WHL: QA with Kenndal McArdle

McKeen's: Last year you went 8-8-16 in 54GP and you battled a wrist injury. You came on strong in the playoffs with five points in ten games and then this year you've been on fire. What has changed in your game from the start of last season to where you are today?

Kenndal McArdle: Well, last season was my rookie year and there's a lot of progression a guy has to go through – a lot of transition. The WHL is quite highly skilled and full of young guys. There was the injury to deal with and I had to work through that. That probably slowed down my transition process, but once we hit the playoffs I started to get into a groove.

McKeen's: So do you think that some of your success this year as things have progressed has come from your confidence and helped to fuel you along?

McArdle: Oh, definitely. Confidence is one of the key factors to performance. Obviously this year I was put more into that role by my coaches here and I was given every opportunity and from there your confidence grows. Once you start to do well, your confidence grows even more. It's really just a snowball effect.

McKeen's: In early December you were the WHL's Player of the Week with 4-4-8 in 3GP with a +7 rating. The team also won those three games. It's a team game, but clearly your team is better off when you're firing on all cylinders. How much pressure do you put on yourself to try to help turn things around and get the team winning again?

McArdle: I wouldn't say I put the pressure on myself, but it's definitely there. But sometimes that's just what happens when you're put into that leadership role. Guys like Dustin Boyd and Masi Marjamaki are in the same position. So when they play well, we play well as a team. I think that's just what happens on every team that - they just have to have those guys to be successful.

McKeen's: You had a couple of goals in the Top Prospects game and were named the Top Player for Team Davidson. How much of a role did a big crowd like that – especially when you're from B.C. -- play in your style of game that night?

McArdle: It was a surreal experience. The whole week was great and it being in my hometown was just that much more exciting. I maybe thrived off the attention I was getting, because I was in my home town. Having your friends and family out there, you definitely want to perform for them too. I think all of those things helped me.

McKeen's: John Davidson is pretty much universally respected in hockey circles. How much direct contact did you have with him and did he pass along any nuggets of wisdom to you?

McArdle: Yeah, I can't say enough good things about Mr. Davidson. Great coach. He treated everyone on the team as if we had been with him for the whole year. He was great to be around for that week and he did pass along things that he knew, along with the coach of the Vancouver Giants. I think having John Davidson as a coach made things that much more enjoyable.

ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN IN THE POST-SEASON

McKeen's: Despite the struggles, the team still has a realistic chance of making the playoffs (Editor's note - Moose Jaw has since clinched a playoff spot and is matched up against Brandon in the first round.). Is that something that you and your teammates have on your minds, so you can finish as strongly as possible and upset the apple cart in the playoffs?

McArdle: Definitely. That's our main focus right now – there's no question about that. Our team wants to be in the playoffs and we're going to do whatever we have to do to make that happen. I think our team is working together to accomplish that goal. Once we do accomplish that goal, we'll have to play to the best of our abilities to go as far as we possibly can. Right now, I truly don't think there's a limit as to how far we can go and everyone here is on the same page.

McKeen's: Fans across the league love your kind of game: high energy, hard-hitting, leaving it all on the ice. Do you get pumped up after a big shift when you hear the crowd react to things you do on the ice?

McArdle: No question. I love the rink I'm in right now. I love our home crowd because of that. It can be one of the loudest rinks in the league and I definitely thrive off the crowd. It's all part of the game. It gets you energized and gets you wanting to accomplish more. I think our rink is great for that.

McKeen's: What kind of advantage on the ice do you think you have when it comes to playing your physical game?

McArdle: I think sometimes when players start putting points up on the board, people take liberties on them and what not. I've always wanted to be the guy where that is not my only side of the game. So let's say there's a game where you're shut down – because there are always those kinds of games – you have to bring different aspects to your game. The scoring just isn't going to happen every game.

McKeen's: Skating is seen to be one of your strong points. How important a role do you consider it to be in your success?

McArdle: Skating is a key factor for putting you into the right positions: getting 2 on 1's, being in the right spot at the right time, out-skating guys wide. I think I've slowly learned to use my skating to my advantage. I've always been fast, but it's harder to be a controlled fast and learn how to use it to your advantage in the game of hockey. Every day you have to slowly learn more aspects of it.

HOME SWEET HOME

McKeen's: As we touched on earlier, you're from B.C. Are the 2006 World Juniors, which will be played there, something that you've got in the back of your mind as a goal for yourself?

McArdle: That would certainly be an awesome tournament to watch and even better to be a part of it. If I'm able to do what I can, I'd love to be given the opportunity. Ultimately though, there are a lot of goals I need to reach before then –a lot of stepping stones to get through first.

McKeen's: I'd like your perspective on the NHL lockout from two perspectives: one as Kenndal the hockey fan and another as Kenndal the prospect.

