November 22, 2006

"Spicing It Up With Curry"

Seeing as Heather always does such a great job keeping everyone up to date on the games, scores, statistics, trades, etc and my schedule limits the amount of free time I have to write, I racked my brain trying to come up with some way to contribute something fun and of interest. I needed something that would not be outdated in a day, but in the world of hockey, that is so hard. Things are changing from one moment to the next. Then it came to me. A fan follows his or her favorite team/players, but how often do we have the opportunity to get to know these players? Why not try to "introduce" the fans to the players through interviews and player profiles. It gives readers an opportunity to learn about the players as individuals both on and off the ice. So here is my first installment. My first victim, I mean my first player profiled is Sean Curry of the Providence Bruins.

Sean Curry is a twenty four year old native of Burnsville, Minnesota. He began playing hockey at the ripe old age of 5! As are most young players, Curry was an avid hockey fan. Growing up, his favorite team was the Minnesota North Stars. In 2001, his dream of playing in the pros was realized when he was selected in the 7th round of the NHL Entry Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes. The defenseman began his career in the professionals with the Florida Everblades (ECHL) where he played 32 games before being called up by the Lowell Lockmonsters of the AHL. Over the course of his three seasons with Lowell, Curry played 170 games. At the start of the 2005-2006 season, Sean was signed to a PTO, or a professional tryout agreement, and was later signed by the Providence Bruins where he continues to play to date.

Now that we have a little background on Sean, how about we get to know a little more about the person underneath the hockey gear? Sean is your typical All American guy that happens to have a career that thrusts him into the spotlight. He enjoys fishing in the summer as well as cooking out on the grill (steak, chicken, seafood, etc), but during the hockey season you will most likely find him watching movies and roaming the mall. When it comes to music, country is his thing, though he admits he will listen to "everything and anything."

Sean is as friendly and down to earth as they come, and if you are ever lucky enough to have to opportunity to meet him you will find he has a great sense of humor and the natural ability to make the people around him laugh. A prime example is when I asked him if he has any pets. To most this would be a cut and dry question, but with his quick wit, Sean responded: "My parents have two cats and my sister and her fiance have two cats!! And I have a roommate that is kind of like a pet!! Rabbit!!" He was of course referring to his roommate who also plays for the Providence Bruins, Wacey Rabbit!

When it came time to talk hockey, Sean was all business. Here is a peek into the questions and answers:

Q. Do you have any nicknames?

SEAN CURRY: They messed up my name in Albany and they were calling me Dean Curry, so that is sticking I guess.

Q. Does home ice and crowd participation really make a difference and if so, would you encourage your fans to come see you play on the road?

SEAN CURRY: Yeah, home ice has its advantage and when the crowd gets into it, it is even better!!! Yeah, it would be nice if more fans came on the road, but I wouldn't want to make those drives all the time so I understand why!!

Q: How do you prepare for a game? Do you have any pre-game rituals?

SEAN CURRY: I usually take a nap for a couple of hours and I tie my left skate first!!! Usually eat pasta and chicken every meal!!!

Q. What do you think is the team's biggest strength this season?

SEAN CURRY: We are a smaller team, so we have a lot of speed and our work ethic has been pretty good so far!! Hopefully we can keep it up!!

Q. What is it like being in a business where there are so many things up in the air...trades, players coming and going, etc.?

SEAN CURRY: Every week we usually see a new face!! Everybody knows that's part of the game!! So it is not really a shocker seeing new guys all the time!!

Q. If you weren't playing hockey, where would you be today?

SEAN CURRY: I would probably be a firefighter or something in wild life management!! I love being around lakes and I love fish and game!!

Q: What is the best advice you've ever received from a parent, teammate, or coach along the way?

SEAN CURRY: Just work hard and stay positive!! No famous quotes, ha ha!!

Q: What words of advice would you give to a young hockey player that wanted to grow up and play professional hockey?

SEAN CURRY: Work hard and have fun, enjoy every minute of it!!!

And what would an interview be without a few fun questions :)

Cat or Dog: Cat
Pool or Beach: Beach
Coke or Pepsi: Coke
Window or Aisle: Window
Horror or Comedy: Comedy
Roller Coaster or Merry Go Round: Roller Coaster obviously
Million Dollars or Happiness: BOTH!!!!!!! Happiness

So now that you know a little more about Sean Curry, the next time you are at a Providence Bruins game, remember....the home crowd makes the difference! So cheer loud. Let the team know you are behind them 100% of the way. And while you are at it, send a few extra cheers Sean's way as a special thank you for taking the time to let his fans get to know a little more about him!

Letters of love, lust, or disagreement can be sent to rlord (at) soveryobsessed.com

by Rebecca | 6:53 PM | 1
filed under: 06-07 season