Rats Off-Season Q&A With Goaltender Justin Peters

Published on August 19, 2008 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Albany River Rats News Release


Each week during the off-season, Albany River Rats broadcaster Owen Newkirk will catch up with a member of the 2007-08 River Rats to find out how their summer is going and what training preparations they are doing heading towards the Carolina Hurricanes and Albany River Rats 2008 training camps and the 2008-09 hockey season.

August 19, 2008

After spending almost the entire 2006-07 season in the AHL with Albany, was it tough for you to be sent to Florida to start the 2007-08 season in the ECHL with the Everblades?

Definitely, the initial reaction was I was disappointed to be going down to the ECHL, but I tried to take it as an opportunity for me to go play a lot of games and get some experience as a pro. I tried to learn and fine-tune my game and I feel I did that going down there. Playing well and getting a chance to come back up to Albany was my goal and it worked out well - I got to come back up and get in some games. As a whole I felt that last year I really developed as a goalie.

Last summer you started going to a sports psychologist. Has that helped you mature mentally?

Oh yeah, I think I have really become mentally strong as compared to two years ago. I still work with him; we talk and do some exercises during the summer and then we talk during the season about once a month. I really feel that it has helped me as a goalie, just to be ready for any situation and to be mentally strong that I can handle anything that comes my way.

It seems that people sometimes forget how young you are; you have played in Albany for parts of two years, yet you are still only 21 years old. How do you feel your career has gone so far?

I realize that I'm young, especially in the goalie position, and that you have to bide your time, you have to prove yourself and it's not going to happen overnight. I understand that it's a process, I want to get better every day - every time I'm on the ice - so I have high expectations for myself. I want to be playing the best hockey possible; I want to make it to the NHL and I realize that there are steps that I have to take to make it there and I'm willing to do those.

How did it feel to not only have a good season in Florida, but also to be recognized by being named to the ECHL All-Star game?

It was definitely a big honor. It kind of let me know that going down there with the right attitude, working hard and performing well had paid off. Right after the All-Star game I was right back up in Albany, so it was definitely something nice, a good accomplishment.

And the timing for your recall to the River Rats could not have been more perfect, with you playing at top form.

Yeah, I guess everyone needs a few breaks and that's definitely a break that I got last season. I was fortunate that they had the belief in me to bring me back up and give me the opportunity.

What was it like playing Michael Leighton and what did you learn from last year's top AHL's goaltender?

First of all, it was awesome to play behind him. Not only is he an unbelievable goalie, but he's a great guy and a great goalie partner. He definitely had to pay his dues, he's been a really good goalie in the American League for a long time and it's great to see that he was rewarded with an NHL contract.

Leighton said several times that he has really increased his work ethic in practice compared with the early years of his pro career. Did that leave an impression on you?

Yeah it did. Personally, I want to be the best that I can be every time that I'm on the ice, so I try to practice like it's a game every day. Especially last season when I was up in the Albany not playing a lot, you want to stay sharp because you never know when you're going to get that opportunity to get in the net. So when I'm not playing I have to treat the practices like games and I've got to stay sharp and be ready. Definitely practice is something you don't want to take lightly.

Coach Tom Rowe said that he would frequently have to tell Leighton to get off the ice at the end of practice, so he would not overdo it. What does it do to the rest of the team when you're All-Star displays that kind of work ethic on a daily basis?

Well it speaks volumes. It goes to the show that no one can take a day off. When you've got your best player on your team working hard out there every day it's contagious and it trickles down for the young guys and guys even like myself. When you see a goalie of his caliber working that hard, you know you've got to work at least that hard, if not harder.

Carolina Assistant GM Ron Francis said last week that you are in a great position to step up and grab the starting job for the River Rats this season. What does that do for your confidence and do you feel that with the year you had and the work you've put in that you've put yourself in a great position with the organization?

Yeah, I'm coming into training camp, obviously going there to try to make the Carolina Hurricanes. Realistically I want to come and win a starting job in Albany. I feel last year I improved a lot and that I'm ready for that challenge. Obviously there's nothing that's going to be handed out to anyone, everyone has to come in and earn their spot and I'm willing to do that. So I'm definitely excited about the upcoming season and the opportunity.