McArdle: From a hockey fan point of view, obviously you don't get your hockey to watch. It's disappointing and certainly we'd like to have it back. I'd definitely love to be able to turn on the TV on a Saturday night and watch our Canadian teams play. I think to all of the fans it's quite disappointing that they haven't gotten anything worked out. Hopefully it'll get resolved as quickly as possible.

From the prospect perspective it's a little disconcerting because you grow up watching those 18-year olds getting drafted every summer. It's something that I think a lot of kids have as a goal and it's just another stepping stone to put you close to playing in the NHL one day. Obviously that's the goal of every player in our league and everyone playing hockey. It's a little frustrating because we may have to wait another year, but I've just got to go and put my efforts into what I have on the ice.

McKeen's: If you could say anything to an NHL GM that is thinking about drafting you, what would it be?

McArdle: I would say relentlessness. I like that word when people describe me, along with tenacity. I think those are two things I want to be able to put into my game every night. I'm working on that now and for the final product I want that to be in my game every night. Never give up and leave everything you have on the ice. From there, I think everything else like scoring goals will come from it.

McKeen's: How special would it be for you to get drafted in the first round?

McArdle: Well, you want to go as high as possible because you're ranked up against the best from your age group. When it's all said and done, it matters what happens after the draft. It matters what happens in those training camps after you get drafted. Of course, you want to get drafted as highly as you can to help build your confidence and prove that you're not only among the high profile players in your own league, but also around the world.

LOOKING UP TO ATHLETES

McKeen's: From your perspective, how important is it for athletes in general to act like role models for kids?

McArdle: It's important – I think the two go hand-in-hand. If you're not ready to be that role model, you should choose a different line of work. It's an intangible with the game and there's no way around it because kids look up to you. It's a responsibility of the players in our league and the players in every other league to set that example. You want to teach kids how to win and to not put a bad name on the sport that you play.

McKeen's: Do you think that role model debate is even more important for any minority hockey player, because by definition there aren't that many around?

McArdle: To a certain extent, yes. If you're a young minority hockey player looking up, you're going to look at everybody – whether they're a minority or not – for hockey skills. But I'm not going to lie: if there's a minority player on the ice, whether I'm watching junior or the NHL, you kind of watch and see how that guy is doing.

I assume that maybe if kids are doing the same with me or with other players in the NHL or juniors, it's important for them to set the right steps for more kids to come into the game.

McArdle: How important have role models been during your own hockey development?

McKeen's: Obviously there are guys that I look up to and there are things I respect about every single player. In the NHL there are certainly guys I've looked up to and want to emulate. If you want to reach your goal of playing in the NHL, these are guys that are already there… so following in their footsteps probably wouldn't lead you in a bad direction.

McKeen's: Have there been any specific guys that you've looked up to in that respect?

McArdle: When I was younger, coming from Burnaby, there's obviously Joe Sakic. He was a prolific player from our town and everyone knew about him and everyone watched him on the Nordiques and the Avalanche. As I started to slowly learn my game and what I've brought to the table, I've been watching Jarome Iginla in Calgary. He's slowly become that man I was talking about before and he's an example of my end goal in how I want my game to be.

McKeen's: Someone like Iginla obviously has mad game on the ice and from everything we've seen he also seems to be a really good role model off the ice. Guys like him really make a difference, don't they?

McArdle: Yes, definitely. That's another reason why he is a role model for me both on and off the ice. He's always got a smile on his face and is always happy to talk to the media or to kids. He's got those intangibles that come with the game, like I was talking about before. I think that's truly what defines a complete player.

McKeen's: If you look at all of the players in the NHL right now, who do you think has a style similar to your game?

McArdle: Hmm. I'd have to think of it here. Maybe a guy like Bill Guerin.

McKeen's: So basically, a guy who can not only score, but bring a physical element to it as well.

McArdle: Exactly. I haven't really been asked that question before. There are the guys like Guerin that can bring the physical aspect, but then there are the guys like Matt Cooke in Vancouver. I think he's an example of the tenacity and the relentlessness that I was talking about before.

McKeen's: Sure. Now speaking of that work ethic you bring to your game, do you think that's also a key element when it comes to being a role model for kids? I mean, there are a lot of kids out there that aren't going to end up being hockey players or baseball players, and learning from the guys they look up to that hard work is key to any kind of success can be a great example for them, regardless of where they end up in life.

McArdle: Yeah. I hadn't really thought about my hard work as being a role model kind of quality, but sure. I think great things can come from hard work. I think if there was a kid looking up to me in town, I'd like him to know I wasn't always my team's top scorer. I wasn't always from a young age the kid who was going to be the Next One. I've definitely had to work hard to improve my skills, so there's no question that hard work is definitely a quality you have to have.