USHL: QA with Will Weber

McKeen's recently had the opportunity to talk with Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Will Weber, one of the top defensemen in the USHL. The Chicago Steel blueliner discussed his early USHL experience and adjustment to the league, being drafted by the Blue Jackets, skating in Columbus over the summer, his college commitment to Miami-Ohio, and how his jersey number reflects his favorite defenseman of all time.

McKeen's: You are 10 games into your rookie season in the USHL. What are your initial impressions of the league?

Weber: It's a good league. It's good for me. I'm learning a lot from my coach. I've got a good head coach and just for me to develop before I go to Miami next year, and after that. It's a stepping-stone to the next level.

McKeen's: You mentioned your coach Steve Poapst, a former NHL defenseman. How big of an advantage is that for you?

Weber: It's just amazing. He's taught me so many things already. I'm just open ears right, just trying to take in everything he's teaching me.

McKeen's: You played last season in Michigan high school. How big of a jump has it been and what are some of the adjustments you had to make in the last two months?

Weber: There's been a lot of adjustments, but during the summer I was in Columbus for a few weeks and able to skate with those guys. So, that was a really big help. I'm still learning, I've still got a ways to go before I'm fully comfortable. I'm happy and I'm excited to see what happens.

McKeen's: I read that last year, before the draft, you were somewhat surprised that people were coming to watch you so much. Tell me about how it felt then to be drafted in the second round by Columbus.

Weber: It was amazing. I'm pretty hard on myself, so I really didn't know what my hockey future was. Then, to hear my name be called and to know I was being drafted beforehand, it was amazing. I don't know if it's even hit me yet. I always say that, but, it's amazing, you know. It was cool.

McKeen's: So, I take it you were at the draft at Columbus?

Weber: Yeah, I was at the draft because I'd talked to enough teams and they told me, pretty much, "Be there." So, it was really cool.

McKeen's: What was it like to be drafted by the hometown team?

Weber: It was awesome. Columbus was the first team on the scene as far as watching me play and stuff, so they knew the most about me. All the guys in the system are amazing - all the recruiting guys and stuff. It was just awesome, the fans are great, and I was just treated very nicely when I was there.

McKeen's: You mentioned earlier that you skated this summer in Columbus quick after you were drafted at their development camp. What were some of the things that you learned there and how was it?

Weber: It was great. The week right after the draft I skated, there were a lot of the AHL guys and a few NHL guys. Just, you know, to see all the little things that they did and how fast they were and how smart they were, it was just really cool to see and it gave me a gauge of where I need to be at, and I think I can get there. Then, earlier in the summer, right before I came here, I was there for about three weeks just working out there and skating with a couple of the guys just at some of the other rinks and it was awesome. It was a great learning experience and I'm just taking it all in right now.

McKeen's: What was it like to skate at an NHL camp with coaches like Ken Hitchcock, or former NHL defenseman Gord Murphy, or even a former pro like Trent Cull?

Weber: It was cool just to be around those guys. I've always seen them on TV and stuff, and just to be on the same ice surface and be around them was just awesome.

McKeen's: Who were some of the Columbus Blue Jackets prospects' that you skated with that impressed you most?

Weber: Prospects?

McKeen's: Or any of the guys.

Weber: The guys that I skated with, Jody Shelley and Dan Fritsche, he impressed me a lot, just to see his first stride, how quick he was. It was really cool to skate with all those guys.

McKeen's: What are some of the things that the Blue Jackets and then maybe Miami and Chicago want you to work on this season?

Weber: I think that's hard to say. I think it's just everything. In my mind, I have so much more to work on and so far to go. I'm just trying to take it one step at a time and still learn as much as I can and take in as much as I can from coach Poapst and then next year in Miami.

McKeen's: On the flipside, what are some of the parts of your game that you feel are strengths already, that you take pride in?

Weber: I think my physical play right now. I'm trying to finish all the checks I can and try and be a smart player and be good defensively.

McKeen's: What were some of the factors that made you decide to go to Miami-Ohio?

Weber: There were a lot of things, a lot of little things. I liked the school and all that, but nowadays, as far as facilities, the rinks, and the schools, it's all pretty close. So, for me, it mostly came down to the coaching staff there. I felt the most comfortable with them and I think they're amazing coaches right off the bat. They're just all great guys. I think they'll help me the most to get to that next level after college.

McKeen's: Describe the recruiting process that coach Blasi led you through.

Weber: He kind of narrowed it down to three major schools: Michigan State, Cornell, and Miami. So, I visited them all within two weeks just to see. But, as far as Miami, they came and saw me play quite a few times, the last six games of my season in high school, they all came to the house and just sat down with me, and then went there for my official visit. They were impressed with the way I played and they thought I had a lot of material, I guess. To me, at that time, it was big surprise. I had no idea. So, they liked the way I played.

McKeen's: Coming from Michigan, many kids decide to play midget AAA. Did you ever consider midget AAA and, if not, why not?

Weber: I did at one point have the chance to play midget AAA or junior A because there was a team about an hour and a half away in Traverse City. But I grew up in my town of Gaylord and I have a lot of family and friends there that have helped out my family a lot, through a lot of things, and I felt the need to stay there. I didn't think I needed to rush anything. I thought if I was good enough to play at the next level, it would happen and that people would find me in high school, and that's the way it turned out. I don't regret it at all. It worked out, you know?

McKeen's: You mentioned the family and friends. I understand that a few years ago your father died in a plane crash but that he had a big impact on the development of hockey there and that he had a big impact on helping you with your career.

Weber: There isn't a day that goes by where I don't think about him. Growing up, he played college hockey, that's always what I wanted to do. He got the rink started in my hometown. When he passed away, the support from our town was indescribable. Small towns, where everybody knows everybody, we have amazing friends there. It's hard to explain the support we got.

McKeen's: It sounds like you wanted to go to college the whole time, but have any major junior teams ever approached you?

Weber: Yeah, major junior teams did the year before the draft and then right after the draft, obviously, because I was a high draft pick. Right away, I told them that I wanted to play college hockey. If I could play after that, I think I can, that would be great.

McKeen's: Who are some other people who have been influential in your development as a player coming up?

Weber: Coaches throughout the years and I guess the biggest was my family, my mom and my sister. They always believed in me. They never gave up on me. They knew I could make it. So, here I am now.

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

Weber: Well, favorite playing in the NHL? Well, my favorite NHL player of all time is Bobby Orr, the greatest defenseman, obviously.

McKeen's: Ah, that'd explain your No. 4.

Weber: Yeah, No. 4. That's a tough one. I like the way Chris Pronger plays.

McKeen's: I can see that from you.

Weber: He's a physical player, so, obviously, that's a big one for me.

McKeen's: Lastly, who are some of your Chicago Steel teammates that really impress you?

Weber: I'd have to say Brian O'Neill and Andy Miele. Miele's going to Miami next year and then O'Neill, he was drafted in the USHL, not very high, and he's just come in and he's amazing. Right from day one in tryout camp, I saw him on the ice and he was the best player out there, I thought. He was leading the league in points and he's a great player.