 | Gongshowhockey.com sat down this week with former Maine Black Bear and current New York Rangers product Lucas Lawson to talk about his junior days, getting a scholly to Maine, and signing an NHL contract. Lucas Lawson played his junior career for the Kanata Valley Lasers where he led the CJHL in scoring with 45 goals and 40 assists for 85 points in 50 games in his final year.
He was named the MVP of the season as well as the CJHL All-Star Game. From their he moved on to star for the University of Maine Black Bears NCAA Division I, part of the strong Hockey East conference. Lucas twice helped his team advance to the NCAA Frozen Four Championship. In his senior year he appeared in 39 matches, registering 21 goals and 16 assists for 37 points and was selected to the Hockey East Second Team All-Conference. Upon finishing his career at Maine, Lawson signed with the New York Rangers, playing for the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL last season. |
GSH- Thanks for sitting down with us today Lucas. You were a bit of a late bloomer, not even getting drafted to the Central Junior “A†Hockey League (CJHL), then being cut as a walk-on 16 year old with the Kanata Valley Lasers. Did this motivate you to work harder for the next season?
LL- It definitely did. Playing junior hockey was one of my goals, so when it didn’t happen it was really kind of frustrating. I went back home and played midget in Arnprior, Ontario for the year. I made a lot of strides off the ice that summer, doing the Acceleration Canada program at the Corel Center (skating on fake ice on an inclined treadmill). I put on about thirty pounds and I came back and finally made the squad as a 17 year old.
 | GSH- After leading the CJHL in points in your final year of junior hockey, you decided to sign your letter of intent with the Maine Black Bears NCAA (Hockey East Division I). What made you choose Maine and what other schools were you considering?
LL- Well I had offers from Ohio State, UNH, NDU, for the early signing period, but I still didn’t really know which school I wanted to go to. Then in February, before the second signing period, Maine asked me to go down there for a visit. So I went down there and really liked what the coach had to say (Sean Walsh) and he seemed like a great coach. The other schools, it was kind of a big school atmosphere, so in Maine it was a little smaller, and I figured I’m kind of a small town guy. So it ended up working out great there. |
GSH- Did it ever cross your mind to turn down the scholarship and try to fast track right to professional hockey?
LL- No not really, because I knew I was kind of a late developer so I knew I needed a couple more years to develop. So I don’t think it was ever a question with me.
GSH- As a freshman in Maine, you only dressed for 23 games. Was it hard for you to adjust to having less responsibility and ice time in your freshman year?
LL- Ya, it was definitely frustrating for me in my freshman year, after having a real good year my last season in junior. I had a sub-par freshman year at Maine, to put it mildly. But again, I guess it helped me because I knew how much harder I had to work to be better at the college level. It made me work that much harder that summer, and the next three years I ended up having pretty good seasons. Looking back it was obviously not too much fun at the time, but overall I think it was a good thing because if I had a lot of success immediately, I might not have worked as hard.  | GSH- Was it a big adjustment going from junior hockey to NCAA D1?
LL- Definitely, I mean you play 60 games in junior and you play about half that much in college. The thing is, every game is so much more intense (with national rankings and such), whereas in junior you can lose a few games and still be in good shape in the standings because you play so much. The other thing is that you practice so much in college, I mean you’re on the ice every day, or in the weight room getting stronger and faster. It’s definitely a big difference making the jump up. |
GSH- Coming home for the summer after your freshman year in Maine, did you notice you had improved as a hockey player?
LL- After we went though the regionals that year, my coach said to me “you know you’ve come along way, but you still got a long way to go.†So yeah, I mean that year even though I only played 23 games I did improve immensely. I ended up a lot stronger, I mean the coaches sit down with after every game and go through video with you. They tell you positioning and stuff like that. So yeah, I mean over all physically and mentally I was a lot better hockey player after my first year of college hockey.
GSH- Tell us a bit about Maine. Did you make the right choice?
