Gabriel Landeskog on playing for Patrick Roy, sticking with the system (Puck Daddy Interview)
TORONTO — Hockey fans aren’t the only ones excited for the prospects of February’s Stadium Series Alumni Game between the Colorado Avalanche and Detroit Red Wings. Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog is looking forward to seeing the many faces of one of the NHL’s best rivalries of the 1990s on the sheet at Coors Field.
“With our 20th anniversary this year it’s really fitting,” Landeskog said earlier this month during the NHL Player Media Tour. “With the group that we have we feel excited about [the outdoor game].
“I know the Red Wings rivalry isn’t what it used to be, but at the same time it’s going to be cool to be a part of an event like that. Also, the alumni game will be cool. I think a lot of fans will enjoy that and they might sell out even more tickets than we will.”
Before Landeskog and his teammates head outdoors, they’ll look to turnaround their fortunes after going from first to last in the Central Division last season.
[Yahoo Sports Fantasy Hockey: Sign up and join a league today!]
We spoke with Landeskog about the Avalanche finally hosting an outdoor game, being a young NHL captain, the hopes for a bounceback year in Colorado and more.
Q. You guys have had a long wait for an outdoor game. Have you been asking yourself over the years when will it be our turn to host?
LANDESKOG: "No doubt. You do feel like the Eastern Conference is getting a lot of love. Understandably, there’s a lot of media out there. There’s a lot of interest out there with all the Canadian teams, but I was excited to hear the news that we’re getting one, especially with California doing a couple of games in the past couple of seasons. And then we’re saying, you know what, I know we get 300 days of sunshine a year, but I’m sure we can figure it out if they can do it in Cali."
Is there a sense of relief now that the Ryan O’Reilly situation has finally been resolved?
“Well, with Ryan it was a tricky situation. I enjoyed having Ryan as a teammate and as a linemate. I’m happy with getting [Mikhail] Grigorenko and [Nikita] Zadorov. I think they have the potential to be two good solid players for us. The situation didn’t work out for whatever reason. I wish him all the best of luck.”
We see the fiery demeanor that Patrick Roy has at times, but what it’s like to be a player for him?
“He’s a very smart hockey person. He’s very smart about what he says to the team and to the media. And yes, he’s very passionate about the game, but that’s what you want from a coach. You want that. You want somebody that demands a lot from his players. But for me as a captain, to be able to talk to Patrick, his door is always open. We’ve had some great conversations about whatever it might be, whether it’s systems or the team or just the temperature of the room. I’ve enjoyed working with him so far and looking forward to again this year.”
As a young captain in the league, how do you feel you’ve grown in that role?
“I definitely feel like there’s still a lot of room left to grow. But I do feel like from Day 1 I said I’m going to keep learning, I’m still a young guy. There’s a lot of older guys with more experience than me that I can learn a lot from. You don’t want to be one of those guys that just because you get a letter on your chest you think that you’re all done learning. But getting a chance to play with Danny Briere and Alex Tanguay and Jarome Iginla, it’s something that has really helped me. Not so much in specific situations, but more just seeing how they go about their business. For me, it always comes down to just being myself and just doing what I do and not trying to be somebody else, not trying to do anything out of character. But you do definitey learn as a captain that I’m not afraid to make decisions. You can’t be afraid to speak up when it’s needed. The timing of those certain situations and the timing of certain meetings is something that comes with experience.”
Patrick comes in that first year and the team has major success. Last year, puck possession was one of a number of reasons why the team took a big step back. Is there still confidence that the system works and success can be re-discovered?
“I think so. Let’s be honest. The first year, we had a great season. We had a good team. But there was a lot of games that we won, that we managed to win, that we maybe shouldn’t have won, and we’re gonna be honest to say that. But the systems in place are exciting for us players. The systems in place are there for players to be a part of. I think Patrick has been clear from Day 1 that this is our system. It’s not his system. We’re more than willing to be a part of discussing it with him. If there’s something that we’d like to try, he’s been open to try things, and I think that’s one of Patrick’s strengths.
“We went from the man-to-man system from two years ago to more of a zone defense last year and I think that definitely helped us when we were playing it the right way. Obviously, we had some key injuries to some guys last year — Erik Johnson, Varly — but I do think with the guys that we’ve brought in that’s going to benefit us. But no doubt we’re behind the system.”
- - - - - - -
Sean Leahy is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Sean_Leahy
MORE FROM YAHOO HOCKEY:
