Here’s my talk with the most identifiable player on the ice, 6-foot-6 defenseman Brian Boyle. And he is, indeed, a defenseman this week, and probably will remain at that position for the long term.
The Boyle interview follows…
BRIAN BOYLE
Q: How’s the week been going so far?
A: It’s been good. I got a little taste of it last month (at a mini-camp), kind of the same thing. It’s been good, especially for me, kind of learning a new position.
Q: Is the title “Brian Boyle, defenseman” starting to sound more comfortable?
A: I’m getting used to it. We had a couple one-on-one drills with the forwards when we got to play some offense. I had a little bit of fun with that. But it’s definitely something that I’ve committed to. That’s what I play now, so that’s what it is. It’s a good opportunity.
Q: That move was one they talked to you about last year as well. Did it require a lot of thought and consideration on your part?
A: I got to play defense a little bit at the development camp last year and a little bit on the penalty kill in college. I had a lot of fun doing it. Wherever they see me fit, I don’t mind playing anywhere. It’s good that I don’t mind playing either position because if they see me as a defenseman, I better work my butt off and play D because they think that will give me the best chance. That’s what I’ve been told by management and all the people here. I’m more than happy to go with it.
Q: This might sound like a dumb question, but how big is that change for a player? Is that just a completely different mindset?
A: I didn’t think it was as big, until I got to these development camps. Obviously the level of play is elevated. I’ve really worked on technical things, to be really sound defensively. I kind of got by in college and played a couple periods worth in Manchester, but on the actual defensive side, in terms of reading plays and how much responsibility you actually have as a defenseman, it was more than I thought it could have been. Being a center, I thought it would be similar responsibilities in the D zone, but it’s really a little bit more. I’m new to it, so I don’t really know. That’s just my perception of it right now.
Q: How beneficial was it to get to play in Manchester at the end of last season?
A: I got to play 18 games, most of them at forward, but it was huge for me. I was really fortunate to get a chance to do that. The first thing is that it extended my season for more games. It was a little bit of a taste of a longer season, even though I didn’t play as many games as the guys who played a full season there. I played about 62 games total, and that was big for me. I’ve never played that many. But stuff like learning the pro lifestyle and knowing the guys on the team, it was great.
Q: What kind of mindset to you take into training camp? Are you shooting to make the team?
A: I hope everybody does. That’s an attitude you’ve got to have, I think. I think I’ve seen improvement in myself over the last month and a half and going home after the first development (mini) camp and then coming back. This week, I think I’ve seen improvement since the beginning of the week, just confidence wise and stuff like that. You’ve got to go in with the mindset that anything is possible.
Q: When you look at the organization, defense seems to be the position in which you could step in a little faster. Is that something that motivates you?
A: That’s kind of a hard one to answer. They’ve signed some really good guys, throughout the whole lineup. They’re really looking to improve every facet of the team. If the coaching staff thinks that’s the best bet, my best option for being a player in this league, I’m going to listen to them because they know much more than I do. Mr. Lombardi and Mr. Hextall, they’re the same way. They think that good things can happen with me playing defense. Obviously there’s going to be a learning curve but I’m going to trust them because they’ve been around a lot longer than I have. I want to be a pro hockey player. It’s been my dream for my whole life and I’m just kind of embarking on it right now. I’ll listen to any advice that I get, because it’s something that I really want to do.
