On his style of play: I'm an offensive player -- like skilled, can put the puck in the net. But also take pride in my two way game and also being a good defensive player, too. I really don't try to play like anybody. I go out there and try to play my own style of game, but I do try and look at the best players in the world and try and take pieces of their game into mine to try and make me a better hockey player.

On getting his start in hockey: I guess when I was about three, I was outside and my neighbors were playing road hockey and I didn't really know what it was. So I went to my dad and asked him if I could try playing hockey and he signed me up that summer and I started off when I was four.

On his minor hockey: I played in Whitby all my life growing up and all my friends played with Whitby, too. I'm still good friends with a lot of them and a lot of them play in the OHL still. So it's good that we have been able to still connect along the way.

On the biggest influence on his career: Definitely my parents and my sister, but more so my dad. He's been there along with me the whole way. He's really taught me everything that I know about hockey, and my parents are the people that support me through all of the ups and downs of my career. My dad played in the OHL back in 1979-80. He was a goalie for the Toronto Marlboros. I guess him being a goalie, like he knew the goalie's tendencies and stuff like that. It helped me out a lot. He taught me how to shoot and best ways to score I guess.

On his most memorable moment in his career so far: Definitely in minor hockey, when we first won our league championship, I think it was in Bantam, we had never won our league up until that point. To finally win it with all of those guys was definitely a great feeling. And also I guess I could say when I won the under 17 my first year in Ottawa, that was a good experience. I was really excited to play on the world stage for the first time.

On playing for Ottawa in the OHL: I was really excited getting drafted there. There's a lot of history behind that team and they are the one team in the OHL that I really knew the most about, and going in and playing under Brian (Kilrea) was also a great experience. He's a legend in the game and to learn from him was definitely a big help in my career.

On his childhood hockey hero: There's a few, but someone like Joe Sakic, I guess, who is a good hockey player and he's also a great leader and he's someone that like any player would want to model their game after. So I could definitely say him.