Knowing that the Rats starting job is within your reach, how has that helped your motivation in your summer training?

Everyday it's just a little extra motivation. I have a great opportunity coming into this season and I don't want let anything slip or let anything slide. I'm trying to stay sharp every day and I'm trying to get ready to show up so that I'm on top of my game and in great shape for training camp.

You have a very athletic build - Coach Rowe said you looked like a middle linebacker - and you seemed to be more muscular than the typical goaltender's frame. Do you feel that your fitness and athleticism is a big part of your success?

Well, I've always taken pride in my fitness. I like to show up at camp and I want to be in the best shape and I want to be on top of the testing. That's just my mentality; I want to be the best at whatever it is I'm doing.

With the potential to partner with Daniel Manzato here in Albany this season, was it funny that the two of you went head-to-head during the third period of last year's ECHL All-Star Game?

Yeah, it is funny. I got to know him a little bit throughout the season. He's a great goalie, he works pretty hard too. Whatever happens during training camp and whoever the goalie partner is for either of us, I'm sure he'll be good to work with.

Ron Francis also mentioned that Manzato had an adjustment period going from the Olympic-sized ice rink to the NHL-sized arena. It clearly makes a difference for skaters, but is there a big difference for goaltenders also?

I definitely think there is. In junior not all of the rinks are the same size. I played in St. Mike's, which is one of the smallest rinks in the CHL (Canadian Hockey League), and our rival was the Belleville Bulls and they have an Olympic-size sheet, it's one of the biggest in the CHL. So it was definitely an adjustment, it throws your angles off and I think it's something that would take time to get used to. When the circles and the hash marks are different and the surroundings and the boards are changed I can see how it would throw off your angles a bit.

You began your pro career two years after the NHL lockout season. As you work your way up the Hurricanes do you like the way the game has evolved since then?

Yeah, the skill the players have nowadays is unbelievable, there's so much depth in each organization and the skill that each player brings to the table is very high. I definitely like the direction the game is going, it makes it exciting for the fans, especially Carolina's offensive style, and the goalies are getting tested a lot.

What is your summer training program like? Are there certain aspects that you focus on?

After last season I took a couple weeks off and then I started getting back to the weights and the cardio and we have a program that Pete Friesen, the trainer of the Hurricanes, give us. I like to stay off the ice until about the end of July, I've been skating for the last three weeks or so, just to get the rust out and get ready for training camp. As far as the weights and cardio goes, I'll continue to do that right up to camp. I also, like I was talking about earlier, work with my mental coach twice a month during the summer to try to stay sharp.

I know lots of goalies like to change things up and challenge for the off-season scoring titles. Have you skated out as a forward during any drop-in hockey this summer?

(Laughs) Actually I did get a chance to play shinny with some buddies recently. It's definitely nice to go out there and just have some fun; it's a lot more fun playing forward in shinny games than just playing goalie.

Leighton was telling me that it is difficult to play goalie in the drop-in setting because you don't see the same kind of defensive play in front of you.

Oh yeah, during shinny games everyone thinks their Wayne Gretzky out there (Laughs) doing their fancy little moves. Instead of shooting, they are passing back door and it's definitely not as much fun for a goalie.

What other activities do you like to do during the summer months when you're not working out for the upcoming season?

Well, I've been playing quite a bit of golf this summer, working on my golf game. On weekends I like to hang out with my buddies-go out on the lake-and I've gone up to visit some friends at their cottage, hang out, relax and just enjoy the sun.

Has the weather up in Canada cooperated with your summer fun?

Actually it's kind of been a lousy summer, we've had quite a bit of rain - one of the wettest summers in a long time. But we've had some spurts of nice weather, so I can't be complaining too much. As long as I can still get out on the golf course or go to the beach or hang out at the cottage for the weekend I can't complain.

What was it like for you as the backup goalie during Albany's five-overtime playoff game?

During the five overtimes I was just trying to keep the guys on the bench positive and keep everyone upbeat. Everybody was just so exhausted and I'm just sitting there running the door. (Laughs) But it was exciting just watching the game. After a couple overtimes Leights mentioned to me that he was cramping up a little bit, so I definitely wanted to keep myself loose because you never know. You don't want to come into a game cold after that many overtimes. It was definitely one of the craziest things that I've ever experienced and the performance that Leighton put on that game was one for the ages.

What was your reaction when the shots-on-goal on the scoreboard went back to zero when Leighton faced his 100th shot?

I just couldn't believe it! That many periods, that many shots and he was still able to stay sharp and make big saves. In the first period of overtime he saw 20 shots, sometimes that's how many shots a goalie will see in a full game. It was mind-blowing.

You had a great year in 2007-08, but what aspects of your game are you working on to get better right now?

This past year when I got the opportunity to work with Tom Barrasso one of the things we really worked on was my eyes, just following the puck at all times so that you're ready for anything, off a rebound, off the boards, whatever. So I've been really working on training my eyes to just follow the puck. I do little drills during the summer with tennis balls and golf balls, just hand-eye coordination things. I've also been working on my hands to help develop more quickness and help with reaction saves.

How nice is it to work with a guy like Tom Barrasso, who is a Vezina trophy winner and a two-time Stanley Cup champion?

Yeah, I had a great time working with him last year and I look forward to working with him in the future. He obviously knows a ton about the game and his resume is next to know. It's unbelievable the things he accomplished in his career and he's a true professional, I really enjoy working with him.

Leighton said that you had some of the biggest stick strength when it comes to shooting pucks with a goalie stick that he has seen, that you used to put him to shame when the two of you would pass a puck around before practice. Have you ever thought about scoring a goal from your net?

Actually I did score a goal in junior. I scored a goal in Game Seven of the first round of the OHL playoffs against the Sudbury Wolves in 2003-04. Puck-handling is a big part of the game now, especially when we're restricted in the areas we can play the puck, so when we get out there we have to get there quickly and make the simple play or a quick decision and get back into the net. It's something that I work on and I like to get active in the game and help out my defensemen.

With your stick stills, do you want to be an ultra-aggressive goalie to take pressure off the defense?

I think you've got to keep it within your team's defensive system. You don't want to be running around and you don't want to be a liability. Each team's defensive coach will tell me how aggressive they want me to be and you have to communicate with the defensemen. Every defensive corp you play with is different and the biggest thing is communication. If we can communicate with each other and they want me to come out a little more, I'm willing to do that. If they want me to back off a bit and set it up from them and let them make a play, then that's what I'll do.

Even though the rosters for Carolina and Albany have not been decided as of yet, do you feel pretty comfortable with the returning defensive corp that should be in the River Rats lineup?

Yeah, we had one of the best goals-against averages last year, obviously Leighton was a huge part of that, but the defensive corp was a big part of it too. I'm definitely looking forward to get the opportunity to work with the d-corp. There are a bunch of players that have really been improving a lot and they want to try to make the Hurricanes lineup, just like I do.

Compare the chemistry in Albany's locker room to the other teams you have played with throughout your career.

It's really a lot of fun. Definitely up near the top of the team's I've played for. Obviously from junior to pro there's going to be a bit of an adjustment because you have guys with families and guys who are older, so there's a bigger age-spread. The last couple years being around the locker room in Albany it's been a great group of guys and I think that goes to show the way team's improved. Everyone's developed their game and we're all working towards the same goal.

If you think about potential goals for the 2008-09 Albany River Rats, what would they be?

Everyone has to go into the season wanting to win the Calder Cup; that has to be everyone's goal. But also during the regular season, you've got to get into the playoffs in order to do that and once you make the playoffs anything can happen. So making the playoffs and then making some noise once we get there are definitely the goals.

If you had to pick three Albany teammates for a golf foursome, who would they be?

I'd have to go with the Prince Edward Island native, Mark Flood. Then Mr. Angelidis, I sure he's been working on his game this summer. And then I'd go with Mr. Gillies; he would keep us entertained on the course.

Which member of the River Rats would be a golf course superintendent's nightmare?

(Laughs) Maybe Blanch (Nicolas Blanchard)! I'd definitely have to say Blanch! He'd have a nice little outfit on and his teeth out, a nice outfit and no teeth! (Laughs)

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