On his career year in Florida last season
Well, it's definitely preparation. As an athlete and as a competitor, you always want to be ready for an opportunity once it comes. And I was fortunate to play for the Florida Panthers. We won a Stanley Cup. I got so much experience during that playoff run and during the summer I kind of thought about my goals and what I wanted to achieve coming into a contract year personally, obviously we wanted to win another Cup, but personally I wanted to achieve certain things and put myself in a good position for myself and my family to be able to be in a good financial situation and pick where we want to go essentially like I just did. So I spoke to my coach and I had told him, I said, listen, if there is any opportunity this year, I really think I can do well with it. I've been kind of boxed into a fourth line role with limited minutes my whole career, but the more I played, the more experience that I gained.
And I was put in certain situations where I knew that if I was used in more minutes or in a better offensive situation that I could produce and I wholeheartedly believe that. But again, it's tough when you have a certain role and you want to do the best at that role. Injuries played a big part in me getting that opportunity and it's unfortunate, but again, it was an opportunity personally for me. And so I got to play with unbelievable players and I was ready. And once you get a confidence boost like I did at the first five games, I put up some points, scored some goals, then you just kind of build off that. And I really just put my head down and gave it everything I had. And I know that I can do that again. I don't think it's a one-off personally, I know what's in the tank and I'm a competitor and I'm only going to get better, I believe. So I'm really looking forward to this opportunity.
On the stability of a long-term deal
It's been up and down and it's crazy when you look back and you realize certain things now that you didn't know back then and you'd wish you knew now or you knew back then what you know now, obviously. A lot of learning curves and a lot of growth in both my game and my maturity, knowing what to do in certain situations and honestly belief. Those who know my career and know the path that I took and the things that I dealt with and some were self-inflicted and others were just timing and it's amazing what belief can do. And so I always knew that I was going to make the NHL and have an impact on an NHL team. I just believed it and I really manifested it and it took longer than I wanted to, but again, that's part of the journey and I wouldn't trade for anything.
I'm a Stanley Cup champion and now I have so much to give to others who are in this situation that I was beforehand. So again, I'm coming into a young team and I'm going to be able to share what I've went through with these guys. And I'm just looking to really build off of my personal career, build off of what I did last year, continue to get better and do everything that I can to help this team. But like you said, the stability is a big weight off my shoulders. For my family, I mean, they've been amazing. The one to two-year deals is a very tough thing when you have a wife and kids. And so now we're going to be set in an unbelievable place to live. We're going to be in a team that is looking to achieve great things and I'm looking forward to it.
On his conversation with Quenneville and Verbeek
I kept it brief, but they just reiterated how my style of play and the way that I did things the last two years and the way I've played have really set me up for success and they're looking forward to having that in the lineup and having a power forward and that physicality, that energy, that agitation, like you said, is an important thing in this game. You need to put fear in your opponent and I can do that. I can play in all three zones and I can contribute. And so I'm looking forward to do everything that they need me to do and more. And conversations really just were appreciative of my style of play and how they saw me fitting into the lineup and into the mold of this team and really just welcoming me and hoping that we can get something done.
On being an advocate for mental health
Well, this is all from personal experience and when I share things and when I try to do things, it's because I know that I have a platform as a hockey player. So for the mental health stuff, I went through a tough battle mentally as a rookie and in my first couple of years not understanding the business of hockey, to be completely honest with you, not understanding the way things work with, okay, the guy's producing the most, you're playing the top minutes and you're top score of this team, but you're not getting called up. But I didn't understand that. And again, I was a kid. So I took work and brought it home all the time and I couldn't stop thinking about hockey. I couldn't disconnect from anything and it was just negative thoughts and negative thoughts. And so I got some help. And it's important when you're in a dark space and when you're going through things and when something consumes you so much that you feel like you're submerged in these thoughts, it's important to reach out and have a third party just settle things down for you and put things into perspective.
And so I was fortunate enough, I had friends and family and people who helped me out and I got over the hump. And as an athlete, you're always looking to get better and you're always thinking, how can I do things to put myself in a position to succeed? But there's also times where you need to relax and enjoy the other side of life. And fortunate now I have a beautiful wife. I have two beautiful children that helps a lot and you can see that in my career, it's taken off completely and I would say that's an attribute to just the mental part of things and how you can become a better version of yourself on and off the ice just by appreciating different aspects of life itself. And when I talk about platform as a professional athlete, that's kind of how I try to give my knowledge to other people around me.
And I'll continue to do this, I've done this my whole career. I like to work with the children's hospitals. So I've done this, I've started doing it when I was 12 years old, but as a pro athlete, I started my rookie year and I've continued it every year in whichever city I was in. I worked with the children's hospitals. I go about once or twice a month, visit the kids, work with them, do activities with them and just really, like I said, use my platform as a pro hockey player because to them you look like a hero, but you're trying to put a smile on their face and make them think about other things other than what they're going through. So I think the use of our platforms as hockey players is an important thing.
On what has driven him in his career
It's determination, passion and confidence and belief. It really is a combination of all those things. And when I was at Boston University, it was some of the best years of my life and I wish I didn't have to leave that program, but I made a decision based off of my hockey career and I felt it was the right decision to do. I'd say 99% of the people who were around me and telling me, advising me what to do told me not to make that decision and I did. And the only reason I did that is because I, again, believed in myself and the decision I was making was the right choice for me and it worked out. I left BU December of 2015 or 2016 and I played my first NHL game nine months later and that was in the picture when I was at BU.
I didn't even think of the NHL back then. I was just focused on getting somewhere where I could play more hockey and keep developing. And so just it's a tough thing to do when you play in the American League and you get older and you're kind of in and out of the NHL, 20 games, 15 games, and then people start putting a tag on you and making you feel like you're an AHL lifer and more and more prospects come in, more and more good players come to take your job. And so you got to find that gear and you got to find that something that ignites you inside and you got to be relentless. And so I always believed in it. And once I got an opportunity to play in Boston with the Bruins, I was on a one-way for the first time and then I just felt it.
I just felt like this was my opportunity, did well with it. Fortunately, went to waivers the year after again, which was a hard thing mentally because you felt like you'd been the NHL and you felt like you did well and then you're back to square one. I got picked up by Calgary, broke my foot 40 games in, and now I'm stuck without a contract thinking, did I do enough? Florida took a chance on me and then I become Stanley Cup champion and the rest is history.
There's a lot of things, but I think that passion that I have in my game stems from who I am as a person and my personality.
On what he can provide the Ducks
I mean guidance and just being a pro and playing the right way and being as selfless as I can. I strive to be a good teammate. I strive to do everything I can to put the team in a position to succeed, whether that's blocking shots, hitting people, anything I can do, it's really just who I am as a person. I want to help the people around me and win. And we do have some really good veterans on this team too. It's a young team, but they got a good vet presence. And you look guys like Kreider, Killorn, these are big time guys who I know that those young guys will be sponges around. So I'm just trying to add on to that. I'm not trying to come in and disturb anything. I'm really trying to fit in and really be the puzzle piece to a bigger thing that's coming for the Anaheim Ducks, and I'm really excited.
