 Forward Andrew Fournier is this week's player in “Breaking the Ice with…” The feature will be a season long series on plymouthwhalers.com and showcase a different Whaler each week so we can get to know them better.
Fournier, who missed the second half of last season with a sliced Achilles' tendon, is in his third season with the Whalers. He scored in his debut on March 12, 2004. Selected in the 11th round (219th overall) in the 2003 OHL Draft, Fournier is entering his NHL draft year this seaon. Fournier took a few minutes during study hall to help us break the ice.
» On the greatest lesson he has learned from hockey…
“The harder you work, the luckier you get.”
» On how he started playing hockey…
“I started skating when I was about 2-years-old. My dad got me into hockey and just started playing since then.”
» On his most memorable goal…
“Probably in the All-Ontario’s with the Timmons when I was minor bantam. I scored an OT winner that got us into the medal round.”
 » On his youth hockey highlight…
“We won the bronze medal in the All-Ontario’s for pee-wee.”
» On his best moment in a Whalers uniform…
“Best moment, probably my first ever game as a Whaler (3/12/04).”
» On if he has ever played with any of the guys before…
“I played summer hockey with Dan Collins.”
» On who has influenced him the most in hockey…
“My dad for sure. My parents.”
» On his most embarrassing hockey moment…
“I don’t think I really have one.”
» On his first OHL goal…
“It was on the power-play in Kitchener. We were losing about 2-0 I think, and he (Mike Vellucci) put me out on the power-play and I had no idea what I was doing. I got the puck and about four other guys were yelling at me to pass the puck and I just shot it in the five-hole and it went in.”
» On adjusting to life away from home…
“The first year I came up my 10 games and I was sort of anxious and sort of didn’t want to go home. I had fun up here, but the second year, I got a little homesick, but not too much. It’s a great place to live, so I’m not too worried about missing home too much.”
 » On his pre-game routine…
“Usually wake up around 10 or 11, have a light breakfast, walk around the house, I’ll go on the computer, listen to music, go to sleep for another 2 hours, eat some pasta, and then come to the rink.”
» On coming back from his sliced Achilles' tendon injury…
“The first couple games coming back I was a little scared, didn’t know what to expect in that. It was hard getting all my conditioning back being out so long. Without playing the second half, it’s hard to watch everyone play and sitting up in the stands, but you learn a lot more sitting out watching games up top than on the ice, so I guess it helped me in a couple ways.”
» On the player he admires and tries to model his game after…
“Probably Gary Roberts, someone like that. Hard-hitter, can score goals, do whatever to help the team win.”
» On living with teammate Justin Garay…
“Last year I lived with Mike Knight and just having a roommate is better. You’re not all alone by yourself and you have someone to talk to all the time and hang out. It’s a little better living experience living with somebody than being by yourself.”
» On if there is anything behind his jersey number…
“No, I came and I had always been #9, but Vig (John Vigilante) had it, so I wanted #14 since that was the number I was wearing that year before I came up. I told Bear (Equipment Manager Marc Baron) and he pointed up to the banner up top there (Pat Peake's #14), so I realized that was retired so I just took #15.”
» On his nicknames…
“Fourney or Fournier.”
» On his superstitions…
“It all depends if I play good one game I’ll try to keep doing the same thing, other than that, not too much.”
» On the toughest player he has played against…
“Mike Richards (Kitchener Rangers).”
» On what he'd do if he didn't play hockey…
“Probably go to school. I have always wanted to become a cop, so maybe do that.”
» On his funniest teammate…
“Everyone says (Ryan) Stephenson so I’m going to say Todd Watson.”
» On what he brings to the team…
“A lot of intensity, if we’re down, go out, have a good shift, and get everyone back up. I can score goals, I can be a leader if they depend on me for that.”
 » On if it is true that he's good at baseball…
“I’m alright. I used to play baseball when I was younger, but I quit to play hockey. This past summer I got back into it to show everyone my good skills. I’m alright.”
» On his dream goal…
“Game 7 of playoffs, penalty shot with 5 seconds left, on hmmm, some goalie, I guess Ryan Nie.”
» On his dream vacation…
“Somewhere hot, probably Hawaii or something. I’ve never been too far away.”
» On the rule changes in hockey…
“The changes that were made are good and bad in a way. Good part is they open up the game, bad part there are too many penalties. One rule would be no overtime, just shootouts.”
» On what other five players he would want on the ice with him…
“Wayne Gretzky, Stevie Y (Yzerman), no Doug Gilmour, then on defense, Bobby Orr and Bobby Hull, he’s a forward, but we’re on the power-play, so it's ok. In goal we’d have to have Curtis Joseph.”
-Natalie Shaver, January 10, 2006-
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