Helping Everett win its first WHL championship taught me that big games are a marathon, not a sprint. When I was younger, I thought you had to win the game in the first period. I learned that anything can happen at any point, so you need to stay consistent and play hard for the full 60 minutes.
Now that I'm beginning a new chapter at Michigan, the biggest adjustment has been living on my own. There's no billet mom or my own mom checking my homework or making sure I set my alarm. I've had to become responsible for my schedule and manage my time.
My teammates have made the transition much easier. Our team feels like a family. I have five roommates who are all freshmen: J.P. Hurlbert (Detroit Red Wings), Cam Reid (Nashville Predators), Jack Nesbitt (Philadelphia Flyers), Kieren Dervin (Vancouver Canucks) and Brandt Harper. In a draft year it can be easy to listen to the outside noise, but they help me forget about it and sometimes forget about hockey. We hang out, watch shows and go to dinner like normal kids.
Coach Brandon Naurato cares about the person before the player. He's smart, detailed and wants to push us beyond our comfort zones. He encourages us to try things, make mistakes and "fail forward." Nobody is gripping the stick too tightly or playing scared, although there's still a time and place to try something new.
Early in the season I've tried to learn, play simple and take some risks. As the games go on, I expect to become more comfortable and confident, create more offensively and be more physical defensively.
College hockey has been amazing. The student sections, bands and chants make the smaller rinks feel even louder. Playing at Yost Arena is special and pretty surreal on game night. You're also practicing every day against older, stronger players who are close to the NHL. Going against players like junior Michael Hage (Montreal Canadiens) pushes me out of my comfort zone and brings me closer to where I want to be.
Away from the rink, my favorite class is History of Ancient Greek Sport. We're learning about the beginning of the Olympics, which is really interesting.
The draft talk is fun. It's cool to see where my buddies and I are ranked, but those lists are only what a few people think, and a lot can change. There's pressure, but I use it as fuel. I know everyone wants that No. 1 spot. If I become complacent, people will catch me, so I'm trying to improve every day and have fun with it.
Halloween weekend probably will be quiet because we'll be in Columbus, Ohio, to play at Ohio State. I'm a big fan of Halloween though. My most memorable costume was Tom Brady. Looking back, it wasn't very good, but I loved it at the time.
Thanks for reading, and I'll check back in next month.
