QA with Seth Ambroz

When the United States National Developmental Team needed to add a couple forwards to its Under-17 team for the Four Nations Tournament in Slovakia in early November, Omaha Lancers right-winger Seth Ambroz was an obvious choice for an invitation. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound power forward is omnipresent around opposing nets in USHL games and difficult to move for 18-, 19-, and 20-year-olds to move, let alone for competition that's entirely the same age and generally 30 pounds down on him. Sure enough, the 16-year-old European competition couldn't contain the 16-year-old Ambroz, and he led the tournament in goal scoring with five in three games and helped Team USA win the gold. The story isn't too much different in the USHL, either, where the second-year Ambroz had 8 goals and 9 assists in 17 games through November, providing size to the Lancers' first line and opening up some space for league-leading scorers Matt White and Erik Haula and helping push Omaha to a league-leading 17-3-0 record.

McKeen's correspondent Kevin Wey had the opportunity to talk with Seth Ambroz in late November and discussed the Four Nations Tournament, his development in the USHL, his commitment to his home-state University of Minnesota, whether he'd consider going the major-junior track, and his standout two-year high school hockey career with New Prague as an eighth- and ninth-grader.

McKeen's: I think I'll start off on a positive note, although there are a lot of those around you right now, but for you, personally, playing for Team USA's Under-17 team at the Four Nations Tournament. You did quite well, leading the team in scoring with five goals. Prior to that, though, tell me how you learned you'd been named to the team and your reaction?

Ambroz: I found out about a month in advance. Their director of player personnel gave me a call and invited me to play in the tournament, an option I took just to get the experience and see what it's like.

McKeen's: You, Matt Mahalak, and Austin Wuthrich all three joined the team for that tournament. How did you feel your chemistry was stepping into that team after most of those guys had been playing in games together for two months, and who were your linemates?

Ambroz: I played with Travis Boyd and Blake Pietilla. I thought I had a pretty good chemistry with them. I played with Boyd before, he's from Minnesota. But, going into the tournament, I felt pretty comfortable on the team.

McKeen's: What were some of the highlights for you, obviously the gold medal, but both highlights on the ice and off the ice?

Ambroz: All the wins. Off the ice, we just had fun times, a great group of guys, bonded well. On the ice, it's a great experience all around, playing in Europe.

McKeen's: What was it like skating at a level where, roughly, everyone is your same age, which you haven't done in a while, since before eighth grade, and how did that level of play compare to what you play every night here?

Ambroz: It was a good level of play. I mean, everyone's a great player. Their whole team was a bunch of good players. It may be a little different, but it was pretty competitive. Going to Europe is a little bit softer, not like the USHL, a big physical league. But, the team is a good team and everyone played pretty well.

McKeen's: Did you guys find you were picking up penalties that if you were playing in North America, you might not pick up?

Ambroz: Yeah, I found that out early on. It's a lot different play over there. But, you've just got to adapt and play your game.

McKeen's: I remember looking at the stats for the first game, and Ryan Haggerty had two slashing calls close together, and I was, "That's different."

Ambroz: Yeah.

McKeen's: I kind of figured you had a little bit of a wake-up to European…

Ambroz: Oh yeah.

McKeen's: … officiating and such. Did the other guys on that team give any indication as to how much advantage it had been for them, the Under-17 team, to be playing in the USHL prior to the tournament?

Ambroz: Well, it's definitely (pauses), they figure it's a great development for them. Being a young team like that, playing against good competition day in and day out definitely develops you as a player and prepares you for tournaments like that.

McKeen's: With the pace and physicality of the USHL, it probably felt like they had a lot more time and space, I imagine.

Ambroz: Yep.

McKeen's: Moving back to things with Omaha, you guys have been doing quite well, and you're off to a pretty good start yourself. So, what were some of the things you did over the summer and what are the areas you felt you've improved on the most since the end of last season?

Ambroz: Over the summer, I just got workouts in and skates, working with my brother (Matt, who played in the USHL and now plays NCAA DI with the University of Nebraska-Omaha). I've definitely developed and gotten stronger, just finding my way to the front of the net, just getting to the front of the net better. I'm definitely getting better at working pucks in the corner and just becoming a better power forward all around.

McKeen's: Did you and Matt go back up to Minnesota or did you stay here in Omaha?

Ambroz: Yep, we go back up to Minnesota, we have a trainer there.

McKeen's: Going back to last season, how big of a jump was it for you going from Minnesota high school hockey to the USHL and then, similar to the last question, the things you improved on the most during the course of 2008-09?

Ambroz: It was a big difference. A lot faster and a lot more physical. I definitely learned (pauses), it took me a little bit to get adapted to it. I definitely got more mature as a player, all-around, and just earned my stripes.

McKeen's: (Chuckles). You did fairly well. I remember at the beginning of last season I was watching you with Jake Hauswirth and it seemed like you guys worked fairly well together. Was Jake helping show you the ropes?

Ambroz: Yeah, definitely. He's a great player to look up to. He's a good player and he's going to be doing well in the future. He's playing pro now. I mean, no complaints.

McKeen's: Last question on improvements, but with the season, heading forward, what are some of the areas of your game that you're still focusing on improving to take your game to that next level?

