Mr BioFile Interviews by Scoop Malinowski
By Scoop Malinowski
Status: New York Rangers center. Member of Team USA in Four Nations Cup tournament.
Ht: 6-1 Wt: 205 pounds
DOB: March 14, 1993 In: East Palestine, Ohio
First Hockey Memory: “I was one of the first guys to play hockey from my hometown. So my dad built me a rink in our backyard when I was younger. And we had a small backyard. Probably playing out there in the morning before school and stuff, when I was young. That pretty much stands out. It was pretty special.”
Hockey Inspirations: “I’m the first person to play from my family and my hometown. Just kinda picked it up and went with it. I was a big (Pittsburgh) Penguins fan as a kid so I was a big fan of the Mario (Lemieux), (Jaromir) Jagr group.”
First Famous Player You Met Or Encountered: “Oh man, I don’t know the first one. A lot of the Penguins players back in the day.”
Greatest Sports Moment(s): “Greatest moment… probably when we won game seven against Washington (Capitals in 2014). That one sticks out, pretty special game. That was my, pretty much, biggest thing I’ve ever been a part of, to this day. Then I won a couple of gold medals when I was younger, winning World Junior Championship, U18, U17, those all stick out.”
Most Painful Moment: “Painful? I broke my leg when I was 15.” (How?) “Got kneed.”
Most Memorable Goal: “Probably my first one in the NHL (vs. NY Islanders).”
Fiercest Competitors Encountered: “(Sidney) Crosby, (Alex) Ovechkin, Steven Stamkos.”
Favorite NHL Uniforms: “(NY) Rangers.”
Favorite Rinks To Play In: “Chicago’s fun. (NY) Islanders. Philly (Philadelphia Flyers). Washington.”
Embarrassing Hockey Memory: “Yeah, my first shift I went flying into the boards. At full speed. My first shift in the NHL [smiles].” (What happened?) “I just toe-picked, I fell down.” (Where was it?) “New Jersey.”
Strangest Game: “I’m sure there was, I’m not sure how to pick one out…” (Let me help, for example – Al Arbour said a naked woman jumped on the ice once during a game in Vancouver.) “I haven’t really encountered that recently [smiles]… When I was younger, we were in a national championship game, we were up 4-0 in the third period and lost 5-4. I was twelve or thirteen. That was unusual.”
Current Car: “Dodge Durango (black).”
Last Book Read: “I don’t read [smiles].”
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Chocolate chip cookie dough.”
Closest Rangers Friends: “Everybody’s pretty tight-knit.”
Funniest Players Encountered: “(Marc) Staal, (Daniel) Girardi, (Keith) Yandle, those guys.”
Favorite Sport Outside Of Hockey: “Golf.”
Three Athletes You Like To Watch & Follow: “Tiger Woods, any golfer. Phil Mickelson, any of the guys. Big Pittsburgh Pirates fan. Couple of good players on the team.”
Why Do You Love Playing Hockey: “I picked it up when I was two years old, it’s my favorite sport ever since.”
People Qualities Most Admired: “Just respectful, funny.”