LL- Well I definitely don’t regret anything about my experience at Maine, everything is first class. Some of the other schools like Boston U or North Dakota might have the big rinks and the big city to offer, but it’s just the whole team concept at Maine that gets you. The guys are great there, and everyone is on the same page. I have no regrets.
 | GSH- What's it like when the big game weekends come along?
LL- Well every night that rink is just rocking; I mean it holds about 6000 people. It doesn’t matter who you play, you could be playing Sacred Heart or playing Michigan it doesn’t matter-- every weekend that rink is just going nuts. Every game is a big game for those fans and for us. I mean every where you go in the community people are saying hi to you. It’s just a great atmosphere to play in.
 Click HERE to listen to Lawson |
GSH- For someone who hasn’t seen a NCAA Division I hockey game, what’s the difference with hockey back home.
LL- Everyone that has came down from Canada to watch me play has said that its a lot faster hockey then back home, I mean there’s no red line so that really opens it up. The fact that we don’t play many games makes the whole experience that much more exciting for us and the fans as well. You have the school band in the rink and everybody has the chants down pat. At our rink you have 6000 Maine fans wearing white, so it’s a real party atmosphere. People tail gate before the games, it’s definitely exciting.
GSH- In your junior year at Maine (3rd year), you tied a school record with an eight-game consecutive goal scoring streak. How did it feel to get your name in the Maine record books?
LL- Well, just the players that went there in the past, I mean just to get my name in the same books as Paul Kariya and Jim Montgomerie….even just to go to school there, it’s such a great honor. So many great players have gone through that system, so yeah it was a real big honor for me to get in those books.
Click HERE to listen to Lawson.
GSH- You had a consecutive games played streak for 128 matches (the longest active player streak at Maine when you were there). What’s the key to staying healthy and on the ice ready to go?
LL- Well, a lot of the times we played Friday- Saturday, so you have all week to recover. There were a lot of times where if we had played on a Tuesday, I wouldn’t have been able to play because I’d be hurt with something. Having that week long break before you played the next games really helped me to recover and play that many games in a row.  | GSH- In your freshman year you carried less of a role on the ice as your team advanced to the NCAA Frozen Four. In your junior year you had a chance to help Maine head to the championships again and play a bigger role. Tell us a bit about this experience.
LL- Every year Maine looks to be in the national picture. Considering Coach Welsh passed away 2 weeks before the season started, I think the guys knew that, the year was pretty special. Those first couple months of the season were definitely tough, I think we went maybe 6-8 right before Christmas, and it didn’t look like we were going anywhere. Fortunately after Christmas, the team just came together, and we kind of caught on fire in March and April and made it right to the Frozen Four. Unfortunately, we ended up losing to Minnesota-Duluth in the finals, in overtime |
GSH- You were the Recipient of the University of Maine Stein Award for humor and leadership in the locker room. How well did everyone get along in the Maine dressing room when you were there and how were you a part of that?
LL- Well, I mean just like every team, people are going to have disagreements and the odd fight during the year. You spend about 8-9 months together during the year, and nobodies perfect. I think as a whole our team really came together and you know I just tried to keep things light in the locker room, and keep the boys laughing and having a good time. Before a big game, if you needed to be serious-- you were serious, but if you needed to lighten things up-- you did it. You just try and read how the guys are feeling and go from there.
GSH- In your last Frozen Four, the Gophers tied the game with 54 seconds left. What was being said in the room before overtime?
LL- Well the first couple periods the Gophers were flying around, it was their home rink at the Excel center and they had 20 000 fans there, so we kind of weathered the storm. The 3rd period we took control of the game, and then they scored with 54 seconds left to tie it up. I mean it shook us a bit, but I still think we controlled the overtime until we ended up getting a penalty in overtime. (The Gophers scored and won the NCAA championship minutes later).
GSH- That must have been a tough loss to take as a team. What can a coach say after that in the room?
