HIGHLIGHTS
WEIGHT: 180
DOB: 1993
TEAM: Plymouth Whalers - OHL
GAA: 4.06
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(Q) Describe to our readers the physical and mental adjustments you had to make going from playing for hockey powerhouse Culver Military, then to the USHL to now onto the Plymouth Whalers of the OHL in less than 3 years?
(A) Living and playing hockey in three states and at three different levels has definitely challenged me to make difficult adjustments. However, attending Culver Military Academy was critical in preparing me with the work ethic, discipline, and time management skills necessary to bring success in the challenges that are ahead. With the incredibly busy schedule that comes with junior hockey, time management became a critical tool for me in balancing hockey with school. My work ethic and discipline also helped me to have a great year in development as I was forced to adapt to the faster pace and better shooters of the USHL. I am proud to say that my work on and off the ice paid off as I worked my way into 30 out of 60 games in 2009/10 season, was named co-winner of the USHL scholar-athlete of the year award and graduated high school with 7 college credits at the age of 17. In Plymouth this year I have had to juggle of variety of adjustments from starting my freshman year of college at the University of Michigan- Dearborn, working with my new goalie coach Stan Matwijiw for the first time and to the even faster and more skilled players of the OHL. By utilizing my skills learned at Culver, I hope to continue my development and make the most of my opportunities here in Plymouth.
(Q) Can you describe your own style and how it’s evolved over the last few years playing at the different elite levels?
(A) To describe my style as it is right now I would say I am a big, aggressive goaltender and I like to challenge shooters and use my athleticism to my advantage. However, in the past year or two I do not think I would have said the same. In the past, I would have classified myself as more of a blocking type goaltender. I used my positioning and size very well, and this style brought me a lot of success until arriving in the OHL. In this league, plays happen very quickly, making it tough to be in perfect position and the shooters are too good and simply getting in position and butterflying won’t get the job done. Working with Coach Matwijiw, I have made giant leaps in my game by improving my ability to read and react to the play and increasing my ice awareness. I have also been able to put myself in better placement to make saves as well. The most difficult change for me has been becoming more reactive to shots. This is something I have been working on off and on the ice, and have been making personal improvements on a daily basis.
(Q) How do you get mentally ready for a game 24 hours before it begins and how do you narrow that focus on game day 10 minutes before the drop of the puck?
(A) In mentally preparing for a game, I start the night before and put all my focus into getting myself physically prepared while trying not to think too much about the game itself. By focusing on simple things such as getting a good pregame meal, focusing on my stretch routine, focusing on putting my equipment on etc. all of these things help take my mind off all the pressures surrounding the game and overall make me stay loose physically and mentally. I try and keep this mentality up until I am standing in the hallway preparing to take the ice. Then I prepare myself by quickly going through a checklist in my head of what I need to do to have a success game (be aggressive, have an active stick, ice awareness, face-off checks, communicating with defenseman, etc.), then I know what I need to do, stay confident in my abilities so I can clear my head and just be by best for 60 minutes and have fun.
(Q) How has it been to play on the same team as your older brother (RJ Mahalak) this season? Is this the first time you have played together on the same team?
(A) This is my first time playing with my brother since we started playing AAA hockey for Compuware. It has been a very big change as we haven’t even lived in the same state in the last three years. To go from barely seeing him, to seeing him every day at the rink has definitely been different. I think he enjoys it a little more than I do as he’s now not only the “big brother” but also the four year veteran on the team and I’m the first year rookie “little brother”….LOL!
(Q) What has been some of the benefits of having a full time goalie coach working with you in Plymouth each week this season?
(A) Having Coach Matwijiw around full time here in Plymouth has been absolutely crucial. He is always pushing me to get better and giving me new things to tryout out or improve on. Whenever I have a question or concern or want to look at some video, Coach Matwijiw is always there with an answer. And the odd time when Coach Matwijiw is not there, I am fortunate to have a great goalie partner in Scott Wedgewood (3rd round draft pick to the New Jersey Devils in 2010), who has been working with Stan for a number of years, to mentor me and help guide me in the right direction.
