Off-Season Conversation: Dale Weise

During the next couple of months, I will attempt to whet all of our hockey appetites with interviews every two weeks or so with some of last year’s Wolf Pack stalwarts. We’ll talk about what the guys are doing to pass the time during the summer, as well as their analysis of this season and thoughts going into the coming season.

The first guy I caught up with was 28-goal-scorer Dale Weise…

Where do you spend the summer?

I spend it in my hometown of Winnipeg (Manitoba). I still live with my parents here for the summer, and the weather’s been pretty good, so I’m excited so far.

What’s considered good weather for this time of year in Winnipeg?

As long as there’s not snow on the ground, I’m happy.

How is it living back in your parents’ place, after being on your own for the hockey season?

It’s always good for me. I know some guys don’t like it as much, because you go from living by yourself and doing what you want, and coming home my mom and dad still have something to say about a few things, but I don’t mind it. My mom cooks suppers and does my laundry still, so I like that.

Does she make you keep your room clean?

Not really, no, she doesn’t get on me too bad, so that’s good too.

Have you gotten any vacations in?

No, I didn’t really get to. I came home and I was so burnt out from the season I just wanted to sit at home and stay up late and watch movies and sleep in all day. So that was pretty much it for me.

Do you feel like the burnout factor has worn off now?

Yeah, I think so. I started training last week, and I’m sure I’ll get on the ice the next couple weeks here, so I’ve got the fire back in the belly and I’m ready to get going.

So the rest of the summer is going to be pretty much training for you? Have you got any fun planned at all?

I’ve got a couple of things planned, but mostly I’ve got my trainer I go to five times a week, and when we start skating we’ll go about two times a week. I’ve got the Brodie Dupont Slow-Pitch Classic coming up in couple of weeks, so I’m looking forward to that…celebrity slow pitch (softball).

Besides you, what other celebrities are involved in that?

He gets a couple of other NHL guys from the area. I don’t actually know who’s coming this year, but I know he’s got a couple of guys that play in the NHL that come. It was a pretty good time last year, and hopefully we can build on it this year.

Is that in his hometown?

Yeah, it’s in St. Lazare (Manitoba). I went there last for the first time last year and it was pretty funny because his dad’s the mayor.

You mentioned being on the ice with your trainer a couple of times a week. What does the rest of your training involve?

For the other days we usually go an hour in the gym and an hour outside. His gym’s situated right beside a big garbage hill, which I don’t really like, but it gets the job done. We do a lot of hill runs and parachutes and all kinds of things he’s got going. We’ve got sleds and everything, so the dryland’s pretty tough, but over the past couple of seasons I’ve found it’s really helped my skating.

Does the fact that it’s on a garbage hill motivate you to get it done quicker? Does it not smell very good?

No, you can’t really smell it too bad, there no motivation from that, it’s just awful all around.

I know from seeing you here that you’re a pretty good golfer. Do you play a lot of golf in the offseason?

I haven’t started to golf yet. My legs have been too sore from workouts the last little bit so I haven’t gotten out there, and the weather hasn’t been too good. So I’m hoping to get out soon and work on my game.

How often would you golf if your body would let you and you could do whatever you wanted?

I usually go with a good buddy that I used to play minor hockey with, and he’s been working quite a bit, but we usually try to get out there two or three times a week. Or sometimes we’ll go crazy and go five days in a week if it gets really heated between us, but normally it’s about two to three times a week.

Now that you’ve had a couple of months to reflect on it, what stands out to you about how this past season went?

It was a tough season for us. Injuries really played a big part. I know everybody’ll say that that you hear from on our team, but that’s the bottom line, when you look at all the defense we had hurt and the guys that were going down, there’s nothing you could do about that. You don’t want to make excuses, but when we had our whole lineup, we were as good as anybody in our conference and probably in the league. Like when we went up to Hamilton, that’s one of the best teams in the conference and we competed with them well. And I think that bodes well if we get a couple of guys back for next year.

Did the progress that you achieved personally last year make you feel pretty good, pushing 30 goals after getting only 11 your rookie year?

Yeah, absolutely. You never want to stress on your own personal success over the team, but from my own standpoint I was real happy with my year. I wanted to get out of the gates well and I thought I had a good start to the season. I kind of struggled a bit in December, but I found my game in the second half, and when I got together with (Dane) Byers and (Kris) Newbury there at the end, I thought we were a heck of a line and we were probably the best line on the ice every night. I was happy with my year. Obviously getting called up (to the Rangers) at the end was the highlight of it, but a lot of things went right for me. I stayed healthy and that’s the big thing.

Unfortunately you didn’t get in a game, but what was it like to get that first call to the NHL?

Obviously it was exciting for me. It’s everybody’s dream to get the call and that was my first one, so I was excited. I was disappointed not to get in the lineup, but that’s just the way things go when you’ve got a team fighting for playoffs like that. Guys are playing injured and that’s what is expected. I was just happy to see what it’s about and get a little taste of it and keep me hungry for next year’s camp.

With that in mind, what are you focusing on, going into next season?

First and foremost in my mind is to come into New York and make the team. That’s really the only goal I have right now. I’m not really looking too far ahead at anything else except making the team. I think I put my time in the American League in and hopefully developed the way they wanted, and I think I’m ready to earn a spot.

With your skill set and what you’ve shown in the AHL, do you feel like there’s some potential for you with the Rangers, in terms of filling a “power forward” role?

I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself, but obviously I’m very confident in my abilities. You look at the way I’ve progressed in the American League, and I think I can eventually do that at the NHL level if given the opportunity. First I’m just going to try to go in there and make the club and get in the lineup, obviously that’s the first thing, but with the right opportunity and playing with the right guys, I think I can strive and be a power forward in that league. Since I’ve been home I’ve been watching a lot of NHL games and picking guys’ games apart, and I think I’m ready for the jump and I think I can really help that team.