Catching Up With…Matt Calvert
(By Jesse Watts, whl.ca) – The Brandon Wheat Kings are hosting the 2010 MasterCard Memorial Cup tournament, and no player is ready to do what it takes to ensure the team is ready to contend than veteran forward Matt Calvert.
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The 19-year-old from Brandon, MB, has been a key cog in the Wheat Kings’ success over the last two seasons, scoring 52 goals and 131 points in 130 games over the last two campaigns while helping the team advance all the way to the WHL Eastern Conference Championship series in a lengthy post-season run in 2009.
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This season, Calvert intends to step up even more so for his hometown team as they embark on their quest to become Memorial Cup champions for the first time in franchise history.
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While the Wheat Kings may already have their ticket punched to the Memorial Cup as the host team, Calvert knows they must do their best to ensure they get to the tournament through the front door – as WHL Champions.
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With a returning cast of players that includes first-round NHL draft picks Brayden Schenn and Scott Glennie, 30-goal man Jay Fehr, Florida Panthers’ prospect defenseman Colby Robak, and Calvert, himself, the Columbus Blue Jackets prospect feels the Wheat Kings are poised to be a dominant force in the WHL this season.
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Catching Up With…Matt Calvert
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On Wheat Kings training camp…
r“It’s been going great, so far. It’s been very competitive. We’ve seen a lot of depth with our 16 and 17-year-olds this year, and they are all wanting to battle for a place on this team so they can be a part of the Memorial Cup. It’s shaping up to be an exciting team this year.”
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On the pressure of hosting a Memorial Cup…
r“I think we are comfortable with the pressure. We aren’t going to focus on the fact that we are already in the tournament. We want to approach the season just like any other season in that we feel we need to earn our way into the tournament, just like every other team. We’ll keep working hard and stick to our plan as though we don’t already have a spot locked up. Luckily, we’ve got a good group of veterans and leaders who will be able to keep us focused and on track.”
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On this year’s edition of the Wheat Kings …
r“Obviously, Schenner and Glennie will be a big part of things. They are both a year older, coming off great seasons last year, have a lot of confidence from being drafted, and are very talented and skilled guys. I expect them to be dominant in the League this season. We’ve got some young guys looking to take on bigger roles this year, and a solid group of 20-year-olds battling for spots. I know we lost a few guys from last year’s team, but there are guys willing and able to step up and fill those holes. (Kelly McCrimmon) made some moves over the summer and picked up some strong European guys who will be solid players for us.”
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On his role this year…
r“I’ve been looking forward to being a leader on this team, and taking on a bigger leadership role this year. As one of the veterans, I know I’ve got to be a go-to guy on the ice and be a strong presence for the younger guys. I learned a lot from the older guys over the last two years, and I know how important it is to help out the younger guys and show them what they need to do because I’ve been in their shoes before. I want to work as hard as I can, lead by example, and help out as much as I can off the ice, too.”
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On his summer vacation…
r“Yeah, I got tome downtime this summer. It wasn’t as warm out here in Manitoba as it normally is, but it was still pretty nice. I took some time off, got to play some golf, and spent time relaxing and focusing on preparing for this season.”
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