Ambroz: I've just got to work on my first three steps and get my feet moving off the walls. There's really (pauses), you can improve everywhere, but definitely my first three steps. Gotta get going.

McKeen's: That's not uncommon for bigger guys to develop that a little later.

Ambroz: Yep.

McKeen's: Now, on the other hand, for those who haven't seen you play, what would you say is the style you play and the strengths of your game?

Ambroz: I'm more of a power forward that just mucks it up in front of the net and just battles down low and works on possessing the puck and just getting it out.

McKeen's: Having you and a healthy Ryan Daugherty this year is definitely working out well in that regard. Ryan's like a new player this year.

Ambroz: Yep. Good player, too.

McKeen's: I've noticed a lot of your goals are not from the perimeter so you don't get to flash your shot as much, but you do have a very hard shot, no doubt about it. I've also read about pucks going through nets in Minnesota. What are some of the things you did growing up to develop that shot power?

Ambroz: Just shot a lot of pucks in the summer. It all comes with getting stronger, too. Lots of shooting pucks (pauses), I don't know what else to say. A lot of practice.

McKeen's: Nothing special, just a lot of repetition. I was able to watch your brother play in Tri-City back in the day, and he plays at UNO, so how frequently do you stay in contact and does he try to help you and you help him?

Ambroz: Ummm, you know? We don't really talk too much about hockey away from the rink, just seeing how things are going. Every week or two weeks, we'll see each other. But, yeah, we can always call each other for some advice.

McKeen's: You guys, no doubt, have your own schedules. You're busy with the Lancers and he's busy with the Mavericks and his studies.

Ambroz: Oh yeah.

McKeen's: I think I read just the other day that it's now official, you are officially committed to the University of Minnesota, having been a verbal commitment for some time. At what point did colleges start contacting you, to the degree that they could, and tell me about your decision to go to the University of Minnesota.

Ambroz: They started contacting me, about ninth grade. Yep, ninth grade. You know? Going to Minnesota, just growing up watching them play every single weekend, and it just being in your backyard. It's a great program, and it's just a great chance for me to develop as a player to move on.

McKeen's: That's one of those questions that's (pauses), not necessarily a no-brainer, but Minnesota kids grow up wanting to play for the Gophers. Every now again someone defects and goes to Wisconsin.

Ambroz: Mmm, hmm. Yeah.

McKeen's: Going back to your high school career, it's my understanding you started playing for New Prague in eighth grade, and you didn't just play there, you did pretty well. Tell me a bit about that, stepping in so young.

Ambroz: Being an eighth grader, it was just kind of like playing last year. You've got to learn all what's going on, you've got to adapt to the pace of the game. But, after a little while, you get used to it. Once you get settled in, it's just a matter of you playing your game and playing well. I was fortunate to have a good year, and just have to keep going.

McKeen's: At that point, playing Minnesota high school hockey as an eighth grader, are you already thinking about the USHL, major juniors, and your future in hockey, thinking, "I can do something with this."

Ambroz: You kind of think about it, but you kind of don't want to. You don't want to put that pressure on yourself. But, it definitely was there, but you just have to worry one day at a time.

McKeen's: With your brother playing where he was, you knew your potential options.

Ambroz: Yep. He definitely opened a bunch of doors for me, growing up.

McKeen's: In terms of major juniors, you were selected by the Seattle Thunderbirds. (Pauses) I'll say when you are drafted by an NHL team in 2011, there will probably be some discussion with you about major juniors as a possibility. Would you at all consider it?

Ambroz: I want to play for "The U." I've committed to the team, and a commitment is a big deal. Once you've committed to a team, you've got to (pauses), it's basically a promise. It's your word and you've got to honor it. If you've committed to a team, that's your team.

McKeen's: Given the caliber of prospect that you are, do you already have a family advisor?

Ambroz: Mmm, hmmm.

McKeen's: May I ask who that is?

Ambroz: Shjon Podein.

McKeen's: Oh, okay, from Minnesota originally.

Ambroz: Yep.

McKeen's: Even though the spelling may not look like it.

Ambroz: Yeah, yeah.

McKeen's: I remember watching him play in the NHL back in the day. Going back to your youth, when did you first start playing hockey and how did you get that start?

Ambroz: I started skating when I was two years old.

McKeen's: Nice.

Ambroz: And I think I played hockey when I was three, then just flying through the ranks from mites up to high school and here.

McKeen's: Did you play with New Prague all the way through, I suspect?

Ambroz: Yep, yep.

McKeen's: Also, with your youth hockey, at what point did you end up so big?

Ambroz: Oh, I don't even know. I think it was more (pauses), maybe my pee wee year. I grew fast. It kind of helped me with more dominance of the game, being big.

McKeen's: So, pee wee year?

Ambroz: Yep.

McKeen's: Were you the same height as everyone else before that or always a little taller?

Ambroz: I'd go with a little taller, but I definitely grew a lot.

McKeen's: Lastly, who were some of your favorite players growing up and why and some players today that you'd like to equate to?

Ambroz: Growing up, I always watched Mike Modano, as a kid. I loved him. Then, just my brother. I definitely look up to him a lot. Nowadays, a lot of players like Milan Lucic, a lot of those big power forward players that I like to watch. I don't really look up to a lot of people. I look up to my brother the most.