Tipped Off
10-11-2005, 10:47 AM
WHL player bio: Bretton Stamler
Bretton Stamler
From the Seattle Times
Height: 6 feet 1
Weight: 202 pounds
Position: Defense
Hometown: Beaumont, Alberta
Age: 18 Number: 6
Key stat: Played in all 72 regular-season games last season for the Thunderbirds, but tore his hamstring in the first game of the playoffs and did not play again.
Key fact: Picked in the seventh round (214th overall) by Detroit in the 2005 NHL draft.
First shot: You are planning to be a doctor after your hockey career. Do people underestimate the intelligence of hockey players?
Answer: "Yes, it's unbelievable how smart some of these guys are, especially the younger ones who don't fit into the mold of being dumb hockey players."
Second shot: When the T-birds are involved in their first shootout, will you be ready?
Answer: "We've got a couple of natural goal scorers, and none of them is a defenseman. I wouldn't be shocked if I was tapped on the shoulder sometime, though. At least I'd know what to do."
Third shot: Will the new rules put more scoring into hockey?
Answer: "Yes, but it really depends how hard they crack down on obstruction. For defensemen, it will put a premium on positioning and skating. The real decision is how much to clutch and grab and risk a penalty. It's a big adjustment for everybody."
Bretton Stamler
From the Seattle Times
Height: 6 feet 1
Weight: 202 pounds
Position: Defense
Hometown: Beaumont, Alberta
Age: 18 Number: 6
Key stat: Played in all 72 regular-season games last season for the Thunderbirds, but tore his hamstring in the first game of the playoffs and did not play again.
Key fact: Picked in the seventh round (214th overall) by Detroit in the 2005 NHL draft.
First shot: You are planning to be a doctor after your hockey career. Do people underestimate the intelligence of hockey players?
Answer: "Yes, it's unbelievable how smart some of these guys are, especially the younger ones who don't fit into the mold of being dumb hockey players."
Second shot: When the T-birds are involved in their first shootout, will you be ready?
Answer: "We've got a couple of natural goal scorers, and none of them is a defenseman. I wouldn't be shocked if I was tapped on the shoulder sometime, though. At least I'd know what to do."
Third shot: Will the new rules put more scoring into hockey?
Answer: "Yes, but it really depends how hard they crack down on obstruction. For defensemen, it will put a premium on positioning and skating. The real decision is how much to clutch and grab and risk a penalty. It's a big adjustment for everybody."