LL- He came in and told us he was proud of us, that we played like champions, and that was all he could ask for. He said the whole state of Maine was proud of us, and we saw that when we flew back home and had about 2000 fans waiting and cheering for us at the airport. Even though we lost, it felt good to be recognized like that.
GSH- You were overlooked by the NHL when it was your draft year. Did this motivate you to work harder at Maine and prove you could play at an elite level?
LL- Yeah, it was definitely frustrating not being drafted. When your goal is to play in the NHL, that’s certainly one of the first steps; so when it didn’t happened it was kind of disappointing. But I mean life goes on, and you gotta always try and turn a negative into a positive.  | GSH- After your senior season with Maine, you signed a 1 year contract with the New York Rangers. You were re-signed this year with the NYR as well. When you were younger, did you ever dream that you would sign an NHL contract one day?
LL- I mean every kid dreams about doing that, but the reality is; not to many do. So, when it finally happened, it took a while for it to set in. But yeah, it was certainly a great feeling.
GSH- Obviously it was rewarding to your self to finally sign an NHL contract after a great career at Maine and a lot of hard work. Was it rewarding to your family as well, how did they react at the news after you signed?
LL- They were definitely happy for me when I signed, but I mean there was a lot of tough nights when things weren’t going so well and they were there for me. I think when I finally got it signed they were more happy then I was.
|
GSH- Growing up, was there a certain point you thought to yourself, “This is what I want to do for the rest of my life�
LL- Ya, I think after I got the scholly to Maine, I thought to myself that I might have a good chance to play professionally, and you know I just wanted to go as far as I could with it.  | GSH- How was the adjustment from NCAA hockey to the AHL in Hartford?
LL- I think college is a very fast high paced, high energy game. When you get to this level, you have to be able to think out the game a little bit better. There’s allot of guys out here that if you make a mistake, they are gonna make you pay for it. I think also here in the AHL, you play so many games you gotta use your head a bit more to be able to get through them all. |
GSH- You’re a player who relies on speed to be successful. How important is it to train in the weight room during your summer to prepare for the upcoming season?
LL- I mean half the battle is won in the weight room. You have to work just as hard as you do in summer as you do in the winter. It’s a big part of the game now, and I think players are starting to realize that you can’t sit around golfing and fishing all summer. Hockey is now a 12 month sport.
GSH- Looking back, what are the things that you will always remember about your college days in Maine, playing for the Bears?
LL- Well things like when you have two home games on the weekend, then go out with the boys after on a Saturday night, nothing beats that. My freshman year we made it to the Final Four in Providence, and my junior year we made another run to finals, those were big highlights. It’s like a big fraternity with the guys, we all keep in touch. I actually spent a couple weeks down in Maine before I came here to camp, so it was nice to see some familiar faces.
GSH- What kind of advice would you give to a kid who is not sure whether he should play major junior or go the NCAA route like yourself?
LL- I think every kid is different, but the college route gives you a couple extra years to develop if you’re not physically mature at 19 or 20. It gives you some more time to develop physically and mentally. For me personally, I definitely wasn’t ready to play pro hockey at 19 or 20. College let me develop my skills and mental side of the game to get to the point I am now.
 | GSH- Who is the one person that really made a difference in your hockey career when you were growing up?
LL- My father, obviously he was a big influence. There were days when I was playing in Kanata where I’d be a healthy scratch at 17 years old, and he’d help me get through that. When I was younger he’d take me to the rink and anything I wanted to do, he’d help me out with it. I think that really helped me to develop my game and to get me to where I am today. |
GSH- With no NHL season this year, what are your goals in Hartford playing for the Pack?
LL- Well, hopefully have another good year as a team. We had a pretty good run last year, but we didn’t complete our goal of winning an AHL championship. I think with the lockout we’re gonna have a pretty good team again this year.
GSH- Thanks for taking the time to talk to GSH Lucas, and good luck this season.
LL- Thanks for having me guys and good luck to everyone. |
