1-On-1: with Kevin Connauton

Roadrunners Defenseman Kevin Connauton joined Jonathon Schaffer and Kim Cota-Robles on this week’s Happy Hour Show. For the complete conversation and to hear about Kevin and Andrew Agozzino’s relationship, download this past week’s show below.

Listen to “In Calgary With Connauton” on Spreaker.

Who do you think the biggest rivalry in the division is?

I think you always have good, competitive and emotional games with the teams above you. I think that you always have big games against Colorado, that’s one team that comes to mind. I think Calgary is a team that we’re focused on right now, because we want to chase them down. I think you just play every team so often that you kind of have these little rivalries with everyone, some weekends are more heated than others, but, right now, the main focus is definitely the Wranglers.

What are some of your favorite places that you’ve played?

I’ve been very fortunate to play in some awesome cities, Tucson being one of them. I think one that comes to mind right away is Dallas. That was a favorite. Actually, that is where my wife and I call home now in the offseason, and that’ll be home moving forward when this is all said and done. Last year when I played for the Reign we lived in Hermosa Beach, that’s up there in terms of places to live and then again, when I was in Florida. I guess the trend is being close to the water is a little bit nicer, so those would be the two spots that jump out for sure. Out of all the stops I’ve made, I’ve enjoyed each and every one, I’ve had great experiences in every city with every team and it’s been an awesome journey.

Was your family a hockey family? How did you start playing?

Yeah, we just started playing at a really young age like most kids in Edmonton, there’s not a ton of other options when it comes to sports, but it’s getting a lot better now. During our childhood, hockey was definitely the main sport. I think a lot of Canadian kids play hockey at some point, if not all of them. Some decide to continue on with it, but for me it was always hockey. My brother was always playing growing up. He was someone that I looked up to. So, I always wanted to be doing what he was doing. And yeah, hockey is the one that I chose and was passionate about and luckily I’m still doing it today.

You had a 4-year stint with the Coyotes where you actually played for the Roadrunners too. What played into the decision to come back to Arizona?

Yeah, I guess I should add Arizona to that list. We really loved living in Scottsdale there when I was with the Coyotes. I was fortunate to be there for four years. We ended up actually staying there in the summer for those years as well. I just loved it. It was the longest time I spent with one team, so there’s definitely some emotional connection there, living there for as long as we were. It’s unfortunate to see them go, but they’re in a better position right now. Hopefully one day they can figure out a way to get a team back there. Coming back to this organization in Tucson, it’s always nice and there’s some familiar faces and a bit of history so that was definitely appealing when I was deciding to sign here.

What’s the most memorable moment that you’ve experienced on the ice that fans may not know about?

I think the first NHL game is always a special one. It’s just one that you work so hard for. When it comes, it’s pretty surreal. That’s one that definitely comes to mind. The first goal is always exciting. I got to play in a Spangler Cup two years ago. Playing for Canada was probably one of the bigger moments in my career. I’d never worn the Maple Leaf before so for me, that was that was pretty special. I didn’t think that was ever going to happen and I’d never have an opportunity to wear that jersey. That was really awesome. So those kind of three moments I think would be my top three right now in my career.

What did your life look like growing up and trying to get to the next level in hockey?

I think every year as you’re growing up, things start to get a little bit more serious. One example would be we did a lot of skiing and snowboarding as kids and eventually we got to the point where our winters were tied up with hockey and your off seasons become more about training and things like that. It’s kind of just year by year, the commitment becomes more and more because you see what other guys are doing, and you have to keep up and try and try and be better than them. I think it’s just kind of progressively becomes more and more a part of your life. You’re moving away from home, a lot of guys do it. I played junior luckily in Alberta, so I was able to live at home for that season, but then I went to college at 18 and haven’t really been back since, other than in the summertime. You have to be prepared to pack your bags and move around and put in the time and dedicate your life to it.