USHL: QA with Pasquale Terrazzano

Pasquale Terrazzano is part of a growing trend in the USHL: European players coming to the Tier I junior A league in order to gain attention they might not get in their home countries by NHL scouts. Unlike the others, Terrazzano is a goaltender. The Ohio Jr. Blue Jackets netminder is off to a strong start in 2007-08, platooning with veteran netminder Corson Cramer, and turning some heads. McKeen's recently had the opportunity to chat with Terrazzano, who is eligible for the 2008 NHL Entry Draft and discussed his listing by Central Scouting as a "Player to Watch", playing in the USHL, his development with the HC Lugano organization, representing his country, and about Swiss hockey in general.

Helping to interpret, when needed, was Ohio Jr. Blue Jackets head coach Jack Fritsche, who had a 21-year playing career comprised almost entirely of Swiss hockey, who coached Swiss juniors, and who speaks Italian fluently.

McKeen's: Pasquale, you are off to a good start here in North America with some very good performances recently, including a shutout against Lincoln. How has your adjustment been to the USHL?

Terrazzano: It's a tough league, good shots, good players. I'm happy to play.

McKeen's: How does the level of play of the USHL compare to Swiss Junior Elites?

Terrazzano: The game is faster because the ice is smaller - the rink is smaller. There's a lot more people. It's more business. Junior leagues in Switzerland, it's like a joke. Not a joke, but it's not like the USHL.

McKeen's: While you are here, what are some of the skills you are working to improve upon with the Blue Jackets?

Terrazzano: My head (looks to Fritsche).

Fritsche: I'd say reading the game, I think that's what he's trying to say. We've talked about that too, much more reading the game, trying to work on controlling the puck, controlling the rounds, trying to keep it in play, and a lot of intensity. Basically, thinking the game a lot more because it is a lot faster compared to what he's used to and I know that because I've been over there for years.

McKeen's: What are some of the adjustments you had to make off the ice, coming here to North America and leaving home?

Terrazzano: Yeah, I lived at home two years alone, so it's not a big deal for me to live here.

McKeen's: How is the adjustment with English going for you?

Terrazzano: I try to do my best (smiles and chuckles). But, I don't go to school, just with friends. I pick up from friends from my billet family and the little kids speak a lot to me.

McKeen's: Last month you were named by Central Scouting as one of their Players to Watch. How did that make you feel?

Terrazzano: It's a good reason to work harder (smiles).

McKeen's: I know this is not your first trip to North America. You played in the Mac's Tournament in Calgary back in 2005 with the Swiss National Team. What was that like?

Terrazzano: Yeah, it was a real big experience, my first time in Canada. There were a lot of people watching. It was good hockey. We got (knocked) out in the quarterfinals, so we got home with quickly.

McKeen's: I know you have played for some tournaments for Switzerland. What are some of the tournaments you have played in on the junior national team?

Terrazzano: Finland, Finland, then I go to a lot to Czech Republic, play against Czechs, Sweden, Finland, USA, Canada, but the at the World Championship, U18, I was sick and I couldn't go.

McKeen's: How did it feel to represent your country in international play?

Terrazzano: It feels good (smiles). When I am with the national team, it's good for me, for my game, it makes me feel all right.

McKeen's: You have been affiliated with HC Lugano and you played in a few of the Nationalliga A games. Did you train with the Nationalliga A team and play with the Junior Elite team? How did that work for you?

Terrazzano: We had [Ronnie] Rueger, the first keeper and we had [Michael] Fluckiger. When one of these goalies was sick, I had to go as a backup. But, I made every practice with Nationalliga A team. Yeah, it was good hockey.

Fritsche: They keep two goalies, so he's on the junior team. So, if a goalie's sick, they try to bring players up, the same as we do with junior kids with the pro teams. It's not like you have the Blue Jackets here, a pro team, they (Lugano) have from pee wees up to Elite Juniors and into their pro teams. Anytime there was no goalie on the ice, they would call him up. So he got the opportunity to get shot on by a lot of pros. Plus, I think he got to work with a goalie coach who's a very good friend of mine over there.

Terrazzano: Yeah, I practiced with Nummelin, Peltonen, and all the Nationalliga players. They are good players.

McKeen's: You played a couple of games with HC Chur. Tell me a bit about that.

Terrazzano: It's a little bit bigger than the USHL. More people, but I did six games. Yeah, the team wasn't so good. We were every time, at the end of the table (standings). But on Chur, I did good.

McKeen's: When did you first start playing hockey and how did you get your start?

Terrazzano: My sister and my mom sent me every time, I was three years old with my sister, and my sister would watch me. So, we'd get to the rink, she'd get me on a team and she'd go and do whatever she'd want to do. She'd go to the city with friends, she left me there. So, I started playing hockey.

McKeen's: Who was your favorite player growing up and why was that?

Terrazzano: Cristobal Huet. He played in Lugano. Now, he's a big player in the NHL.

McKeen's: He was a big part of the French national team, too. In Switzerland, with many goalies like David Aebischer, Martin Gerber, Jonas Hiller, Tobias Stephan, and others, some people consider Switzerland as a bit of a goalie factory. Is there anything particular in Switzerland that makes that so?

Terrazzano: Yeah, we have good coaches, good goalie coaches. I had a goalie coach in Marcel Kull. He coached Aebischer, he coached Jonas Hiller, [Lars] Weibel, good goalies. He coached like five goalies to the top. He's very good.

Fritsche: They focus on that. They bring in a lot of foreign goalkeepers. We did that when I was there. They bring them in all the time. Every team's got a goalie coach like that like you do with the Blue Jackets. They've got good coaches that work with their goalies throughout the organization, the same thing. The nice thing about it is, they'll not just with the pros, but like I said, the pro team has an affiliation and all the pro teams want to bring as many of their local kids up to the pro team as they can. Naturally, they want their youth program to be part of the community and the ownership loves it when local boys are on the team. So, the money that's spent on the pro team, it really floods down into the youth program. The guys that come in to work with the goalies, they work for the youth program, too. So, they bring up especially the junior kids and the bantam kids, they get attention and work with quality guys.

McKeen's: With Swiss professional hockey, it seems to attract many highly skilled foreigners from other countries to play in the Nationalliga A and even the Nationalliga B. What it is about Swiss hockey that attracts some of those foreign players?

Fritsche: (rubs thumb against index and middle finger, the money signal)

Terrazzano: We have rich clubs. Lugano is a rich club and they can buy, they can buy every player. I think with three imports, it makes our league better. It makes Swiss players work harder. It's like the first line. Every time they fight, who gets into it? (Asks rhetorically) And you've got a lot of money in Switzerland.

McKeen's: Good call.

Fritsche: It's true, though. Let's not beat around the bush. Guys go there to make a living.

McKeen's: Are you planning to go the college route or are you keeping your options open?

Terrazzano: Keeping my options open.

Fritsche: He has a lot of different teams showing interest.