Sunday, May 15, 2011

Quotes

ICE GM Jeff Chynoweth
On winning the WHL Championship
"It's tough to put into words. first and foremost I am so proud of this group of players and coaching staff. We've been here a long time and have a lot of success but this group was special right from day one. The leadership group is unbelievable. The three coaches have done a great job in bringing everybody together. I'm so happy for them and it's something I think I'll never forget."

On what makes this years team so special.
"Even our Memorial Cup runs in 2000 and 2002 we never put streaks like this together. To win that many games at the end (15 of the last 16), they just worked so hard. They bought into the system, they're are no egos on this team. If you're going to win a championship you need that because you're going to face some adversity, you're going to have some ups and downs. I think back to game 4 in Moose Jaw, we were down 2-1 and that was the adversity. In the Crushed Can, a tough building and we came through and just kept going from there. Really nice to finish tonight with probably our most complete game of the final for sure and probably between that and game 2 in Medicine Hat our 2 best games of the playoffs"

On Brayden McNabb handing him the Ed Chynoweth Cup.
"A bunch of emotions obviously. I'd be lying if I told you I don't look at that banner (Ed Chynoweth Hall of Fame Banner at the Rec-Plex) every night we play. My Mom's in Arizona and she sends little messages for us saying some one's smiling down on us. He'd be very proud, he'd be very proud of this organization, he'd be very proud of the job Kris Knoblauch, Todd Johnson and Jerry Bancks did and how the 23 players came together."

Nathan Lieuwen
On winning WHL Playoff MVP.
"It could have gone to anybody so really I could give to anybody in that room. Cody (Eakin), Brayden (McNabb), (Matt) Fraser, (Max) Reinhart, so many guys played well."

On watching the team play.
"Spectacular. The defensive play, the offense, everything, the forecheck, it's beautiful to watch."

Steele Boomer
On winning the WHL Championship
"It's surreal. When we started this year we all knew we had a good team. We picked up Eaks (Cody Eakin) at the deadline and we just came together after that. We just found a way to play together as a team. We found a way to win as a team. We just kept going with it. Game plan stayed the same from game 1 against Moose Jaw right through until game 5 tonight. It's just an amazing feeling the best feeling in the world right now."

On ICE
"We just wanted it so bad. Everyone goes on the ice and they want to do it for the guy beside them. All the time. It's amazing when you see guys block shots like (Hayden) Rintoul blocked one with his face today. When guys do that for each other you know that you have good team and a special thing going."

On the last 30 seconds of the clinching game.
"I was just busy hugging the guys. That's the best part as you get share with all the guys that have worked with you. The Ed Chynoweth Cup, it's great to do it for Jeff. It's pretty amazing."

Matt Fraser
On winning the WHL Championship.
"Words can't even describe what's going on right now. No one can even contain themselves they're so excited. Everyone is enjoying the moment right now. We always talk about living in the moment in our dressing room."

On 2 goals in the clinching game.
" The goals are nice but you're more worried about getting the job done. The goals are what win you games but there's so many plays that contribute to the win. Little things, getting pucks in and pucks out and just little things like that."

On winning in the playoffs.
"You look at the guys in that room. Everyone's battered, everyone is bruised, everyone wants more. There is no quit, there is no satisfaction in our room."

On winning 15 of the last 16 games.
"I won't say who I got it from but I got a text from a Tigers' player who said the thing about the Kootenay ICE is everyone of the guys will go through the wall for the guy sitting next to them. I thought that was one of the neatest texts to get especially from an opposing player. The heart that our team has, the character that we have in that dressing room, that leadership we have from everyone, everyone does something for us. We want to be winners, we know it's not going to be easy and that's the biggest thing as we know what we gotta do to be successful and we gotta play that way."