USHL: QA with Blake Kessel

As the 2007-08 USHL regular season is drawing to a close, Waterloo Black Hawks defenseman Blake Kessel is leading the league in defenseman scoring and is among Waterloo's scoring leaders. Once recognized only as Phil Kessel's little brother, the New York Islanders prospect is now carving out his own career. McKeen's recently had the opportunity to chat with the younger Kessel and talked about his time with the Waterloo Black Hawks, playing for Team USA, skating in two USHL All-Star Games, his selection by the Islanders, his commitment to the University of New Hampshire, and his development as a player growing up in Madison.

McKeen's: You have twice been named the Defensive Player of the Week in the USHL this season, which generally means a player put up some points and were at least decent in his own end that week, and you are leading the league in scoring among defensemen. What are some of the things that have helped you accomplish that so far this season?

B. Kessel: A couple of things that have helped me this year would definitely be being here last year and working with coach O'Handley on the powerplay last year, he helped me with that a lot, and then over the summer it was also a good thing that I got in a good game this summer with my brother Phil, and Ryan Suter, and Jack Skille, other guys from Chicago, Jake Dowell was there, Adam Burish was there, a bunch of the pro guys. So it was a good thing during the summer for me to get the puck moving, get my head up quicker, and make better plays. So, that was a huge learning tool for me this summer.

McKeen's: Sounds like you were skating with them on the ice. Were you working off the ice with them as well?

B. Kessel: Off ice, I had a little bit of help from my brother. He had the USA programs that he still had around, so I was running off of that a little bit. That was a big thing that helped me off ice along with just other experiences with Mike Potenza, trainer now for the San Jose Sharks. He was a trainer back in the day when he was at Wisconsin, so he helped me a lot with little tools that worked on off-ice stuff with mobility and side-to-side movement and just strength overall. So it was a big help having all of those guys in my life so far.

McKeen's: You also led Waterloo in defense scoring last year. What were some of the areas of your game that improved for you last year and what improved the most over the course of last season?

B. Kessel: Over the course of last year, my skating improved from beginning to end. It's something I've always been working on for the last God knows how many years, especially on skating. You always try to work on that, but especially for me. But it was the quick release that coach O'Handley made me worked on. When I first got there, the first week, he had me just running drills all week where I was catching the puck, right there, stopping it, and quick shot, and always having the head up, and just little drills that he helped me work on were a big help, and that was one of the things that helped me work on my shot, to get that through to the net, and that was probably my biggest successful tool last year on the powerplay.

McKeen's: I certainly noticed that tonight where you took the puck off the boards very quickly, got the shot off very quickly and smoothly, and another time where it, it was not a one-timer per se, but a very quick wristshot. So that's noticeable. Also, what was the biggest adjustment for you coming into the USHL out of the Madison Capitals?

B. Kessel: The biggest adjustment there was definitely the speed. It's a different pace to the game. A bunch of the kids are a little bit older, a little bit stronger, a little bit faster, and you've got to move the puck a little bit quicker, so everything happens that step faster. So you've always got to be on top of your game, and head up, and be ready to go every game and every shift so you don't cost your team any points.

McKeen's: Other than the skating and the quick shot, are there any other areas of your game that you really focus on?

B. Kessel:: Strength is a big thing for me. It's been on and off. I really want to improve on my leg strength and my core strength, those are my two big things. Upper body, you know, is a big thing, but that can always be helped. But, definitely the legs and the core are two things that I've been really trying to work on lately, and also endurance, too, taking better shifts, getting that 45 seconds, be able to go hard, get off, and if I need to go back out there in a short time, instead of rotating through three pairs of "d", I can get right back out there and be able to play at my best still.

McKeen's: You are right about legs and core, those are the bread and butter of a hockey player. We have talked a bit about the things you have been improving on, but what would you say are some of the strengths of your game already?

B. Kessel: Strengths of the game, I always try to work on the quick puck movements, getting that first good pass, getting it up ice, and getting our forwards up the ice in transition. Things that have helped me over the years has definitely been trying to be a smarter player, kind of read the play a little bit better, just because back in the day, I weighed a little bit heavier back in the day and that was something I needed to get through those days before I could actually realize that I really wanted to be a player and change my attitude about everything that I did and change the way I was eating. So, smarts and puck movement are probably my two specialties, keys to my game.

McKeen's: Is that changing the way you have eaten been something that both you and your brother faced? I recall heading into his draft that was one of the questions on your brother, Phil. Have you guys gotten more serious about the conditioning and the nutrition?

