Q & A Drayson Bowman

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Q&A with Drayson Bowman

Written by: Adam Danter on 05/26/2008

At the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, Drayson Bowman was selected by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 3rd round, 72nd overall. Bowman got the invite to the Hurricanes camp in September, where he received a lot of praise from the coaching staff for his skill and poise with the puck. It is not hard to see why the Hurricanes organization is so high on the Spokane Chief.

Bowman is one of the CHL’s best snipers. After his sophomore season last year with 24 goals and 19 assists in 61 games, the 6’1, 185 lb left winger torched the WHL for 42 goals and 40 assists in 66 games this season. He continued his torrid pace in the playoffs, leading the Chiefs with 11 goals and sharing the team lead in points with Ondrej Roman with 20 points in 21 games.

In an amazing two-week stretch in November, Bowman won CHL Player of the Week honors back to back weeks when he amassed 11 goals and five assists in only five games.

Along with his increasing offensive output, Bowman has provided strong leadership for the Chiefs this year. Hockey's Future spoke with him prior to Spokane winning the Memorial Cup.


HF: What were the highlights of your very successful year?

DB: Winning the WHL Championship was huge and coming here to the Memorial Cup. Playing against so many talented players and teams is great. Playing in this tournament, the intensity is so much higher because the players are so skilled and we only play each team once in the round robin.

HF: Did you think that you would win all three games in the round robin and make it to the finals?

DB: Yes, I knew a little about the other three teams, but felt that we were the best team going in. Our plan was not only to make it to the finals and hopefully win the Memorial Cup but to win every game we played in. We have such a good team that there was no reason to suspect otherwise that we wouldn’t win all three games.

HF: Being that Spokane has had five days off, what has the team done in its downtime?

DB: We went to Toronto to watch the baseball game. We’ve been watching a lot of TV in the hotel, keeping a very close eye on the happenings of the Memorial Cup. We have had regular practices and kept pretty tight as a team, doing pretty much everything together.

HF: When the team came into the Kitchener Auditorium after practice, they were banging sticks, shouting and cheering. That is quite a lot of intensity for a team that has had a lot of time off.

DB: We are having fun on and off the ice. The guys can get pretty rowdy at times and what you just saw is just a taste of the crazy things that go on. We have to keep our edge with the time off from the tournament, while we wait for the final game today.

HF: How have you improved as a player from the start of the year to now?

DB: I have learned to be more patient with the puck. Before I was rushing things around the net and now I have done better at finding the other players around the net or in the slot. I have found that the better play is to dish it off to the open man and then find a way to get open myself afterwards.

HF: Who do you give credit to for your successful hockey career?

DB: My parents, they have been so supportive. My hockey career has moved us all across the continent and I couldn’t ask anything more from them. Moving from Colorado to British Columbia not only gave me a chance to progress my hockey career, but my younger brother as well.

HF: Was there a point in your career when you realized that you would be in the upper tier of players in the WHL?

DB: In my Bantam year I realized that I was pretty good. I was getting told that if I kept working hard then I would be able to reach my full potential. I put in the hard work and those that told me to work hard weren’t wrong.

HF: Is your brother as skilled as you are?

DB: I can say yes, being that Colin is a defenseman (laughs), but if he was a forward then I would say differently.

HF: What do you like to do in your personal down time?

DB: Play video games like all the other guys on the team.

HF: Who is your favorite NHL player?

DB: It’s tough to say, as there as so many good players. I think it would be Eric Staal. I really liked him as a player before I got drafted by Carolina.

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2008 prospects: Q&A with Mitch Wahl

Written by: Adam Danter on 05/27/2008

One prospect who garnered a lot of attention at the 2008 Memorial Cup is Mitch Wahl from the Spokane Chiefs. The 6’0, 185 lb center is ranked 64th among NA skaters by Central Scouting.

The fiery prospect scored 20 goals and 53 assists in 66 games with the Chiefs during the regular season. What was even more impressive was his style of play on both ends of the ice, which earned him a +33 plus/minus rating. Wahl kept up his scoring in the playoffs, with six goals and eight assists in 21 games.

Because of his special playmaking and defensive skills, the 18-year-old center is assigned to play against the opposition's best units the majority of the time. His maturity is well beyond his age. He has the makings of a special player.



HF: How did you start into hockey being from Seal Beach, California?

MW: I got into hockey when I was pretty young, about six years old. When (Wayne) Gretzky came to play for the Los Angeles Kings, I was immediately interested and luck had it that hockey became bigger down there.

HF: How do you feel about the upcoming draft?

MW: I’m getting excited for it. I’ve got my focus on the championship game here today. After this I will be going to the NHL Combine leading up to the draft, and from there we will see what happens.

HF: Everyone raves about your maturity on the ice. How do you respond to that?

MW: I don’t know, it’s nice to hear. It‘s hard to not be nervous when you play in big games, especially like those in the Memorial Cup. I guess that I have been lucky to have my head into things at the right moment when it was needed.

HF: How have you improved as a player from the start of this season?

MW: I worked on ironing out the little things. I did this on my own and also with the help of the coaches. They helped me improve my defensive play, and also I found myself getting into the right spots at the right time. It becomes almost instinctive.

HF: With all of the other players trying to make themselves more attractive to the scouts and general managers that are here, what are you doing that separates you from the group?

MW: I do my own thing. I try not to do anything too fancy or anything that takes me away from the style of game that I am used to playing. It is hard to avoid the temptation of making an extra fancy move or pass, but you have to keep your mind on what is at hand and that is winning the Memorial Cup by doing the simple things well.

HF: What have you been doing while waiting to play in the final game of the Memorial Cup?

MF: Spending time with the team, watching the other games and hanging out. Trying to keep a low key on things and not get too anxious to play.

HF: What do you plan to do in the summertime after the draft?

MW: I’ll be constantly training. I’ll take some time off once I get back home from the tournament here and relax, get ready for the NHL Combine. Continue working on my strength and on-ice skills.

HF: Who was the biggest influence in your hockey career?

MW: My parents have been the most supportive. I live with my mom in Spokane, and the whole family has been right with me along the way.

HF: Who is your favorite NHL player?

MW: Alexander Ovechkin. He is so exciting to watch. What he does on the ice is amazing. What a player he is! He is unbelievable.

HF: What is your favorite NHL team?

MW: I’m a Ducks fan. Being from Southern California, we used to get seasons tickets to the games, so I have been a Ducks fan for quite a while.