AHL: QA with Brett Sterling

At 5-foot-7 and 180 pounds, Brett Sterling is not the biggest player, but he has done some big things. A native of Los Angeles, California, Sterling was the leading-goal scorer in the American Hockey League in 2005-06 and was the AHL Rookie of the Year. His resume does not end there, either. McKeen's recently had the opportunity to talk with the Atlanta Thrashers prospect, who is currently playing for Atlanta's AHL affiliate in Chicago. Sterling talks about starting 2007-08 with the Thrashers, his time and development with the Chicago Wolves, his standout collegiate career at Colorado College, winning gold medals for Team USA, and the development of hockey in California.

McKeen's: You started the year with the Thrashers. How did it feel to start the season in the NHL?

Sterling: It was pretty unbelievable, to play my first NHL game. I was up there for 10 games. It was a great time, but obviously, I've got things to work on and that's why I'm back here.

McKeen's: What are some things that the Thrashers want you to work on while you are here again?

Sterling: They want me to be able to play in all situations, which means working into the penalty kill, kind of getting a little bit more physical, but it just didn't seem to work out. There wasn't room for me up there. The team started to take off when I wasn't playing and they didn't want me just sitting around, so they sent me back here to get games and we'll see if I get a chance back up.

McKeen's: While you were up there, what was your role with the Thrashers and who were some of the guys that you skated a lot with?

Sterling: I kind of bounced around everywhere. I played with Kovalchuk and White. I played with Little and Haydar. I played with Little and Hossa. I pretty much played with everybody. Our team wasn't clicking at the time and we were really struggling to get anything going, and just shuffling lines around. They found some chemistry and unfortunately, it wasn't with me in it at the time.

McKeen's: You mentioned some of the struggles. The Thrashers started 0-6 and coach Hartley was subsequently relieved. How did things change with GM [Don] Waddell behind the bench?

Sterling: I just think guys lightened up a little bit. At that point, we had kind of hit the bottom, and we just knew that we weren't going to get out of it unless we just relaxed and started to play more, and that's what happened. We got our first win and then from there, it kind of rolled.

McKeen's: You scored your first goal while you were up there against Tampa Bay, even though it was in a loss. How did it feel to score that first NHL goal and describe the play a bit?

Sterling: Well, it was a little bittersweet obviously. We lost 6-2 and it was our second goal at 6-1. It was a great feeling to get my first, but I wish it would have been in a win. It was a play where a guy tried to chip it around Bryan Little. He caught it, kind of in his stomach, dropped it down, it was a 2-on-1, and I was in a footrace and just got to the net and he threw a nice hard pass and I was able to tip it up over [Johan] Holmqvist's pad.

McKeen's: Last year, in your rookie season, you led the AHL in goals, and were fourth in scoring. Did you expect coming out of college to have such a big rookie season in the AHL?

Sterling: I didn't expect to have the year I did. Obviously, playing with the guys I did last year definitely helps your stats out and the team I was on, we had an unbelievable team last year and as you can tell, this year it's a pretty good team, too. I've been really lucky in that sense in playing with great players.

McKeen's: Describe again, how much it helps to have veterans like Darren Haydar, Jason Krog, and Steve Martins help bring you along not only statistically but also…

Sterling: Well, yeah. The beginning of last year was a bit of a struggle for me. I got sent down from Atlanta after I had a pretty good camp. You know, I was playing all right, but I got sat out, I think, the fourth game of the year and Johnny (Chicago Wolves Head Coach John Anderson) just basically told me he needed more from me, needed to work harder. It kind of rolled from there and I was able to start scoring more and more. I really had a good first half of the year and those guys were just helping me out. When things started to struggle, they were there for me and really talking me through it and it was great. Its unbelievable having guys like that.

McKeen's: Who were some of the veterans who helped you settle in off the ice?

Sterling: Every one of them. You need something? They're there for you. You need a place to go eat dinner? You need someone to talk to? It doesn't matter who it is on the team, all the veterans are there for you.

McKeen's: We have mentioned the fantastic start that the Wolves are off to this year, what are some of the keys to that?

Sterling: You look at the talent on this team. Great goaltending starts it off, followed by solid defense and solid offense. It's a well-rounded team, which is great. For what I've been here for, when you have a team that, sometimes we struggle and we haven't played our best, but when we do, we're a real good team. We're going to be a tough team to beat. It's only when we start letting off, like we did at the end of this game, we've really got to capitalize on that because that's where you lose your first one. You forget about it, you just start letting up a little bit and that's where it catches up to you.

McKeen's: Going back to your college hockey days, you were a Hobey Baker finalist twice. To what degree was that an honor and to what degree was it perhaps a frustration not to win it?

Sterling: The one year I was a top-three finalist was one of those years. With everything that had happened with Marty, and the way he was able to handle it and the year he had, and us being linemates, yeah I didn't win it, but he had a great hand in me being there and I had a hand in him being there. So, that was as good as it was going to get. Yeah, I didn't win the award, but one of my best friends wins it. So, I wasn't upset at all. It's awesome.

McKeen's: Colorado College is not a big school, yet they have a well-respected hockey program. Tell me a bit about that dynamic.

Sterling: I think coach [Scott] Owens there, in Colorado Springs, is able to bring in great guys. He's really done well recruiting great guys, great hockey players. The guys mesh well and they're able to put together high-scoring teams. Usually, they're a good-skating offensive team with solid goaltending. I mean, that's what they've had when I was there and they seem to have it again this year. They seem to be doing pretty well.

McKeen's: Yeah, CC's definitely had some good players come through with guys like Tom Preissing, Peter Sejna, Curtis McElhinney, Matt Zaba, Mark Stuart, Sertich, yourself, all those guys. Now, prior to college, you played for the National Developmental Team. What are some of your favorite memories with that program and how important was that in your development?

Sterling: I wouldn't go back and change that to go there at all. I mean, that's a great stepping stone out of high school, junior and senior year. You're really living with a family but you're partially on your own. You're playing against junior players and then your last year, colleges. It's an unbelievable program and I recommend it to anybody. And…what was the second part to it?

McKeen's: Favorite memories.

Sterling: Oh, favorite memories. Winning Under 17s and winning Under 18s and then eventually going back and winning World Juniors.

McKeen's: If I remember right, you won the first gold for the United States at the U18.

Sterling: Yep, and then again with the U20s.

McKeen's: Right. That was kind of a heyday for USA Hockey.

Sterling: That group of guys, with myself, Mark Stuart, Patrick Eaves, Zach Parise, Jimmy Howard, that was a great group of guys. There are so many more players that were there, it was awesome.

McKeen's: Lastly, you are from California and played in the Junior Kings system. Nowadays, I am seeing many more players from California coming to the USHL and of course, feeding upward. Tell me about the growth of hockey in California.

Sterling: When I was growing up, it was guys like Noah Clarke, and Justin Morrison, and Richard Park, who were able to get people to know that there are hockey players from California. As I went up, recruiters and coaches started going out West a little bit more and now it seems to be a great place to pick up players. There are a lot of great players, a couple first round draft picks out of California. Things are really heating up for them. It's great. Hopefully, one day we can be like a Michigan, a Minnesota, one of those.