Interview with Ron Hainsey
Since his selection in the 2000 entry draft, Ron
Hainsey has been excited about the opportunity to make it in the NHL.
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He was ready to make the jump right out of college but Montreal wisely allowed
him to develop for a season in the minors with the Quebec Citadelles. When Sheldon
Souray went down with an injury a spot opened on the left side defense. Hainsey
enjoyed a fine training camp beating out Francis Bouillon, Stephane Robidas, and
Patrick Traverse for the final spot among Montreal’s top six defensemen.
He’s shown the Habs management, through his play and work ethic, that he
can play in the NHL. Hainsey, a Connecticut native, took some time to talk to
McKeen’s after his debut against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
McKeen’s: How was it making your pro debut at Madison Square Garden?
Hainsey: It was cool. It’s a place I grew up watching hockey so
to play my first game here was pretty special, especially since it was so close
to home (Connecticut). It wasn’t a real lively atmosphere because we had
the lead for the better part of the game, but it was still special being out
there.
McKeen’s: Did you have any family members in the crowd?
Hainsey: Yes a lot of them. Quite a few were around and it will be good
to see some of them for a moment before we head out of town.
McKeen’s: You enjoyed a fine training camp and made the Canadiens.
Did you enjoy the experience in preparing for the season?
Hainsey: Well they put me in a good situation to succeed playing with
Stephane Quintal all the way through. Things went well all through camp and
hopefully we can just keep winning some games, that’s what remains important.
McKeen’s: Montreal has started a trend in drafting American born
college players. It started with you in 2000 and then it was Mike Komisarek
and Chris Higgins.
Hainsey: I don’t really know how to explain that. Komisarek is
going to be a great player. It was his first camp this year and he played a
lot and looked good. Once he gets some experience on the minor league level
he’ll be ready soon. And Higgins is supposed to be phenomenal; I have not
seen him play but he is supposed to be a great player with Yale. I think we
have three good players, including myself, from the last three drafts.
McKeen’s: It’s not so uncommon now having American talent
in the league and the Habs are making some strides with you in the lineup, and
in the future, Komisarek and Higgins.
Hainsey: It is different on this team as I’m the only one right
now. Hopefully soon those two will be out there with me. It is different here;
traditionally there have not been many in Montreal. There was (Craig) Darby
who was here when I arrived. Maybe we’ll get more in the future but that
does not matter as we have a great group of guys and looking good so far.
McKeen’s: What are the adjustments to your game you’ve had
to make from college to minor pro to the pros?
Hainsey: You’ve got to be a little more aware of who is on the
ice and your positioning. You can’t take as many chances. I took one tonight
and the Rangers ended up coming back the other way and scoring on a two on one.
You’ve got to be careful and can’t take a lot of high risks out there
because many of these guys can score on you.
McKeen’s: And what do you remember about your time at the United
States Development Program?
Hainsey: We have a pretty good group of guys coming out of there like
Rick DiPietro. When he was selected first overall that was a great boost for
the program. There was David Tanabe, who’s done well for himself, Barrett
Heisten, Komisarek and Andy Hilbert; guys who are going to play in the NHL sooner
or later so we’ve had a pretty good run of guys. It’s a good program
for American kids and has really developed allowing players to grow at a much
better pace to where we are seeing some results.
More about Ron Hainsey in his Player
Profile