USHL News

June 2, 2008

Player Q&A: Mike Walsh

In 2007-08, the USHL will give you, the fans, the opportunity to ask questions directly to USHL players. Submit your questions to the league and the chosen player will answer them.  This installment, you asked questions to Chicago Steel defenseman Mike Walsh. 

Eric - South Dakota
Hey Mike. I'm 15 years old and I currently play hockey in Sioux Falls, South Dakota (for the Flyers). As a hockey player in South Dakota we don't get much exposure to higher leagues of hockey. My question is what is the best path to take to move up to a higher level of hockey? Should I be trying out for teams in other places?

I am not sure what the best path to take is because there are so many routes players take to get from one level to another. Moving to a place to get more exposure is definitely an advantage for players, but you have to be ready to make that sacrifice and make sure that you really want to do it.

Bobby - Massachusetts
Of all the defensemen out there, who do you pattern your game after and why?

I like to pattern my game after Dion Phaneuf because to me he is the best all-around defensemen. He plays physical and tough, but he can also be an offensive threat on the ice.

Bob - Utah
Who were the hardest goalies to score on in the USHL this year? 

Drew Palmisano was the hardest goalie to score on this year. Palmisano was such a good positional goalie that finding an open spot to score was very hard. Also he was very quick in the net and could find pucks when other players were in front of him.

Nancy - Nebraska
Hey Mike. I have a few questions for you.  Do you like playing for the Chicago Steel?  If you had to choose one NHL team to play for, who would it be? When did you first start to play hockey?  Thank you.

I love playing for the Chicago Steel. We have great coaches and have a great group of guys in the locker room. If I could choose one NHL team to play for it would have to be Detroit Red Wings because they have such a great hockey history being an Original Six team. I started skating at age 5 and started playing hockey at age 6.

Chris - Nebraska
Well done this season.  Good job reaching the playoffs and defeating Indiana. How much of a positive influence has Steve Poapst been this year? What has he brought to your game from his time in the NHL?

Coach Poapst has been big influence in the Steel locker room all season. He is a great coach and expects the best out of us daily. He was very knowledgeable in the game of hockey and when we followed what he wanted to do we won games. Coach Poapst has brought a lot to my game in the past two seasons. He has taught me to position myself better in all situations which has helped me to make better plays, be more physical, and to force opposing players into situations to turn the puck over.

Jon - Iowa
I have noticed you are a pretty stocky kid.  Do you take anything special - whey protein, creatine, anything of that nature or do you just work out really hard?  Also, being a captain, what was it like losing Andy Miele?

I only take two supplements when I work out. One is a whey protein and the other is a multi-vitamin. Both are necessary to recover your body from a workout and also consume all the vitamins your body needs to function correctly. Losing Andy Miele to Miami midseason was tough, but good for our team at the same time. Without Andy our team as individuals became more accountable, we didn't have Andy there to put up points so everyone needed to contribute.

Scott - Illinois
Was it a hard transition to the USHL after playing your last year of midgets? What was the biggest difference? And how did you handle losing your defense partner in midgets? It's hard to replace chemsitry.  Thanks for your time Mike.

It was a difficult transition at first coming into the USHL because of the speed and strength of the other players and teams. Once I became used to the speed I became more comfortable.         

Ashley (Eric Alexander's Sister) - Colorado
Throughout your career as a hockey player, student and young man, who had/has the greatest overall impact on who you are today and why?

My parents have definitely had the biggest impact on who I am today because they instilled the values that make me the person I am today.

John - Illinois
I saw you and your defense partner, Max Nicastro were put out against John Kemp's line every shift.  Was it hard trying to stop them? He is a great player to watch and I was wondering the key to stopping him/his line?

It was hard stopping Kemp and his line during the playoffs because all of them are great players who could make the plays all over the rink. The key to stopping them was getting pressure on them fast so they were not allowed to make the plays they wanted to and were forced to move the puck to the places on the ice where our team wanted it to go.

Don - Michigan
Mike - Since you are a veteran of the Steel, I am curious about what you think have been the biggest factors in the team's turnaround this season compared with last year.  Thanks for your thoughts.

