Favourite NHL team?

I’m a Flames fan. We’re kind of three and a half hours from Calgary, four from Edmonton. So, I guess, just grew up in a Flames family.

Favourite player?

I like Ryan Getzlaf (Anaheim Ducks captain) quite a bit.

What got you into hockey?

To be honest I don’t even remember when I start skating, so pretty young. My dad used to make a rink in our backyard. So I guess that’s where we learnt and fell in love with the game.

How do you think you would fair in a zombie apocalypse?

Yeah, I don’t think I’d do very well.

What bucket list items do you want to tick off during your stay in Australia?

I definitely want to go to the Great Barrier Reef.

You guys hung out in Sydney after the Ice Dogs game. How was that?

We did a cruise around the harbour. That was a pretty neat way to see the city. We did a little walking around, got a little taste of it.

You and Matt Marantz were good friends before coming here. What’s it like being in Australia with your mate?

We met 10 or 15 years ago. Way back. We used to play a little summer hockey together. Then we played a couple of years of juniors together in Spokane, kept in touch. We’re pretty good buddies.

I didn’t really know Matt was coming, it was pretty last minute. Frij (coach Andrew Petrie) sent me a message asking me about this Matt Marantz guy, asking me what kind of player he was. It just worked out pretty good.

It’s really good. It makes you feel a little more comfortable, I guess. We have five guys in the house (the imports and Zane Jones) who gel pretty quick and all the local guys are great. It hasn’t been hard at all.

Do you have a pre-game ritual?

Nothing really. I’m not superstitious. Mostly it’s just the same kind of preparation before the games. I do my left gear first. So I put my left skate on before my right one. I didn’t even realise I did it before someone told me.

What’s your favourite song at the moment?

Rollin by Calvin Harris.

What has been your impression on the rinks you’ve visited in Australia so far?

It’s definitely nice to have glass here (in Newcastle). Not having glass at some rinks is strange. Especially Canberra. You can T one off the cage and it ricochets and pinballs back in and you don’t know where it’s going.

Favourite hockey movie?

There’s a few pretty good ones out there. I like Youngblood. Slapshot is a favourite too. I like Miracle, too.

Who would win in a fight? Batman or Superman?

I like Batman way more but I have a tough time seeing him take down Superman. I’d cheer for Batman but as a realist I think Superman.

What has surprised you the most about Australia?

Probably how friendly everyone is. When I heard people talking about how friendly Australians were it was one thing. But people are outgoing nice. It’s been a nice treat. Other than that, nothing has been too different.