Mat Bodie Interview 4/2/12

Heavy lifting at Fenway

My good friend Kevin Giron and I stopped by the rink on Monday to chat with some of the men in uniform before they ship off over there (Tampa). Kev took the reigns on this interview here, formulating and asking the questions, so this is a guest interview, so to speak.

If this is your first time, Mat helps quarterback the very dangerous powerplay and has 30 points in 37 games. Mat is a spectacularly sound defensemen in all areas of play and fits the mold of the new era of defensemen that now entering the NHL.

Forever pensive: Mat Bodie

UHB: You’ve been throwing around the body a lot more than I remember. Is that a conscious change in your defensive style?

Mat: I guess it’s something I worked on with Coach Bennett a little bit. He’s always saying finish the shooter, especially after he takes a shot or makes a play. I guess, in the heat of the moment, you’re more willing to sacrifice the body a little more.

UHB: Do you prefer being the left D-Man in your pairing or the right D-Man, or does something like that really not matter?

Mat: I’ve played right all this year and all last year with Brock [Matheson]. We’re a pretty left-handed heavy defensive core so, obviously a few will have to go to the right side. I’ve been playing this was for a couple of years now so it’s becoming more natural.

UHB: Does having the team Captain, Nolan Julseth-White, as a defenseman help other D-Men in particular mature and develop their game?
Mat: A little bit. I think Juice is a great captain but we’ve got a pretty mature group of guys back there. We have 3 juniors that play every game and Juice is a senior, so we’ve got a pretty mature group of guys back there, so it helps a little bit.

UHB: With Juice leaving next year, do you anticipate taking on a leadership role in the defensive core, or would you say everyone knows how to handle themselves?

Mat: I think there will be guys stepping into that leadership role. We have a lot of guys capable of doing that. Cobes [Coburn], Stuie [Stuart], Foogs [Forgaard], they’re all guys that have been here for a while. I think we’ll have a pretty mature D-core for the next couple of years.

UHB: Who’s your favorite team to play against in the ECAC?
Mat: I guess I’ll go with the rivalry game; RPI. They’re always fun. They always seem to play us really hard and the crowds are always good. It’s always a fun game to look forward to.

UHB: Your brother, Kyle, has become a more prominent figure in this year’s lineup, is it surprising to see or is it something you kind of expected all along?

Mat: I expected this. He was a great player in junior, he was one of our team leader in points and a leader as well off the ice. He didn’t have quite the chance he was given this year in the past but Coach Bennett gave him some chances. It’s kind of like a new lease on life and he’s making the most of it.

UHB: When did you start skating?


Mat: I think I was about 4 when I started skating lessons. Quite a while.

UHB: As a team without the biggest guys on the blue-line how have you guys managed to put up such good defensive numbers?

Mat: It starts with our goalie, Troy Grosenick. He’s able to bail us out quite a bit. We preach good positioning, good team defense. D-men are always having stick on puck and the forwards are always coming back, so it makes it a lot easier on us.

Mat and Troy, pre-hug

UHB: How’s practice been this week? Light skates? Skill skates? Or just the normal grind?

Mat: It’s been pretty regular. Coach doesn’t want to change too many things up. We’ve been sticking to the process and we’re just really excited to get going to Tampa.

UHB: Do the guys in the locker room feel any jitters? Has the fact you’re in the final four hit you guys yet?

Mat: I don’t think anyone has jitters. We’re all pretty excited. Obviously, you’re going to get some pre-game butterflies but after the first shift or so, those will go away.

UHB: Has it hit you yet that you’re going down to Tampa for the frozen four?

Mat: We’re still treating this like another weekend. Obviously, there is a lot more hype and a lot more fan reaction coming into this. I think it’ll probably hit us when we step on the plane or once we get down to Tampa.

UHB: So you’re from Peg City... how excited are you about the Jets?

Mat: Well... they didn’t make playoffs so that kind of sucks. I got to go to a couple of games when I was back home for Christmas. It’s really helping the city out and the MTS center is packed. It’s good to see for the city.

UHB: If you had a chance to play in the show... would you want to play in Winnipeg or would you really care what team you were on?

Mat: You take it where you can get it. It’s pretty competitive at that level. You can’t be too picky.

UHB: Who was your favorite childhood hockey player?

Mat: I started as a forward and my favorite forward was Joe Sakic. Once I moved back to D, Scott Niedermayer, he’s just the ultimate D-man, I thought.

UHB: Have you ever been on a road trip in a car that had no business going on a road trip? [Cue the sound of wind rushing over Mat's head as it did mine. If you have no idea what this question is referring to, go to 0:36 in this clip.]

Mat: Uhh...... I guess so. I have a ‘99 ford taurus at home. When I was playing in Powell River, I actually drove it out to Powell River. Going through the mountains in Canada, I got pretty lucky to get there. I had to replace the brakes as soon as I got there.

UHB: What’s your favorite line from Sean William-Scott’s new hockey movie, “Goon?”
Mat: That’s a new movie, so I don’t know if everyone has seen that. It’s a good movie so I suggest everyone to go out and watch it.

Thanks to Mat for taking some time to chat.