AHL: Advanced Two-Way Skille

McKeen's recently had the chance to catch up with Chicago Blackhawks prospect Jack Skille (pictured), who is currently playing in the AHL for the Rockford IceHogs. Skille talks about his game, his training camp experiences with Chicago, playing for the Wisconsin Badgers, his time spent representing his country for the U.S. National Team Development Program and his future goals.

McKeen's: Less than two weeks ago, you were still in training camp with the Chicago Blackhawks and were one of the finals cuts. What were some of the things you learned in training camp and what are some fond memories that you have from training camp 2007?

Skille: I think the biggest thing I learned was that I can play at that level. Just having that confidence like that, knowing that you can be there, is the best thing in the world. Coming down here now, I have to focus on just getting better. I take this with a grain of salt and obviously I'm going to go up there at some time at some point this season and I'm going to try and make that team again. Right now, it's just getting better and doing the right things.

McKeen's: Any particular fond memories from training camp?

Skille: I don't know, just hanging out in the locker room. Robert Lang, [Martin] Havlat, [Sergei] Samsonov, [Jason] Williams, big-name guys, you know, just sitting there looking around, and like [Nikolai] Khabibulin and all those guys speaking Russian and stuff. It's just weird. It's different from college, that's for sure. Obviously, you grow up watching those guys play and I got a chance to see Khabibulin win the Stanley Cup on TV, and the same thing with [Kevyn] Adams, two Stanley Cup champs for sure. It was awesome, an awesome experience to be with those guys.

McKeen's: When the Blackhawks assigned you to Rockford, did they give you any indication what things you needed to work on to make the team and what those things were?

Skille: Just getting that confidence and scoring some goals and establishing some offense. I just had struggled with finishing when I was up there. At the same time, you know, I'm the type of player that's just going to come. Right now, it's just gaining confidence and making little plays, like making sure the puck's out of the zone. Those plays are just as important as scoring a goal in my mind. I'm going to focus on that stuff and hopefully I'll get the call up.

McKeen's: You played nine games for Norfolk in the regular season last year and put up four goals and four assists in that time, what were your initials impressions of the caliber of play of the AHL and were you at all surprised on how well you transitioned?

Skille: Yeah, I was a little surprised. I mean, I went in there and my mindset was just to get my feet wet before the training camp here. I was fortunate enough to get a couple of assists and a couple goals and get a little debut there. I was really pleased with the way I played and at the same time, I got a little too comfortable; but, coming into training camp, I knew that. So, that's the whole experience. I wanted to go and find out what pro hockey was about and what the level was like and I think I did well and came into training camp ready.

McKeen's: Given your AHL experience last year, what were your expectations heading into this season?

Skille: Just to make the team. My expectations were going and playing hard and using my speed, playing the body and getting the pucks out, getting the pucks deep, going hard on the forecheck, a lot of things, you know, doing the little plays and then knowing that the goal scoring would come. It hasn't come yet, I'm waiting still, but that'll be soon, hopefully.

McKeen's: In your time at the University of Wisconsin you won the National Championship in 2006 and played with a number of NHL prospects, a couple of whom are in the Chicago Blackhawks organization with you. What was it like to play for such an impressive college hockey program and what were some of the things that you learned from coach Mike Eaves and his staff?

Skille: Well, the main thing I learned from coach Eaves was to be really responsible in the defensive zone. He's really, really hard on guys that don't play defense. Going in there, I learned how to be responsible in the defensive zone. I still have things to learn, I'm still young, and playing at this level, obviously, defense is important. So, I'm still learning things every day. Also, just going in and playing every night, don't just show up. You have to work hard. You have to put the work in order to show up every night and play well, not just show up.

McKeen's: Not to get negative, but two years ago you won the National Championship and last year you guys just missed out on going to the tournament. How disappointing was it for you and your Badger teammates to miss the NCAA Tournament last year after the previous success?

Skille: It was really disappointing. All the guys in the locker room, we thought we had a pretty good team. We were young, we lost a lot of goal scorers from the previous year, but we thought we could get things done and it came down to, like, we were like 15th and we needed to be ranked 14th to get into this tournament. I know that we went into the WCHA Final Five and we had the mindset that we had to win, and we ended up losing to Minnesota the second game of the WCHA Final Five. That was tough to swallow. It just sucks. There's no other word for it, really.

McKeen's: Also, a year ago tonight, you were injured in a game against North Dakota and missed some time. How difficult was that and what enabled you to come back and perform so well at the World Junior Championships?

Skille: I didn't even know it was a year ago tonight. Thank God I didn't know that.

McKeen's: I am sorry.