B. Kessel: Definitely. It was something for him, too, for both of us. It was definitely a big change. We were growing up, we always were into hockey, and he always was the one that was being noticed, of course, but it was definitely one of those things where we had to change our eating habits. So that's happened over the last two summers now, where you don't find anything in the freezer anymore, no ice cream, no nothing like that. So, that's really painful, but it's a big thing and it's really helpful. It's something that you've got to do if you want to be a hockey player and that's something that we both decided this summer, so we changed our diets to the shakes, if you need something a little bit sweeter, but trying to eat more healthy, more fruits and vegetables and all that good type of stuff and also keeping all the pasta and the good carbs in you and not trying to eat all the fast food and deep-fried crap. So, I try to stay away from that as much as possible.

McKeen's: I remember hearing about Chris Pronger's diet, or Joe Thornton's diet being horrible before they got into the NHL, and it's like, "You were that good, still?" But, they did have to change. Anyway, you were selected to the USHL All-Star Game for the second time. How was the second time around?

B. Kessel: The second time was a lot different. The first year, it was still being able to get drafted, I was nervous, I was shaking going into the game, I was just all intense. The second year here was a lot of fun. I knew a bunch of the guys coming into it, so this year you got to relax more. You understood the game, and you understood that it was going to be an up-tempo game, but it was also fun at the same time. So, it wasn't all serious. It kind of helped being there the first year and being able to relax and just play your game and have a little fun with it.

McKeen's: You were also named to Team USA for the World Junior A Challenge up in British Columbia. What was it like to be named to that team and how did that tournament compare to what you play every night in the USHL?

B. Kessel: It was a huge honor. It was the first time that I'd ever been selected to play on a USA team, beside the Select Festivals. It was a shock to me, and also a huge honor. I was so excited about that. It was a great time up there, great guys, some of the best guys that you could ever want to play on a team with. The game up there was definitely intense. Playing with some of the best kids from different junior A levels, so you've got the top players out there. It was a little bit of a step above this speed wise and puck movement, everything like that, but it was somewhat comparable. It was a little bit more, more of an NHL-type-of-style game. Not exactly NHL, but more of a skill-type-of game where you've got to still be able to make the smart little plays and the hard grip plays, but it required more skill and there was more skill out there than sometimes just a dump and chase. You make more plays. It was a lot of fun to watch the great play that was up there.

McKeen's: Who were some of your Team USA teammates on that team that really impressed you and why?

B. Kessel: The one guy, at forward, was definitely Barry Almeida. Great kid. He was our captain of our team. He's a great leader for us. He's the one that stepped up big time. In this first game, versus Belarus, he scored with five seconds left in the overtime. He had a great tournament. I think he led our team in points, I'm pretty sure. There were other guys, like Nico Sacchetti had a great tournament up there. Nick Dineen had another one. But, I think, definitely everyone was impressive up there. Everyone did their little stuff, but Barry was one of the guys that really stepped up big time. He's a great kid, so I had a lot of fun hanging out with him.

McKeen's: Last summer you were drafted by the New York Islanders in the sixth round. What was it like to be drafted, and if you weren't there, how did you find out, and what did the Islanders tell you initially?

B. Kessel: I talked to the Islanders earlier in the year. They came in, watched a game, and they go through a little test, a little mental test, a psychology test that you had to go through. So I talked to them and then we did that and I talked to them for a couple minutes afterwards. That was really good. Then my coach was telling me how they were interested. So, I kind of had an idea that they were interested, but never thought I'd be drafted. It was one of those things coming from, back in the day, you always hope for, but never thought it was going to happen. I knew my name was up there somewhere, but I was actually working at Bob Suter's camp over the summer. My little cousin was there, so I took him to the rink that day, tried to stay away from everything, not getting too over-excited, came home, actually, it was on the way home when I got a call from my brother's agent, who was at the draft. They called me first and then the Islanders called me right after that. I didn't know what to do. I was just in shock. I was sitting there shaking. My mom's sitting there at home all happy when I came home, so that was a great feeling for me.

McKeen's: Who is your brother's agent?

B. Kessel: Newport Sports and Ed Ward right now.

McKeen's: Okay, so he does not have a particular agent.

B. Kessel: No, just a whole group. The guy that's mostly around is Ed Ward, or Lane Arnott. Those are two guys that have kind of been around the most.

McKeen's: Ed [Ward] is Mike Cichy's advisor, I recently learned.

B. Kessel: Yep, Mike Cichy. He's another good kid. He was up there with Team USA. He's a funny guy, too.

McKeen's: Any particular comments the Islanders gave you that first contact?

B. Kessel: The first contact was just "congratulations," pretty much. It was a pretty much a shock. I was speechless, like I said. They told me, actually, that they had their mini-camp, which was coming up in three days after that, so I was like, "Uhhh, yep, I'll be out there for that." That was kind of fun. I hadn't been on the ice much, but that was a great thing to experience out there, go out to New York for a week long out there and see what their team's all about and the organization. It was just a great time out there, to meet all those guys that are part of the organization so far.