The biggest factor for the Steel's turnaround is that we did not have anyone working for our team that doubted the ability of changing the reputation of the Steel. Everyone was set out on a goal and the goal was to have more fans, good players, and a winning record. The reason we had all of those things was because we had everyone within the organization on the same page starting from the front office, to the coaches, to the players.

Robby - Illinois
How many hockey sticks do you use a year?  Do they ever break?  Do you have a favorite hockey stick you only use for special games?

I use about seven sticks throughout a season and only break about two or three of them, which is not a lot compared to most players on my team. I have two sticks that I rotate daily for practice, and I have one stick that I only use strictly for games.

Ryan - Iowa
In hockey, the games can change in the blink of an eye. What was your ultimate game changing thrill for your team, and the biggest game changer coming from the opposing team?  Also I would like to add good luck in the future wherever that may take you.
Thank you for this opportunity.

The ultimate game changing thrill I think is a big hit or a goal because having a big hit or a goal gives your team something to cheer about and brings the team energy higher in a game to gain momentum. The biggest game changer by the opposing team is a goal early on in the game. Having a team score an early goal is something you never want to happen because you hand the other team something to build on and they have a lot of time to keep building off an early goal.

Evan - Indiana
What did it feel like, to go into Indiana for game one of the first round and completely knock the Ice of their feet like that? The Ice was a confident team heading into the playoffs, and you guys were able to basically shut them down completely. What kind of mindset did you all have going into that series against a number one seed?

Our team had a very positive mindset going into the playoffs. We finished out the year playing pretty good hockey and were able to beat the Ice within that finish. When we came to Indiana for game one we knew we had to keep playing our systems, stay confident, and outwork Indiana all game and we were able to do that.

Sarah - Iowa
Who was your favorite team to play against this year?

My favorite team to play against this season was Green Bay. Ever since our pre-season games where we had a few fights it changed the way that we played against each other. Every game we played against Green Bay we knew it would be very physical and chippy on the ice and that made the games a lot of fun.

Bob - Nebraska
Who has been your favorite teammate in the USHL?

I have had a lot of great teammates over the last two seasons, but if I had to narrow it down to one I would have to say Andrew Miller because he and I lived together this past season and will be living together next season as well. Miller and I have spent a lot of time together so I have been able to get to know him a lot more than the other players on the team.

Jeff - Illinois
Where are you playing next year?

I will be returning to the Chicago Steel for another season. 

John - Iowa
First off I must tell you that I am a Waterloo Black Hawks fan.  The second round series between Chicago and Waterloo was some of the best hockey I've ever seen at any level. Chicago is a great hockey club.  They gave it their all and left nothing on the ice. What do you feel made the difference in the games ending up with Waterloo as the winner?

The biggest difference was that every player on Waterloo was on the same page. Every shift they came out and stuck to their systems. It was very hard to stop them because they did all of the little things needed to win and they turned out to be the difference maker in each game.

Jason - Iowa
Who was your pick in the final, Waterloo or Omaha?

My pick was Waterloo to win the Clark Cup. Their run at the end of the season was incredible. Also when we played them in the second round they showed what a championship team was like. They had all of their players playing good hockey and they never took a shift off.

John - Illinois
How do you think playing for Team Illinois helped you prepare for the USHL?

Playing for Team Illinois helped me a lot in preparing for the USHL. I had great coaches that were very knowledgeable in the game of hockey and would always be there to help you out in any situation. We also played tough schedules and strong teams so when we made the jump to the next level we were prepared the best we could be.

John - Illinois
Who was one of your best coaches when you were younger?

One of my best coaches when I was younger was Tom Miller. He started coaching me when I was about seven years old and coached me until I was about eleven or twelve. He had a big impact on me as a coach because he improved me with all my fundamentals throughout his years coaching me and also helped me to love the game even more.

Dan - Illinois
What USHL team is the most challenging to play? What is your favorite rink to play at besides Chicago?

The most challenging team to play against is Waterloo at Young Arena. They are a very quick team and take advantage of it when they play at home. Besides playing in Chicago I enjoy playing in Cedar Rapids because it is an easy drive and the atmosphere in their arena is great every time we travel there.

Previous Chats
Blake Kessel - Waterloo 
Alex Hudson - Tri-City
Doug Jones - Cedar Rapids
Spencer Heichman - Sioux City
Paul Carey - Indiana
Tim Mayer - USHL Official