 Overage defenseman Derek Merlini 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.
Acquired on December 6th from the Erie Otters for a conditional 11th round pick, Merlini was originally selected by the Otters in the 14th round (266th overall) in the 2001 OHL Draft. His first week as a Whaler was memorable as he scored in his first game and then a week later notched his 50th career point. The Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, native took a few minutes after practice to help us break the ice.
» On his youth hockey highlight…
“Winning two state championships once with the Michigan Jaguars and once with Little Caesars and then going to nationals both times.”
» On what championships he has won…
“I have won two state championships, finished third at nationals one time, and just a bunch of tournaments here and there.”
» On if he has ever played with any of the guys on the team before…
“No, but I played against Gino (Pisellini) and (Jared) Boll the year before I came to the OHL. We played
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With Bob Probert and skating at the Joe with Joey Kocur |
against each other a bunch of times actually.”
» On how he started playing hockey…
“I began when I was about 9, but I had skated before then. Hockey was always around my house. My dad was always friends with guys like Bob Probert and other NHL players that would just hang around the house. There was always hockey around so that’s how it all started.”
» On his most memorable goal…
“My most memorable goal would probably be my first goal in the league (Dec. 6, 2003 vs. Belleville). It was just a slapshot from the top of the circles and just found a way in.”
» On his best moment in a Whalers uniform…
“The last game playing at London, the whole game in general was just a good game all-around.”
» On his suspensions for fighting…
“The first one in Barrie I just kind of grabbed the first guy I saw because everything was going on and there wasn’t anything really to that fight. In the London brawl, I saw the guy sticking (Justin) Garay on the bench, so that’s when I jumped in and everything broke out from there.”
» On who has influenced him in hockey…
“My dad because I just respect what he has to say and he has helped me a lot. Without him, I would not be to the point where I am right now.”
 » On attending the Phoenix Coyote's rookie camp…
“It was definitely a good experience. It was my first pro-anything that I had gone through. It was fun and a good experience.”
» On the Mac's Tournament…
“That was definitely a cool tournament and one of the biggest tournaments I have ever been to. To have a real good tournament and be named to the second team all-star with guys like Sidney Crosby there was pretty cool.”
» On choosing major junior over college hockey…
“I don’t know. Until I made my decision, I was literally 50-50 on which way I was going to go. Until the actual day I made my decision to go to the ‘O’ I was still 50-50. Even when I made my decision I was still nervous and didn’t know if I made the right choice or not, but now I’m glad I did though.”
» On his most embarrassing hockey moment…
“My most embarrassing would probably be that I got walked around at a sports show a couple years ago. One of the sports shows had their montage as they come into it and they showed me getting walked around and going into that, so that’s probably my most embarrassing moment.”
» On the trade process…
“Well, the trade process happened pretty much from the start of the year because in Erie we had 4 overagers and they kept us around all year. So, I basically had all year to prepare and know that it might be me or it might not be. A few days before the trade, they told me it would be me, so that’s when it all happened.”
» On coming home and living with his family…
“It is definitely great. Before the trade happened, if I had one choice to go, this would have been it.”
» On if he ever watched the Whalers growing up…
“Yeah, I watched a lot of games because I played at this rink growing up all the time. I have been here a million times before so I watched a lot of their games growing up.”
» On what he should do as an overager…
”Just to help lead the team. As an older player, we have played a lot more than the other guys, so we have to show leadership on and off the ice.”
» On the player he tries to model his game after…
“There’s not one player. I just basically look at players that have my body type like Chris Pronger, (Zdeno) Chara, most of the big defenseman in the league. There’s not just one guy that I specifically model my game after.”
 » On his pre-game routine…
“Pre-game I just basically relax and eat a few hours before. Depending on what is going on, I might go watch my little brother play hockey. I don’t do too much.”
» On his superstitions…
“I’m not very superstitious, just little things here and there. If I don’t do something, it’s not going to affect me for the game. There are a lot of little things that I try to do.”
» On his nicknames…
“Just Merl, shorten up my name is basically it.”
» On the toughest player he has ever played against…
“Toughest would probably be Cam Janssen. Most skilled-wise would be Corey Perry or Corey Locke.”
» On if there is anything behind his jersey number…
“No, I was actually #24, but Gino already had it, so I tried to pick something close to it.”
» On what he'd do if he didn't play hockey…
“I’d probably be at school right now, but other than that I don’t know. I haven’t really done much else except play hockey.”
» On his funniest teammate…
“I’d probably say Boll.”
» On what type of player he should be for the team…
“Size and strength, physical play, and good defensive play.”
» On if he gets sick of hearing about his size (6'7, 248 pounds)…
“No, not really, because if it wasn’t for that, I probably wouldn’t be playing right now. Not the most skilled guy, so size is all I have.”
» On the craziest thing that has happened on the road…
“Probably last year when our bus broke down in the middle of the night when we had a game a few hours later.”
» On the person he would most like to meet…
“I’d like to play poker against some of the top players, so I guess someone like that.”
 » On who is the best poker player on the team…
“I would like to think that I am, but there are a few good ones and I haven’t been playing too well lately.”
» On his dream goal…
“A perfect goal? I just want to score in general. I don’t have too many this year and I usually have a few more by now. I’d just like to score any goals right now.”
» On his dream vacation…
“Probably somewhere in Mexico. I have never been on any spring break or anything like that. So either Mexico or Las Vegas.”
» On the rule changes in hockey…
“I don’t mind the rule changes. Whatever is going to help hockey get back to being a top sport in the US and everywhere else needs to be done.”
» On what TV show he would be on…
“I’m actually not a real fan of reality TV shows, I don’t really watch them.”
» On what other five players he would want on the ice with him…
“I’m just going to go from our team, so goalie would be (Justin) Peters, the D would be (Mike) Letizia, and the forwards would be Gino, Vig (John Vigilante), and (Dan) Collins.”
-Natalie Shaver, February 13th, 2006-
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