McKeen's: With the mini-camp, a few days afterwards, what were some of the things you learned and took away from that camp?

B. Kessel: I've still go to improve, on everything, not just the little things. You watch some of the older guys and they've got the little steps that have made them the player that they are. They can play in the AHL, they can play NHL games, it's just because of those little things. You always say the skating thing is a huge aspect of the game now. There's no more holding or anything like that. You've got to learn to change your game to a more tough game and a more mobile game. That was one of the things that looking at that, definitely speed wise, and puck movement, little skill plays, just the idea of them having their head up, every player has their head up while they're on the ice and they can make those great plays looking up ice. It was a good thing for me and to try to get the feeling of everything that you need to step up your game if you want to make it to the NHL someday.

McKeen's: While you were at that camp, who were some of the Islanders prospects that impressed you and why?

B. Kessel: Definitely Kyle Okposo. He was a good guy. My brother's good buddy is Ryan Stoa, and so he was actually talking to him and talked to Kyle Okposo. The other one was Frans Nielsen. He was a very shifty player. And then Jeff Tambellini. That was a tough line to go against. That line really kind of kicked my butt. It was Jeff Tambellini, Blake Comeau, and Petteri Nokelainen, who's now with Boston, but that was their line and I was kind of sitting there and was all shaking about it. I was like, "Alright, umm, these guys have played their AHL games and some games in the NHL," and I'm just, "Let's just be smart and just learn from being out there on the ice with those guys."

McKeen's: I was able to talk with Jason Gregoire and he also identified Tambellini, Comeau and Okposo as the top guys there. With the Islanders, they have taken a number of USHLers recently, with Okposo, Gregoire, Shane Sims, and yourself. What does that tell you about the Islanders and/or the league?

B. Kessel: The league in general has always been improving. It's always been a good league. You look at some of the names that have come out of this league. They're up there. Guys have come out of this league for years now, and just, overall, the guys that have been getting drafted out of this league year after year really proves to you that this league keeps getting better and better each year. I mean, there's a bunch of guy's names on the list this year for the NHL Draft, to watch, and I think there was 20 or so, 27 maybe, that got drafted out of this league last year, and a couple up there high. Nick Petrecki was one that was high.

McKeen's: Patrick White was up there.

B. Kessel: Yep, White was up there, [Aaron] Palushaj was drafted up their somewhere.

McKeen's: [Max] Pacioretty.

B. Kessel: Yep, Pacioretty was really high, so we had a bunch of guys being taken out of our league. So, that was really exciting to kind of see that and know that you played against those guys. It was kind of fun.

McKeen's: You are committed to the University of New Hampshire. When was it that you started talking with coach [Dick] Umile and his staff and tell me about the recruiting process he led you through and what made you decide that becoming a Wildcat was right for you?

B. Kessel: First, there was just a little contact with them. They called me the one day and it was kind of just that they'd been seeing me out there recently and that they liked the way I played on the big ice sheet, because they have an Olympic-sized ice sheet out there that they play on, a lot bigger than anything than I've seen out there, so that's a big open space. But, the big thing for me was just trying to get a new start. I've been WCHA all my life. My cousin Dave Moss played in the CCHA, so I kind of wanted to try something different. It was start over, get out of the original, go have fun four years somewhere that's not in your element: try something different while you can. That was one of my big things that led me toward that. I really liked the school, the campus is really nice, and hockey is their biggest sports program out there. That was the other thing, where you're kind of the big man on campus, almost. That was a big decision going into that.

McKeen's: What were the other programs that showed interest in you and that you also showed interest in?

B. Kessel: There were a couple programs I was looking at. St. Cloud State was one. Bob Motzko, who's the coach up there, him and my brother, actually, were talking a lot when Phil was going to Minnesota, so that was one of the guys that I got familiar with a little bit. So, I was really interested in that program. Michigan Tech, coach [Chris] Tok, who got me, actually, to Waterloo, here. He was the assistant here, here and coach [Shane] Fukushima were the two that brought me down. So, Michigan Tech was one. Wisconsin was always there in the back of the mind, hometown kid, but it was just trying to get something new, like I said. That was the big thing. I didn't really want to be in the same element over and over again.

McKeen's: I have read you credit Bob Suter a great deal with your development prior to the USHL. ell me a bit about the impact he made and the things you learned from the former Olympian.

