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Q & A with Danny Bois
Written by: Ken McKenna on 04/11/2002 
Q & A with Danny Bois
By Ken McKenna
HF: First, let’s go back to your draft day (2001). How was it to have your name called? Obviously, a lot of guys go there who are disappointed when their name isn’t called, but yours was.
DB: I didn’t expect to go on the first day. I was the last pick in that session, so I was ready to leave when they called my name. So, having my name called then was really neat.
HF: You were there with your family?
DB: Yeah, a couple of aunts and my parents.
HF: Who were your role models in the NHL?
DB: (Mario) Lemieux was always my favorite player. Even though I don’t play like him, he is still my favorite player.
HF: Are there any players you model your game after?
DB: I don’t, but people tell me I play like Mike Keane, Rick Tocchet, and those guys. But I don’t try to be like them, I just go out and play my game.
HF: So, you’d be considered more of a grinder, then.
DB: Yeah, I’m not really much of a dangler or anything like that. I’m really more of a power forward.
HF: What parts of your game do you do well that make you a NHL prospect?
DB: One-on-one battles, big hits, getting good, quick shots off in front of the net. So, things like that.
HF: Do you feel that your game has improved this season?
DB: I was sick for a while, but after that I did OK. I don’t know what it was, but I couldn’t kick it. But, it seems to be gone now, and I’ve been playing a little better since.
HF: Have any of Colorado’s scouts talked to you this season?
DB: Yeah, I’ve talked to a couple of them throughout the year, maybe 4 or 5 times. They just tell me what to work on, and what not to do. That’s pretty much it.
HF: Now, how does that work- you’re playing for London, who wants you to play a certain way, but maybe your NHL club wants something else from you. How do you balance the two?
DB: Right now, I just have to do what it’s going to take to win here. I’ve got to listen to the coaches here. Usually, they’re pretty good about doing the same things, but sometimes there is a little conflict.
HF: Next season will be your first NHL training camp. What are your expectations for your initial camp?
DB: Obviously, going there with the attitude to make the team. It’ll be a good learning experience to be with all the better players. I think it will help my game a lot just to be there.
HF: Are you from the London area?
DB: No, I’m from Thunder Bay, ON.
HF: How big a community is Thunder Bay?
DB: About 120,000. There’s nothing to do but play hockey, so we’ve had a few good players from there.
HF: I always thought it was some little village on a lake.
DB: That’s what everybody thinks, but it’s bigger than a lot of people expect. It’s mostly forestry work there, but it’s a pretty normal city, I guess.
HF: They must have a good hockey program there, given the number of NHL players from that area.
DB: Yeah, we’ve got a lot of players from up there. Even in the OHL we get a lot. Nothing else to do!
HF: What types of things do you have to work on to get to the next level?
DB: Foot speed, control with the puck. I have to get bigger, just pretty much everything all-around.
HF: What do you do in the off-season to improve your conditioning?
DB: In the off-season, I have a trainer that I work with. He works with my foot speed and things like that. I shoot pucks in the driveway, too, stuff like that.
HF: What type of trainer do you have, like a speed skating trainer?
DB: No, he’s a weight trainer. We do, like, plyometrics- foot speed, high jumping, things like that.
HF: That’s the second time today I’ve heard that. What are plyometrics?
DB: Jumping over logs, hopping on one foot, just stuff like that that will build your leg strength. Balance, leg strength, all that stuff.
HF: As for the playoffs, London beat Plymouth in the first round. That was a big upset- what did your team do to take that series?
DB: We feel we wanted the series more than they did. We just went out and outworked them.
HF: How has it been playing for Dale Hunter? Has he imparted his knowledge on you at all?
DB: He’s a good coach. Everybody plays 100% for him, so it has turned out well. He doesn’t tell us to win, he just tells us to work our hardest, and that’s all you can ask. It’s turned out really well for us, so far.
HF: Yes, it has. You guys weren’t doing too well earlier in the season.
DB: Yeah, we had an alright start, then we lost 10 in a row or something. Dale took over- everybody respects him. He played like 19 years in the NHL, so when he tells you to do something, you go out and do it.
HF: Danny, good luck to you.
DB: Thank you very much.
Copyright 2002 Hockey’s Future. Do not reprint or otherwise duplicate without permission of the editorial staff.
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