OnTheRocks Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 Nice Q&A. Good kid. Really good Hockey player. Tyler Myers - Q&A Tyler Myers wasn't expected to make the Buffalo Sabres when training camp opened, but this 6-8 defenseman, who will turn 20 on Feb. 1, has been a key figure in his team's equally unexpected rise to the top of the Eastern Conference standings. Myers has played in all 47 games, with 27 points and a plus-12. Myers took time recently to chat with Sporting News writer Bill Eichenberger. Bill Eichenberger: Are you surprised by the early success in your rookie season? Tyler Myers: I didn't really set too many specific goals coming into this year. Coming into camp I wanted to compete for a spot on the team. I think the biggest thing for me was not being satisfied where I was, always wanting more. I think if I just focus on staying consistent and keep improving, things will continue to go well. BE: You're being mentioned as a candidate for the Calder Trophy. Is rookie of the year a goal? TM: That's something you try not to think about. You try to put stuff like that in the back of your mind. I'm just taking it game by game. At the same time, I'm having a lot of fun. BE: Who are some other rookies you think might be candidates? TM: There are a lot of guys having a great first year. John Tavares here in New York. He's doing really well. I think he's leading all rookies in points. Then there's Matt Duchene (in Colorado). There's other guys, too. BE: Were you a little starstruck early in the season when you were on the ice defending against guys like Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin and Marian Gaborik? TM: The first time I really noticed I was playing in the NHL was a game against Detroit right at the start of the year. I was playing against guys like (Nicklas) Lidstrom and (Pavel) Datsyuk and (Henrik) Zetterberg. It was eye-opening but exciting at the same time. Still, to this day it is hard to believe I am where I am. I try not to think about that. I'm sure after the season I'll take some time to look back, but right now I just need to focus on each game. BE: How does a 6-8 defenseman keep up with all the speedy forwards in the NHL? TM: Body positioning is a big part of it. The coaches here in Buffalo, especially James Patrick, we work on footwork a lot after practice. Always make sure you have your feet moving because there are guys on the other side of the ice who can really move and you have to do your best to contain them. BE: What has been the biggest adjustment going from the WHL to the NHL? TM: I would have to say the speed and strength of the players. The game is so much more intense. You have to be focused every shift. You have to be very well prepared before the game. That's one thing I've really noticed. BE: You're almost as tall as Zdeno Chara, but you lack his heft. Going forward, what do you have to do to match his Norris Trophy form? TM: I'm still young. Those pounds will come once I stop growing, if I ever do. BE: You're still growing? TM: I'm not sure. I think I'm slowing down. But hopefully I am done here. I need to grow outward a bit. But, yeah, it has been hard to put on weight. Right now there are times when the strength isn't quite there and you have to make sure you are in the right position to take away their time and space. BE: Are you satisfied with your level of play right now? TM: I wouldn't say satisfied. I never want to say I'm satisfied. There is always room for improvement. BE: What do you think you can do better? TM: When the pounds come, I'll be able to be more physical and handle the guys a little bit better. BE: Are you surprised that as a rookie you are leading this team in ice time? TM: The coach (Lindy Ruff) has given me a lot of opportunities, and I'm just trying to make the best of it. BE: Some say your play is what has made the Sabres a contender after they missed the playoffs a year ago. Is there any pressure that comes with that? TM: It's definitely not just me. Everyone on this team has a role and contributes in some way. We have been playing pretty well as a team, and right now we just have to make sure we keep it going. BE: What does this team have to do to make that happen? TM: I think playing a 60-minute game is huge for us. We've struggled a bit in the past with our starts. We need to make sure we come out strong. We talked about it today. We want to make sure we come in after games and be able to say we deserved to win that game. BE: Is this team good enough to win the Stanley Cup? TM: That's a tough question at this point for me. I'm not that experienced. But I'd like to think so Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheRocks Posted January 20, 2010 Author Share Posted January 20, 2010 By the way...I don't know if it has been mentioned on this board before...but subscribing to the daily email for the Sporting News Daily - is one of the best moves I ever,...great morning read and good way to start the day. www.sportingnewstoday.