Why did you choose Boston University?
"It felt like the right fit for me. I planned to go there since I was 14 years old. No other school seemed to feel as comfortable as BU did. From the coaches to the players who are there, everything that school has to offer is unbelievable. It was one of the greatest years of hockey that I’ve had."
Even though you played there for just one season (2016-17), what did head coach David Quinn mean to your career?
"He was awesome. He knew what I had offensively so he tried to help me on little things. We were always practicing, practicing hard. Sometimes before last year I wasn’t the best practice player, and he really helped me with that. We worked on little things in the ‘D’ zone. He helped me all around in all parts of my game. He was awesome to me; we had a great relationship. He’s a great coach and he’s going to have a lot of success at BU."
What was your biggest takeaway from Coach Quinn?
"That’s a tough one. Nothing in particular. He always had a smile on his face every day. He came to the rink really determined. He was there at five in the morning — I never knew what he was doing. I always saw him at the rink no matter how many times I was there. No matter what time I was there, he was always there. That was very special, to see the commitment on his part. He was just one of the greatest guys I’ve been around. He was great for me, and I can’t thank him enough."
What was it like to play at Frozen Fenway?
"It was cool. It was right after (the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship), so it was hard to get right back into it quickly, but luckily we got a win. Actually, all of us who were at world junior were sick, so it wasn’t the most pleasant game. It was more for the experience. The ice wasn’t the greatest either; it was a little bit dangerous out there. But it was great. It was a lot of fun. It was great to be around the guys in that atmosphere."
How much baseball do you watch, and were you aware of the history of Fenway Park?
"I watch a little bit of baseball. The St. Louis Cardinals are my team and they had a lot of success when I was growing up. When I went to Boston two summers ago I went to a lot of Red Sox games. All the freshmen had to go in early so many nights we went to watch them play."
What is your favorite college moment from last season?
"There isn’t one that really sticks out. We had a lot of success last year, but it seemed that we would always come up short. The Beanpot and Hockey East tournaments were both tough losses for us. At the NCAA tournament we came so close to going to the Frozen Four. It was tough. It was a great group of guys and an awesome year. Everybody really loved each other and we had great relationships with each other."
Arizona Coyotes teammate Max Domi said when you’re on the ice you remind him of Patrick Kane, your hockey idol. What are your thoughts about that?
"Patrick’s definitely someone I look up to. I watch a lot of his games just to see how he creates offense and creates space for himself. He’s definitely an unbelievable player. I try to take things out of his game and put them into mine. (Chuckles.) Max is a pretty nice guy, but he’s being a little generous with me. Max is a heck of a player, too, and he makes it easy on me."
Key Facts
Teams: Arizona Coyotes; Boston University; U.S. NTDP
Hometown: Chesterfield, Mo.
Pos.: F | Shoots: Left | Size: 5-10, 168
Honors: Won gold at 2017 world juniors, leading Team USA with 8 assists and 11 points in 7 games. Ranked 2nd in assists and 3rd in points among all players. Named to All-Tournament Team. In 31 games last season in his only year at Boston University, he recorded a team-leading 21 goals and 45 points and tied for the team lead with 24 assists. His 45 points led Hockey East freshmen and was second among NCAA rookies. Named ACHA National Rookie of the Year, Hockey East Rookie of the Year and New England Rookie of the Year. Selected to the NCAA West Regional All-Tournament Team. Made NHL debut with Coyotes, who drafted him 7th in 2016 NHL draft, on March 27, 2017, at St. Louis. Recorded first NHL point (assist) on March 29 vs. St. Louis. Scored first NHL goal on Oct. 5 at Anaheim. Named the NHL’s Rookie of the Month for October 2017 after leading all rookies with nine goals and 15 points in 13 games.
Favorites
Food: Steak
Pregame meal: Pasta
Movie: "Happy Gilmore"
TV show: "Dexter"
Actor: Will Ferrell
Video game: Call of Duty
Non-hockey athletes: Jordan Spieth and LeBron James
Sport other than hockey: Golf
Hockey idol: Patrick Kane
Equipment
Helmet: Bauer
Stick: Bauer
Skates: Bauer
Gloves: Bauer