B. Kessel: Bob, he's a great guy. He pushed me to every limit out there. He was the one that made me want to just, pretty much, hate him, forever. But, it was the best thing for me. He made me do quick footwork drills all the time, just one-on-one drills up and down the ice, and he knew I hated them, too. So, every practice he'd come out there and say, "The Blako Drill," that was my nickname. So, he called it out every practice about partway through and he'd just be like, "Yep, here go." And he'd just hound me up and down the ice and he go "switch off" every time, making sure I was sitting there and I wasn't cheating or anything like that. He was kind of the guy that was always there. He was one that was going to make me into that player. He took me from, actually, a really early age, I used to be a forward, and I eventually walked in there for summer team with him and he goes, "You're going to be turned into a defenseman. We're putting a number 20 on you and I'm turning you into my defenseman." I was just a little kid, I was scared of him anyway, so I was like, "Yeah, okay." So he was definitely the one that kind of turned my game around then. His brother Gary was always down there working with me, also. That was a huge help, just figuring that out, and they always worked on little stuff like that. They worked on my shot also, but it was definitely when I came here to Waterloo that that really helped me. Those two really were a big impact on my life.

McKeen's: Having Bob and Gary, former players of that caliber to work with is always helpful. I have also read that you consider Ryan Suter a bit of a role model. Tell me a bit about that and his impact also.

B. Kessel: Ryan is a great guy, unbelievable kid, guy actually, not a kid to me anymore. But, he's another guy, like I said, in the summer time, just watching him and the little stuff that he tells you and just the way he carries himself. Every day, he's out at 7:00 in the morning bike riding, running stairs, something like that, so just his attitude toward the game is something that you're in shock of. The way he carries himself, he's always got everything in order, everything is neat. Even when we go out there for those little games he's just a competitor, never wants to lose, wins every foot race. We don't body or anything like that, but he's going to beat you to the puck, he's going to go there and he's going to take it strong. The way he competes and the way he carries himself is something that I've always looked up to.

McKeen's: Obviously, you did not think you could escape an interview without a question about your brother.

B. Kessel: (Laughs)

McKeen's: In what ways did Phil help you develop?

B. Kessel: There's some good stories from Phil and I throughout the years. But, it was probably about three or four summers ago when first he started helping me working on one-on-one skills. We'd actually just go to the rink and it'd just be him, me, and sometimes our little sister, too, but we'd actually almost go for 10 minutes, 15 minutes before we'd start fighting. But, we'd just do one-on-one's, straight up and down the ice, no goalie, no nothing. It was just trying gap up, trying to play with that speed. He got it around me quite a bit just because of the speed aspect of everything, but that was something that made me work on my footwork again, my one-on-one's, playing the body, positioning, and that was a huge thing for me also, and then always pushes me day in and day out to be the best I can on and off the ice. When I go to the weight room or something like that, I get a different personal trainer, but he always made sure that I was showing up there to the gym. So, I owe a lot to him also, and he takes care of me during the summer. Like I said, he's pretty much my best friend. I always thank him for everything he does for.

McKeen's: This is a hard question, but what was it like for you and your family when your brother discovered he had cancer and what were the feelings when he did so well coming back?

B. Kessel: Uh, that was the toughest thing for me in my life. Like I said, I consider him my best friend. He's always been there for me. We're only a year-and-a-half apart, so we do everything together in the summertime. It was actually after a game. I kind of figured it out, something was wrong. He called me before a game, I didn't get it, I actually had to go into my pocket to grab something out of my pocket. I can't even remember what it was, but I saw missed calls, and then he left me a text message to call him after the game. Then I knew something was wrong at that point. Then when I came out for the game I always see my mom and dad there, you kind of know where they are in general, and I didn't see my mom, and that was something that weighed on me that whole game. Then, after the game, my dad came out to the car with me, I had to call Phil, that was the worst thing I'd ever heard in my life. I didn't know what to do at that point. I actually wanted to kind of leave and go be with him, but he told me that he didn't want me to come out there, he wanted me to play hockey. That was just one of the things that our family had to go through. It brought us together. Now we spend a lot of time together whenever we can. We've always been a competitive family and we still are, but just those little times that we get to spend together, like at Christmas a little bit. You always kind of cherish that and try to stay together a little bit more and play family games or something like that and just appreciate the time together that you have a lot more.

McKeen's: Lastly, how was it that the sons of a former NFL draft pick, CFL player, and USFL player, ended up picking hockey over football and becoming such standout hockey players at that?

B. Kessel: Actually, it was because of our cousin Dave Moss, who's with Calgary now. Phil, when he was younger, was over there with my mom and Dave had gotten into the game because of some of his friends and Phil was watching and said, "Yeah, looks like fun," he wanted to play it. So, our parents were like, "Alright, we know nothing about hockey really, but here we go." And our family has always been competitive. Like you said, my dad was a football player and my mom used to run track and all that type of stuff, she's a competitor, too. Just kind of tried that out for size and it kind of worked out. We always played our other sports, baseball, I actually played football for a while and kind of finally decided after sophomore year of high school I really wanted to play hockey and had to change everything around. I had to change the diet, had to change the way I worked out and everything like that, and had to drop down in weight after I was 225 for a while.