Q&A with Luke Ormsby
The T-Birds selected right wing Luke Ormsby in the ninth round, 192nd overall, in the 2014 Bantam Draft. He attended T-Birds Training Camp the last two seasons and signed a WHL Standard Player Agreement with the T-Birds on December 4, 2015. Last season he played with the Phoenix Jr. Coyotes Major Midget team before. Ormsby appeared in four games last season registering an assist. He played in one playoff game for the T-Birds during their 18-game playoff run. Luke sat down with us to discuss his first summer and the upcoming season.
Seattle Thunderbirds: Hi Luke, thanks for joining us. First off, how’s your summer been?
Luke Ormsby: Hello, thank you for having me! My summer has been great and going by quickly. I’ve spent some time with friends and family, and of course quite a bit of time training for the upcoming season.
ST: Your hometown is Monroe, Washington, and you also played minor hockey with Sno-King Hockey Association. How did it feel to sign with the T-Birds?
LO: It was surreal. Signing with the Birds was a dream come true for me. I grew up with this team and it was always my dream to play for the Thunderbirds. The day we knew that I was actually going to sign with the Birds is a day I will never forget. It’s just amazing to really have your dreams come true. It’s truly an honor and I’ve never been more excited.
ST: Did you grow up going to T-Birds games at all? Who was your favorite T-Birds player growing up?
LO: Growing up in the Seattle area, I attended a lot of T-Bird games. I learned about the players and the sport watching the T-Birds. I attended games in Kent and in Everett when the T-Birds would play. In Everett my family and I would always sit in the same seats for each T-Birds game, right next to the tunnel where the T-Bird players would enter the rink. After a game that the Thunderbirds had won, I waited for the team to walk past. I remember when Thomas Hickey walked right by me and tossed me the game puck. It goes without saying that at that point he became my favorite player. After that I started paying close attention to him every time I saw him play and even after he left the Thunderbirds (now with the New York Islanders).
ST: You attended two training camps for the T-Birds before signing. What specifically do you think you improved on the most that led you to sign?
LO: My whole game. I took a look at what I needed to improve on, and I just wanted to improve all of it. This includes the way I work out to how I use my practice time. I believe the key component was my attitude. After being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes weeks after my first year of camp, I knew I had something to prove. The first T-Birds camp provided me with a clear focus as to what I needed to do to make the team roster. I was determined to get well and not allow diabetes to slow me down. I dedicated every training and practice moment to making the Seattle Thunderbirds.
ST: What did you learn from your experience in the playoffs with the T-Birds last season?
LO: I can’t even begin to explain how much I learned while being up in Seattle for playoffs. I had the privilege of being able to room with Landon Bow and Scott Eansor. They showed me the ropes and they helped make my transition into juniors, from how to prepare, practice, travel, etc. Also you can’t help but get better when you’re practicing on the ice everyday with some of the best players in the league. I also saw what it takes to win and what it feels like to be a part of a winning atmosphere.
ST: The T-Birds came up just shy of winning a championship. What do you think the team needs to do next season to win a title?
LO: We had a great playoff run, but it was tough to lose in the end. You could tell everyone wanted it so bad. Doing the little things makes all the difference. I think the confidence this team has knowing that we are capable of winning it all will put us over the top. As we go into the season, I think everyone will be hungry to get back on the ice and have the opportunity to hoist the Ed Chynoweth Cup.
ST: You spent two years playing hockey for the Junior Coyotes down in Phoenix, Arizona. How did you like living in the desert compared to the Pacific Northwest?
LO: It’s very very warm here [in Phoenix]. Right now it’s 108 degrees out, which is kind of a normal day here. It makes training outside pretty tough, which is good. I miss the cooler weather though and look forward to getting back to that.
ST: What types of training have you been doing during the offseason?
LO: During the summer I spend a lot of time in the gym. My trainer, Chuck Bolle, makes sure I’m always prepared for the upcoming season. I also spend a week a month in Anaheim, California training with Larry Barron who is the skating coach for the Anaheim Ducks. Otherwise, I skate in a program in Arizona that features all the junior/pro players from the area. Training was the key to getting stronger after I was diagnosed with diabetes and I’ve carried that forward day-in and day-out ever since.
ST: Is there anything you’re looking to improve on for next season to see more ice time?
LO: My all-around game. I got a chance to play in a couple of games this season and was able to see what I need to improve on. Getting stronger over this summer has been key, and I know I will find that very helpful this year. I know if I keep training hard, learning and fine-tuning my game it will pay off in the end.
ST: Is there an NHL player you model your game after?
LO: Growing up in the Seattle area I followed the Vancouver Canucks, which was the closest NHL team. I like the tenacity and hard work of Alex Burrows. Speed is also an important part of my game so players like Marian Gaborik and more recently Dylan Larkin are guys that I watch. I’m most effective when I use my speed and play with a bit of an edge.
ST: We’ve heard that you have an interest in flight and aeronautics and that you are quite good on flight simulators. How did this become an interest of yours?
LO: Growing up in Seattle with Boeing in your backyard was huge for me. Seeing planes constantly in the air got me interested in wanting to fly them. I know people laugh when they see my closet because 80% of it is either Boeing or Alaska Airlines clothing. I got into flight simulators four summers ago and really enjoyed it. I find it good to have something else I enjoy doing during my off time. I built a computer that can handle the software needed for the simulator. Funny story…during one of our off days last season, I was able to talk Landon Bow into going with me to the Museum of Flight in Renton. I think it was at that point he caught the flight bug. I let him try the simulator and before you knew it we had flown something like 10 flights. It was a lot of fun.
ST: Is getting your pilot license a goal for you?
LO: I would like to someday. Right now I’m 100% focused on hockey and making it to the next level. My flight simulator is a hobby during my off time. In the future after hockey, I may pursue a commercial license. Laws actually exist today in the U.S. that prevent diabetics from being able to do this, so that has to change. Right now it’s all about making it to the next level in hockey though. Hockey is my passion.
ST: That’s all the time we have for today! Thanks for sitting down and chatting with us, Luke!
LO: Thank you so much for having me, I look forward to this season!
Seattle Thunderbirds Public & Media Relations Intern Kerry Colby conducted the Q&A with Luke Ormsby. The team will be posting Q&A’s during the off-season with returning T-Birds players.
