Ben Maxwell Q&A

Ben Maxwell has always hovered within the Habs prospect pool from fringe blue chipper to ( if you are to believe the enthusiasm of some ) the second coming of Brad Richards.
When I got the opportunity to bring up this comparison to an NHL scout and ex-coach his exact comments were '' Brad Richard's game has always been centered around passing and positioning, he's a spectacular guy when it comes to situational hockey, hell often start a spectacular play, but rarely be at the finishing end of one ''
So what about Ben Maxwell in all of this ? '' Most of the scouting on Maxwell paints a kid with good speed, hands and work ethic, not tough but he'll get his nose dirty ''
So who knows ... down the line how Maxwell will progress and who he'll morph into, I've met hundreds of pro hockey players from Europe, the AHL, the NHL and the KHL, what makes one a succesful NHL player is a combination of dedication to training and the will to be superior to everyone else, And I definitly sense those traits in Ben Maxwell.

Q - Ben talk to us about growing up how did you decide that Hockey
was the direction for you ?

A - Like allot of kids, I was into allot of sports growing up, you name it, Soccer, Baseball, Skiing, Basketball, but hockey was it, I always wanted to be a hockey player

Q - Not allot of people know this, but skating your junior years with the Kootenay ice, you played under Cory Clouston, tell us a bit about Cory’s coaching style, do you guys still keep in contact ?

A - Here and there, Cory's philosophy when it comes to coaching is very technical , which really suited my style of play within his strategy, I know that going through junior in Kootenay, it gave me tons of opportunities on the ice.

Q - What do you make of the whole Dany Heatley saga? I met Cory about 2 years ago and he doesn’t look the ‘’ scream in your face type ‘‘ ?

A - I've heard very little about the whole Heatley saga, who knows what happened there

Q - This last year you’ve had your first taste of AHL hockey and of course NHL hockey, Now in junior you were often described as a physical guy who can take it (physically), dish it, and of course incorporate that game-breaker factor into your goal scoring, do you think professional hockey has changed you into a different player?

A - That's one of the great things about the WHL, it really does an awesome job getting you ready for Pro Hockey, I mean I feel the general step up in my game no doubt about that, but overall nothing has drastically changed about my style and play, I'm still the same player

Q - How was your first year in the AHL, did you have any objectives going in ?

A - Honestly most of it was to go into it and to stay an entire season injury free while leaving it all on the ice

Q – During your draft year allot of scouts described you as a big physical forward with the ability to score with some consistency, injury prone was a big question mark hovering over your head, how have you addressed your demons on that side ?

A - I think that with all the work I've done to improve my endurance injuries are a thing of the past, I feel stronger, much bigger and most importantly, durable now

Q – How did you feel on your first day at the Bell Centre knowing you would play that night last year ?

A - It all happened so quickly, I mean really quickly, at that point you don't have too much time to worry about nerves you just go for it, I felt really good as the game went on.

Q – As a hockey player you probably have allot of memorable moments in your life, is that by far the most memorable moment of Ben Maxwell’s young career ?

A - Definitely the most memorable one so far !

Q – With Bob Gainey’s big revamp this year, allot of people have been talking about leadership, and what every roster player and prospect can bring to the leadership table, talk to us a bit about what your vibe translates like in a locker room ?

A - I try not to make too much noise in the dressing room, as a leader I'm more of a lead on the ice type of guy

Q – How did you react to all the changes this year ?

A - I mean it's always too bad when you see quality players move on, but at thesame time you look at this new line up and all the new talent that's landed on this team, I think the city is going to have allot of reasons to be excited

Q – Talk to us about your training this summer, did the Habs tell you to put the emphasis on anything in particular ?

A - I've been at it this summer 5 days a week, Monday to Friday skating and working out, obviously power and size are another factor I've been pushing to improve

Q – What are your objectives for 2010 ?

A - 2010 is going to be extremely important as a year and I hope that as the year starts I can make an impact in Montreal

Q - Who was your idol growing up , do you model your game after anyone in particular ?

A - Can't say I really model my game after someone or anyone in particular, but obviously growing up in Vancouver watching Pavel Bure with the Canucks ...

Q – What’s on your Ipod , what do you listen to on the road ? in the locker room ?

I like to listen to a little of anything, rock, rap, classic rock, anything with a good beat !