Prospect Profile: Tye Hand
Tye Hand was selected by the Silvertips in the second round, 40th overall, in the 2010 WHL Bantam Draft. The tall, lanky defenseman made an impression at training camp and through several practices with the Silvertips this season, and appears to be a strong, rangy stay at home defenseman capable of making a big hit. A native of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, he has refined his game over the last two seasons at the Kelowna-based Pursuit of Excellence Hockey Academy, and is headed on the right path in his developing hockey career. Recently, broadcaster Jon Rosen caught up with Tye to learn about his hockey regiment and coming from a city so far north in the Northern Hemisphere.
Jon Rosen: What is the daily structure of the Pursuit of Excellence?
Tye Hand: It’s a very demanding program. You’re on the ice for two hours a day, and then in school for the rest of the day, with two workouts mixed in there. The level of competition here is very high.
JR: We hear it’s a great place for hockey players to refine their skating and work on their explosiveness.
TH: Yeah, that’s one of the main components of the school – working on skating.
JR: How would you describe yourself as a hockey player?
TH: I’m a big, rangy defenseman who likes to keep the play in front of him and is solid in the defensive zone.
JR: What aspects of your game are you currently developing?
TH: I’m just trying to keep my feet going – trying to make them faster and improving my offensive abilities.
JR: What was your first impression of training camp and the Green-Grey game?
TH: Everything was great. Everybody was really friendly. It was nice to see at the green and grey game how many fans were outside lining up before the game, and how they filled the place up.
JR: Yellowknife is a remote city in North America – how did you go about finding the right competition to play against?
TH: There was some competition up there, and there was another good player from Hay River, which is just four hours south of Yellowknife who was drafted and played hockey with me through my young career. Most of it was just house league hockey, but when I got the chance to go down south and play in tournaments, I would always take advantage and head down there.
JR: How old were you when you started playing hockey?
TH: I was about five. My dad strapped the skates on me on the outdoor rink, and I never stopped playing since then.
JR: Are there any frozen ponds in Yellowknife that you get to play on?
TH: Yeah, there is a couple. There’s a big lake – they usually have one out there. There’s also a smaller lake in the middle of town that everyone likes to skate on. It’s pretty fun.
JR: Is there any player that you’ve always looked up to?
TH: For the most part, Steve Yzerman. He was my biggest role model growing up.
JR: Is there any defenseman you try to model your game after?
TH: I would say I’m a Shea Weber-type of defenseman. I like to take the body and make smart plays.
JR: Being in Kelowna at the Pursuit of Excellence, do you ever have the opportunity to watch some WHL hockey?
TH: Yeah, there’s usually one game a week where a couple of boys and I head down to Prospera Place and check out the Rockets. And then earlier this week I was able to practice with the Silvertips, go through the gameday routine and watch the game from upstairs, which was a great experience.
JR: I’d imagine that you see a lot of the sun when back home in Yellowknife.
TH: It’s a lot different than being down in Kelowna. The sun is up all the time in the summer, and the blinds in our house are pretty thick. It can be pretty tough to get to sleep some nights.
JR: What does the middle of the night look like in Yellowknife?
TH: It’d probably look like Kelowna at three in the afternoon when the sun is about to go down.
JR: Do you ever get to see the Northern Lights?
TH: Yes, that’s a very, very high occurring thing up in Yellowknife. It’s unexplainable. Just how they move in the sky – it’s really a great sight.
JR: That’s really cool. Thank you for acting as ambassador to the Northwest Territories, and best of luck in your hockey career!
TH: I’m happy to help out. Thank you.
