On the road again. Heading to Boise, Idaho.

Christmas Break Winding Down, Another Strange Twist

I've had an awesome time being home over Christmas break. I really needed to be home for a while, just to get away from the daily grind. But now I'm refreshed and ready to get back to work. I know I still have a lot of work left to do, and I'm anxious to get back out on the ice. I've definitely gotten the itch now, and it's been a little hard to be away from the game, even though I've had a great time seeing family and friends. It's awesome to hear from people who are following what I'm doing, and to talk to people who are interested in everything that I have going on. I've had a lot of fun skating with old friends, and I think I've shown people here that I've improved a lot in the past few months.

Tomorrow I'm driving to Boise, Idaho to play for the Idaho Junior Steelheads. It's another move for me, but I'm excited about it. The bottom line is that I need to play in games as much as I can to develop, and that wasn't happening in New Mexico. I was sitting out games, and I was in a dog fight with two or three other defensemen for consistent playing time. I'm going somewhere I can play, which is what both the New Mexico coach and the Idaho coach think I need. They think my development is being hurt by not playing every night. I think I'm in a good spot, though. I have a few coaches who believe in me and my potential, and who like having me around because of my attitude and work ethic. I've definitely been bouncing around this year, and my development might have been hurt by not playing much the first half of this year, but I've learned a lot, gotten a lot better, and made a name for myself everywhere I've gone with my hard work, positive attitude, and character. I could've looked at this move negatively and bogged myself down with negative thoughts, but I'm looking at this positively. I'm going to play for a very good coach, and I'm hopefully going to get to play a lot, which is what I need. I think if I'm playing for the right coach, and with everything else I have going for me, I will be able to open a lot of doors for myself. The Idaho coach has already had the head coach of Princeton call me, which was very cool. He said the Idaho coach is one of the only coaches in junior hockey that he trusts, and when he says he has a player, he believes him. I just need to develop a little more, and get some game experience. Plus, if New Mexico needs me some time this year, I'm only a flight away, but instead of sitting out games in New Mexico, I will be playing and learning more. I think it's the right move for me to go to Boise right now, and even though I'm going down to play at the Tier 3 level, my goals are still within reach. I need to stay positive and keep working hard like I have been all year, and I think I will excel once I start getting consistent playing time.

I now have over 5,000 pageviews! Pretty cool!

Home for the Holidays

I got home yesterday morning. I drove from Rio Rancho and stayed a night in Buena Vista because it started snowing on me. It feels great to be home. I love seeing my family and just being home. It's nice to get away from the stresses of junior hockey for a bit. But I think I'm going to miss it too. I pulled into Edwards yesterday and had this weird feeling, like I didn't belong here anymore, like I didn't know what to do with myself without playing hockey every day. But that feeling went away pretty quick when I saw my family and friends. I can't really express how good it feels to be home after being away for so long. I've lived in a few different homes already this year, and I've been on the road for countless hours, so it feels amazing to be back at home for the holidays, with family and friends.

Less is More

The biggest lesson I learned during my weekend with the Steelheads was "less is more." My whole life I've been able to do pretty much anything I want on the ice. I could take the puck coast to coast 4, 5, or even more times than that a game. I could pull dangerous toe drags in my zone. I could get away with things that I can't get away with anymore. But now I'm learning to play the game of hockey right. I'm learning to make the smart plays, I'm learning to change my game, and become a better hockey player. I played 4 games in 4 days with the Steelheads, which I think was very good for me. I needed to get in some games and experience some game situations. I had fun playing with them, and I learned a lot. I think I made an impact in the games even though I didn't score, considering I didn't know any of their systems and had never practiced with them. I made some good plays, and I think I played pretty solidly. I got a lot of ice time too.

I think the big thing I need to take from this weekend is that I can't try to do too much. Sometimes my old game comes out of me, and I get tunnel vision and try to do too much with the puck and make a mistake. I just have to make the simple plays, smart plays, and get the puck up ice. Because that's the kind of player I am. I'm a good passer in the defensive zone, and I just need to play within myself.

One more game tomorrow, and it's a big one against the El Paso Rhinos. I need to focus on making smart plays. Less is more. I can't try to do too much. I'm liking the guys on this team a lot, and I really like the coaching. I've learned a lot just this weekend. I'm excited to play tomorrow, and I'm excited to go home for Christmas just to get away from the mental grind of juniors for a bit.

We won against the Fresno Monsters today, 4 to 1. I played a pretty solid game. I made a few mistakes, but overall played a smart game and was +1. Once or twice I tried to skate up ice with the puck, and Coach didn't like that. It was something we talked about before the game. He wants me to focus on making the smart play every time. He said to be a good defenseman you don't have to be flashy, you just have to defend and get the puck up ice. He said Nik Lidstrom is the best defenseman in the NHL because he always makes the smart play, and he never tries to beat someone one on one out of the defensive zone like I do some times. He said he's happy with the way I'm playing, but I really need to work on a few little things to improve my game.