Skille: No that's fine. That was the first time that I had ever been injured during the season. I didn't like it, but I took it as though I could be a student of the game and watch my teammates and see the things that you don't see when you're out on the ice. So, I got a chance to sit with my teammates and my father and learn some things and be a student of the game. So, I think that helped. Then, obviously, when you're injured like that, at the beginning of the season, you're just itching to get back. The trainers were yelling every day because I was shooting and I wasn't supposed to. The Blackhawks were mad, too. So, I was excited to get back. My first game back was Michigan and I scored a shorthanded goal, so that was big for me and that helped me bounce back. That helped me get the confidence right away and then went into World Juniors and coach [Ron] Rolston just told me that he expected me to be one of their bigger players. So, I took that and ran with it.

McKeen's: If I may I ask, what was the nature of the injury? I have heard it was an "upper body injury."

Skille: It was a dislocated right elbow.

McKeen's: Oh, that is painful.

Skille: Yeah, it was pretty painful, and was even worse when you're driving to the hospital and you hear your team lose in overtime.

McKeen's: You have a long history with Team USA, both on the U.S. National Development Program Team and representing Team USA at the U18's, twice, and the World Junior Championships, twice, with all colors of medals to show for it. How important was playing for the National Development Program Team and what were some of the biggest things you learned there?

Skille: It was huge. Going overseas eight times over a period of two-and-a-half years, I went once over with the Under 17 team when I was 15-years-old. It was a great experience. You learn so much from the international hockey, and winning championships, and also losing. That first year, the Under-17 year when I was moved up the Under-18 team, we lost the final game in the U-18 Championships to Russia. That was an experience of a lifetime I'll never forget. We made sure us young guys, us five guys that were up that year, made sure the next year we came back and won a gold medal. Some adversity like that … (pauses and thinks) I mean, you go through situations that you never would have thought would happen. Obviously, I owe a lot to that program. It's just a great program. I mean, the weightlifting program, and the coaching staff, and everything. They have everything all set and you can see, too, in the drafts every year, how many of those players are in the first and second round and even just in the draft in general. Obviously, when it comes down to it, I owe a lot to that program.

McKeen's: In retrospect, with the schedule of that type of program, playing a mixture of Tier II, Tier I, and college teams at a young age, do you feel that gave you a distinct advantage in preparing for college and then later professional?

Skille: Well, obviously, it's developing you. That's the whole name of the program. They bring the kids in and they develop them and make them better. You know, the best of the best, and make sure they stay that way. To play college games my senior year of high school was a good experience, too. I went into my freshman year and knew what the level was like. I still think there's a little difference between the two leagues, with the open ice and everything, but still it was a great experience, learning to play college hockey. Going in my freshman year, I knew I could play. It's like that confidence, you know, like going into training this year and knowing I can play in the NHL. Twenty years old and you think you can play in the NHL. It's a good thing.

McKeen's: Going back to 2004, you played for Team USA at the U18 World Championships in Minsk. How different was it for you, as a Wisconsin boy, playing hockey and representing your country in Belarus, a country that is not as developed as back home?

Skille: It was certainly weird. I think the worst trip we had was actually not Belarus. Belarus was a good trip. The food was pretty decent, the tournament awesome, except for the loss. But, my very first trip, my U-17 year, which was in November, was to Magnitogorsk, Russia, which is where Evgeni Malkin is from and, uh, wow. I mean, you couldn't drink the water, the food was pretty bad, and, obviously, it's hotel food, so you don't really get to experience the other food. Hotel food in America is not too good, just imagine what it is in, pretty much, Siberia. That was obviously an experience of a lifetime to go over there and be on the other side of the world, playing hockey. You grow up quick.

McKeen's: What countries have you played hockey in, representing Team USA?

Skille:: Finland, Sweden twice, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Russia, and Belarus. All good experiences.

McKeen's: What do you feel your strengths are and in what sort of role do you see yourself playing in the NHL someday?

Skille: Well, as of right now, I think I'm a guy that's going be an energy guy, a third-line player. Just go out there and play the body. Like I said, get the pucks in deep and forecheck hard and use my speed and drive the net when I can and, obviously, try to score goals. I'm still working on that, I'm waiting for it. I'm pretty comfortable with the way I played tonight and I feel like I'm starting to roll.

McKeen's: Lastly, even though the season is young, who are some of your Rockford IceHogs teammates that have impressed you so far and why?

Skille: David Bolland is obviously, he had two goals tonight, and just a highly skilled player. He's one of those players that's really easy to play with and makes you better. Evan Brophey, he plays on my line, too, another good player that's highly skilled and easy to play with. Petri Kontiola, too, a Finland guy, he's just highly skilled, too. It's fun playing with guys like that. I mean, you can go through the whole lineup. Even the guys like Colin Fraser and Jake Dowell, obviously I played with Dowell for a while, but those guys are key parts of our team. I'm surprised how much they're helping our team. Well, I'm not surprised, but those guys doing those little things like that, it just helps our team. The whole lineup, basically. Everyone's pulling together, we've got chemistry, and we're gelling together really well.