the rest of the league that they even had the opportunity to select me at 28th overall.
08-28-2018, 11:13 PMnotorioustig Wrote: After a year of cleaning up the repeated mistakes of noted defensive dipshit Tig Murphy, do you feel as though his horrendous play in your end affected your draft stock?
Tig can be a dipshit sometimes but he's our dipshit, and I'm sure my season would be much worse without him on the blue line.
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Thank you all so much for attending and for your thoughtful questions. I’m looking forward to another season with the Falcons and another chance to win the Four Star Cup.
You were the second goalie selected back in July and you remain the second goalie drafted in your SHL draft, albeit in a very different context. Playing behind a veteran who still has his best years in front of him, what will be your main challenges en route to earning a starting SHL spot, and how do you plan to overcome them?
Not only is your SHL team young and full of talent, it could be argued that your SMJHL team had one of the top drafts and is heading into S43 with a legitimate shot at the Four Star Cup. What's it going to take for Detroit to come away with it?
What do you want to achieve in terms of individual accolades over the duration of your SMJHL and SHL careers?
You will probably be capped very early into the season, if not before it. Do you like your chances to win the S43 Goalie of the Year award, possibly your second in a row depending on if the votes end up favorable for this season's award?
In terms of your international career, how important is that to you? Do you place an IIHF gold medal on the same shelf as a Challenge or Four Star Cup?
Many Falcons found their names called sooner than later in this draft, and some found themselves being picked much later than you would think. Names like Tig Murphy and Hippo Passamus come to mind as top round talent that came out of the Falcons' class, while players like David Fantobens, Mark Palicka and Dank Boija fell under the radar and were picked towards the backend. What players do you think may defy expectations, and what players do you think will have the best chances to have a fantastic career?
how does it feel to be selected as backup goalie for the prestigious World Junior Championships? do you feel it affected your draft stock that you made it to the team over a line of other goalies that tried out, some very deserving of a backup spot as well? What do you think made you stand out and do you think it was the right choice?
08-28-2018, 07:47 PM(This post was last modified: 08-28-2018, 07:47 PM by Tomen.)
Once your SMJHL career is done what is the thing you want to be remembered for the most?
You made it clear that you expected to be the first goalie to be taken in the draft. Did you expect to be selected by New England instead of Leitner or did you see yourself getting drafted by another team early in the second round?
Which goalie do you consider your rival? Is it Leitner because he went earlier than you in the draft or someone else?
How do you feel about Buffalo's trades in the draft. Would you say it was the correct decision to trade down with Winnipeg and thhen do the trade with Texas or would you have rather seen someone get drafted withh the #34 pick?
Thank you all for the amazing sigs & player cards
3. Buffalo Stampede , Eduard Selich 5 (Maximilian Wachter, Alexis Metzler) at 16:25
5. Buffalo Stampede , Eduard Selich 6 (Steven Stamkos Jr., Brynjar Tusk) at 19:48
8. Buffalo Stampede , Eduard Selich 7 (Brynjar Tusk, Alexis Metzler) at 13:55
9. Buffalo Stampede , Eduard Selich 8 (Anton Fedorov, Mikelis Grundmanis) at 15:12
10. Buffalo Stampede , Eduard Selich 9 (Dickie Pecker) at 19:43 (Empty Net)
grok
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