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.
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