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loyal2dagame Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 Sabres D Tyler Myers: 'It is hard to believe I am where I am' not that hard for us. this guy is playing balls out and making few if any mistakes. he deserves all accolades thrown upon him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 Kind of sad when Buffalo has a great success story with the Sabres and all people do his whine about the Bills. PTR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubes Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 He's a great story and hopefully he'll be around for a long time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBill Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 Very solid interview - comes across as level headed and smart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berriesandcream Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 not that hard for us. this guy is playing balls out and making few if any mistakes. he deserves all accolades thrown upon him. Agreed, he's going to be a superstar in the NHL. Hopefully the Sabres are smart and lock him up in a 12 year contract that seems to be all the rage. Its incredible what a great skater he is for a guy his size. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berriesandcream Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 Kind of sad when Buffalo has a great success story with the Sabres and all people do his whine about the Bills. PTR People seem to be wary of getting too excited about that Sabres but since they have started to have a knack for comebacks and scoring goals, not to mention the fact that Miller is clearly for real, I think its time to start getting excited. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quester74 Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 People seem to be wary of getting too excited about that Sabres but since they have started to have a knack for comebacks and scoring goals, not to mention the fact that Miller is clearly for real, I think its time to start getting excited. I'll get excited when they lock this kid up to a loooooooooooong term deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 Kind of sad when Buffalo has a great success story with the Sabres and all people do his whine about the Bills. PTR I'll believe it when they win in the playoffs. Last time they were looking this good, they folded up tents and thereafter ran the team through the meat grinder, dismantling the most talented roster of any kind the town's ever known. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 not that hard for us. this guy is playing balls out and making few if any mistakes. he deserves all accolades thrown upon him. I think all season I've counted about a half-dozen mistakes on his part. He is a very good player; phenomenally good for his age and experience. Sad thing is, it'll be hard for him next year to top his performance this year, at which point Buffalo sports fans will start bitching about how much he sucks... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loyal2dagame Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 I think all season I've counted about a half-dozen mistakes on his part. He is a very good player; phenomenally good for his age and experience. Sad thing is, it'll be hard for him next year to top his performance this year, at which point Buffalo sports fans will start bitching about how much he sucks... very true dc, but even if he takes 2 steps back, he'd still be the best d-man the sabres have. i just cant wait to see myers in his prime if he continues on this way. that'll be some scary shizzle.- he'll be mentioned with the leetch's and bourque's of yesterday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PTS Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 TSN picked their 2010 All-Star team last week and Myers was selected. They only did the six starters from each conference and he made THAT team. http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=306317 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inkman Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 He's a great story and hopefully he'll be around for a long time. Agreed, he's going to be a superstar in the NHL. Hopefully the Sabres are smart and lock him up in a 12 year contract that seems to be all the rage. Its incredible what a great skater he is for a guy his size. I'll get excited when they lock this kid up to a loooooooooooong term deal. I believe the Sabres have exclusive rights to Myers until he's 26 under the current collective bargaining agreement. No need to worry for another 7 seasons. At that point they can lock him up to a 12 year max deal (currently 20% of the cap). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 I haven't watched as much as you guys, but if he gets even more aggressive skating and carrying the puck, he's going to start reminding me of Larry Robinson. Going to get a better look at him this Saturday as we have nice 9th row seats behind the Sabres net. Kinda in the corner. Hopefully, the Sharks give the kid a workout. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 He's a great story and hopefully he'll be around for a long time. I agree completely. Let's hope he doesn't decide to go out drinking with Pat Kane and his cousin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cwchze Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 By the way...I don't know if it has been mentioned on this board before...but subscribing to the daily email for the Sporting News Daily - is one of the best moves I ever,...great morning read and good way to start the day. www.sportingnewstoday.com sportingnewstoday is a great read everyday on my email.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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