An Interview With Kris Abbott
The Devils picked up their first win of the season this weekend and you had a great game too, how important will that be for morale?
The win is great for team morale, the whole team put the effort in and we earned our first win, it was a total team effort that will boost us up for our next game. I think that it was just what we needed three games in to this season as last year was hard to take so many loses. Every hockey player will always play to win
After a tough first season in NIHL 1 last year the Devils are tipped by many (myself included) to improve this year, what do you think will be most important in achieving that?
I think it comes down to the players committing to improving; keeping fit, training hard, turning up with the positive attitude and playing as a team. There has been a lot more effort put into this year with off ice training, two slots on the ice, also some great players added to our roster that have made our team a lot stronger. It doesn’t happen often, getting a second chance in this league, we were thankful to be givien it so we need to prove we deserve to be there!
With the ups and downs the Devils have experienced it’s important to have a steadying presence behind the bench. Who is the best coach you’ve played for?
I was lucky to have been coached by a guy called Kevin King. He scouted me as a 17 year old kid from Gosport selected me to play for England 19 and gave me a second line spot in his edi team in Bracknell I suppose at that time of my hockey a learnt a lot! He was a great coach. Firm, but his coaching skills were at the top; his coaching wasn’t just on the ice he got you ready mentally and physically. For me, I lacked confidence but he knew that and now, being older, I can see where he pushed me to make me a better player. He was all about being a close net team which I think is the number one thing you need to be a great team I have heard he’s not coaching now which is a big shame, I would say a big lose to English ice hockey, get your skates out Kinger!!!!!
Have you set any team targets for the season and do you have any personal goals for the year?
Team targets are probably the same for most teams, TO WIN GAMES! Personally, mine are to finish my chances.
A lot is made of the fact that Gosport (like Ryde) is among the smaller rinks in the league. Some say this gives an unfair advantage to the home team, what do you think about that?
I hear it a lot, about the size of our rink and do I think it gives us an advantage? N,o I don’t think so. How about when we play AWAY? The smaller the rink, the more physical the game is. When we play away we have to cover more ice than what we train on so I suppose it goes both ways…
The Devils have made some smart moves in the off-season, bringing in some players with valuable experience in the league who can play a variety of roles. Who should we be keeping an eye on this year?
Think our import Peter was a great signing, a big guy who’s powerful and has a rocket of a shot. Alex Murray, you all know him. Great centre man, holds the puck up well. I'm lucky I get to play with them both, I couldn’t leave Chico out. What a great goalie, very young but that doesn’t show! He is probably the biggest asset to the team! We've still got a lot of last year’s forwards who know where the goal is, so make sure you watch a game!
Looking around the rest of the league, which teams or players are you most relishing facing off against this season?
It’s always good to go over to the island; the Raiders have a great fan base and know how to give their fans an evening of ice hockey. The Chieftains last year played some great passing hockey against us; they have a great set up there too. We may not get the wins we want from those games but it shows you as a player that if you make a mistake they will punish you with a goal, something that we don’t want as a team.
Lastly, if you could add any player to the current Devils line-up, who would it be?
If I had the choice, Patrick Kane. The kid’s hands are rapid; he reads the game well and sets a lot of goals up for a little guy in the NHL!
Many thanks to Kris for answering our questions. You can keep up with the Devils throughout the season at @SolentDevil and you can say hi to Kris at @KrisAbbott77
If you’ve got any feedback, you can tweet me @MattMerritt. I’d love to hear from anyone who takes the time to read the blog.
If you’re a hockey player/coach/team manager in a competitive league, I’d love to ask you some questions too, please get in touch either here or via twitter!