Ask The Oil Kings

To: Michael St. Croix
From: Jesse Weber (Edmonton, AB)
Question: What do you do to prepare for a game? Do you have any pre-game rituals?
Michael's Answer: I eat my pre-game meal around 12:30, then have my pre-game nap from 1 until 3 and then get to the rink around 4:20. Then I tape my sticks, listen to some music and have a shower and cold tub soak. Some more unique rituals are that I always put my right skate on first, listen to the Donkey Kong theme and eat a scoop of peanut butter.

To: David Stephens
From: Emily Rizo Solis (Edmonton, AB)
Question: If you had a job other than a full-time hockey player, what would you want it to be?
David's Answer: I think I'd probably want to try to become a doctor, probably a surgeon.

To: Marek Hrbas
From: Vanessa Shultz (Edmonton, AB)
Question: How old were you when you started playing hockey, and what NHL team do you dream of playing for?
Marek's Answer: I was four years old the first time I tried skating back home in the Czech Republic. And it's definitely my dream to play with the Washington Capitals and be teammates with Alex Ovechkin.

To: Keegan Lowe
From: Gabriella Mueller (Edmonton, AB)
Question: Do you feel a lot of pressure having a famous hockey father, and does it affect your game?
Keegan's Answer: There's definitely a lot of pressure to live up to when you have a famous name, especially playing in the same city, but I try not to think about it too much or let it affect the way I play. I use it as a positive and look to my dad for a lot of advice and guidance.

To: Ryan Dech
From: Hamna Siddiqui (Edmonton, AB)
Question: What is your favourite kind of food?
Ryan's Answer: Steak and lobster is the best meal I can think of. I don't get it very often, so when I do it's always a big treat. It's always so delicious.

To: TJ Foster
From: Terry Penner (Edmonton, AB)
Question: What do the initials in your name stand for?
TJ's Answer: Taylor Joseph

To: Laurent Brossoit
From: Brayson Ripola (Regina, SK)
Question: What gets you pumped up before a game?
Laurent's Answer: Listening to music that has a fast, intense beat gets me really pumped up before I play.

To: General Manager Bob Green
From: Tyler Agnew (Edmonton, AB)
Question: Where do you see this team in five years?
Bob's Answer: That's quite a long ways away, but hopefully we're enjoying a Memorial Cup championship and competing in the upper echelon of the league on a consistent basis.

To: Travis Ewanyk
From: Justine Harper (Hamilton, ON)
Question: What's the funniest thing that has ever happened to you or a teammate while on the road?
Travis' Answer: We don't get into too many shenanigans when we're out on the road, but one really funny trick to play on a teammate is to flip their bed in their hotel room so the mattress is on the bottom and the hard box spring is on top.

To: Dylan Wruck
From: Brette Korpan (Aberdeen, SK)
Question: How did you feel when you had your first hockey fight?
Dylan's Answer: I had my first-ever fight earlier this season against Cody Sylvester who plays for the Calgary Hitmen. I felt pretty good about it, and I think it went well, since I didn't get beat up.

To: Klarc Wilson
From: Brayson Ripola (Regina, SK)
Question: How do you spend your off-season/summer?
Klarc's Answer: I try to stay in good shape by working out three to five times a week, but it's also important for me to spend as much time with my family and friends as possible, since I don't get to as much during the hockey season. I really like going out with my family to the movies.

To: Klarc Wilson
From: Bruin White (Saskatoon, SK)
Question: What is the most embarrassing song on your iPod?
Klarc's Answer: "I'll make a man out of you" from the Mulan soundtrack.

To: Michael St. Croix
From: Jonathan Bailey (Winnipeg, MB)
Question: How do you score so many goals?
Michael's Answer: It's all about practice. I spend a lot of time working on my shot, and working on my stick-handling in tight spaces with pressure.

To: Jesse Pearson
From: Bruin White (Saskatoon, SK)
Question: If you could have dinner with any person in the world, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
Jesse's Answer: Rachel McAdams ... I'm not too sure why. I guess I'm kind of in love with her! She was awesome in Wedding Crashers. And she's Canadian, so that's awesome too.

To: Travis Ewanyk
From: Ashley Jackson (Goodfish Lake, AB)
Question: What is your middle name? And why do you get so many penalties?
Travis' Answer: My middle name is David, and I'd say I get a lot of penalties quite simply because I play a really physical, high-tempo game, and the penalties just kind of come with the territory.

To: Laurent Brossoit
From: Bruin White (Saskatoon, SK)
Question: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
Laurent's Answer: Atlantis in the Bahamas, because it's a hot, tropical place, and everything is free on the island!

To: Dylan Wruck
From: Brette Korpan (Aberdeen, SK)
Question: What do you do during your free time?
Dylan's Answer: We have a pretty intense schedule, but when I do get some down time, I mostly spend it eating, sleeping and playing a little Xbox 360.

To: Griffin Reinhart
From: Kyle Kashuba (Edmonton, AB)
Question: Is it fun facing your brothers (on the Kootenay Ice) in a game or would you like to play with them on the same team? And who is the best hockey player?
Griffin's Answer: It's definitely more fun playing against each other, because we get to compete against each other for bragging rights. It's hard to say who the best player is, because we all play a different way. I'm a defenceman and they're forwards, but they play way different than each other too.

To: Adrian Van de Mosselaer
From: Ryan Ruffell (Edmonton, AB)
Question: With your busy hockey and training schedule, when do you find time for leisure? And what do you like doing with that time?
Adrian's Answer: I'm a pretty active guy, so when I'm not at the rink, I like to get out hiking and fishing, and I've been known to build some pretty awesome forts.

To: Dylan Wruck
From: Brette Korpan (Aberdeen, SK)
Question: What is your favourite place to travel to play hockey?
Dylan's Answer: Probably Vancouver, because of all the excitement in the building, and it's just fun going to B.C.

To: Mark Pysyk
From: Tyler Agnew (Edmonton, AB)
Question: What was your reaction when you found out you were going to be team captain?
Mark's Answer: I didn't really know what to say at first. I had just gotten back from Sabres training camp in Buffalo and they told me I had it if I wanted it. They told me to think about it for a few days if I wanted, but what's there to think about? I accepted it right away. It's a big honour.

To: T.J. Foster
From: Kyle Kashuba (Edmonton, AB)
Question: Did you lose your tooth playing hockey? If so, how old were you?
T.J.'s Answer: It happened in the last game of the season during my 16-year-old year with the Oil Kings two years ago. I was going to block a shot, but it hit my stick and hit me in the mouth. I actually lost two teeth, but they were only able to fix one.

To: Dylan Wruck
From: Nicolas Korpan (Aberdeen, SK)
Question: What team do you hope to play for if you make it to the NHL?
Dylan's Answer: I would definitely want to play for the Colorado Avalanche. They were my favourite team the whole time I was growing up and still are now.