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With the 2006 AHL All-Star game behind him and the 2005-06 regular season more than half over, Manitoba Moose goaltender and AHL All-Star MVP Wade Flaherty recently answered your questions in the Ask-a-Moose forum. Read his answers below, and stay tuned for the next Ask-a-Moose announcement, coming soon!
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Hi Wade, I am 8 years old and I am a goalie too. How old were you when you started playing in net? Keanen - Winnipeg, MB
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I was 6 or 7 when I started playing net in minor hockey. I was about 4 or 5 when I started playing goal in a backyard rink at my house. I started in net when I was younger because I had two older brothers. They could skate, and I couldn't skate, so I obviously went in net.
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Who was your favourite goaltender growing up? Jordan - Winnipeg, MB
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We watched the Toronto Maple Leafs a lot on Hockey Night in Canada, so it would be Mike Palmateer. In the days with the Oilers, it was Grant Fuhr... And of course Rick St. Croix. (laughs)
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What is the best tip you can give to young goaltenders in minor hockey? Andre - Winnipeg, MB
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Have fun, keep working hard in practice, and listen to your coaches.
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Hi Wade. Describe the feeling of your first shutout and what's the longest you've gone without allowing a goal? Troy - Calgary, AB
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My first NHL shutout was with San Jose in Edmonton. It was pretty exciting. But to me, shutouts aren't really that important, as long as you win the game. I've lost my fair share of shutouts in the last minute of the game. If you get them, you get them, but the most important thing is to win the game. As for the longest I've gone without allowing a goal, I don't really know. I don't keep track of that.
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What was the best moment of your hockey career? Gus - Carman, MB
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The first would probably be my first NHL game. It was with San Jose in Edmonton. The second would be the Game 7 double overtime win against the Calgary Flames, with San Jose again. And then winning the Calder Cup a couple of years ago with Milwaukee.
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What has been your favourite team to play for (other than Manitoba) and what is your favourite team to play against? Steve - Winnipeg, MB
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To play for would probably be San Jose because it was my first NHL team. I enjoyed playing in Tampa and obviously Milwaukee because we won a championship there. And as far as against, any team that we play against. When you play against a team that you used to play for, there's a little extra motivation because you know the guys.
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Who are your closest friends in hockey? Do you still keep in contact with Brian Finley, who you had a great deal of influence on while in Milwaukee? Matt - Winnipeg, MB
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Obviously I have many friends in hockey, but probably my closest would be Jeff Sharples. He's retired now, but we were childhood friends and we grew up together. We were fortunate enough to play together in Utah and Kansas City. And yes, I still keep in contact with Brian Finley.
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Who would you say was the best goalie you ever played against? Matt - Winnipeg, MB
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I can't really name one. I've played against a lot of great goalies.
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What was it like playing your first game back in Milwaukee on March 15, 2005? Matt - Winnipeg, MB
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Probably the biggest thing was to see the banners from winning the championship. And seeing all the guys, all my old teammates, that we won the championship with. The fans were good to me, and usually they're very hard on goalies.
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Hi Wade. What is your gameday routine? Dylan - Hamilton, ON
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We have a practice at usually about 10am, so my morning will start like any other morning and I'll get down to the rink by nine. Before I leave the rink I make sure all my sticks are done, all my equipment is ready to go for that evening. I'll eat a pre-game meal which usually consists of pasta and chicken between 1 and 1:30. Sleep between 2 to 4, roughly. Head to the rink at about 5, grab a coffee, and relax until the meeting, which is at 6 o'clock. I go through my stretching routing, and get ready for warm-up at about 7.
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After you play a bad game, or just feel you're not as focused as you can be in a game and in practice, what do you do to get your focus back? Sean - Manitoba
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The biggest thing is that if the game ends and it's a bad game, you have to just put it behind you as soon as possible. The nice thing about the game of hockey is that you're usually playing the next night or shortly after that, so you immediately go back to practice and work on a few things here or there. When you get that opportunity to get back in the game, have stronger focus on what's happening. Usually after what people call a "bad game," once you sit down and talk with your goalie coach, it's not usually as bad as what the goalie thinks it is. Hence the importance of the goalie coach, so that you have someone to communicate with.
I don't think you ever lose your focus. It's more of having an "off night." It's not that you're not focused on the game.
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Hi Wade. I just wanted to know what you like to do when you have days off between games. Jordyn - Winnipeg, MB
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It's not like we get a lot of days off, but when we do, I'll go to a movie, go to the mall, just do stuff to keep myself busy. But the first thing I'll do is sleep in.
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As a late draft pick, it may have been a surprise to some to see you share the James Norris Trophy (Jennings trophy of the IHL) in '92 with Arturs Irbe after a terrific season. How difficult was it to stay the course as long as you have despite always being sandwiched in the creases during practice with guys like Irbe, Terreri, Belfour in SJ, and Salo, Potvin, Luongo, DiPietro etc with the Isles, and the same happening in TB and Nashville? Joel - Winnipeg, MB
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Throughout my years, the important thing was take what I could from all these goaltenders, to learn from them. Each of them had different things to offer.
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As an experienced netminder, I know you often find yourself (especially in the Canucks system) in the role of a mentor to younger goalies. Do you enjoy being a mentor to them? What is the most rewarding part of that experience? Jaime - Columbia, SC
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If I'm asked to be a mentor, then that's great and I don't have a problem with that. Sometimes with young goaltenders, there's different ways to work with them and to push them. The most rewarding part is watching their careers develop.
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Did you prepare yourself any differently before the AHL All-Star game than you would for a regular Moose game? How? Brett - Winnipeg, MB
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I didn't plan on preparing myself any differently, but because there was so much press in the room and so many autographs to sign, you couldn't go through your same pre-game ritual. Then there was all the introductions, so I wasn't as prepared as I would normally be. But the excitement of the building had me ready to play.
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Hi Wade. What was it like to have the fans of Winnipeg strongly behind you at the 2006 AHL All-Star game here at the MTS Centre? Karmy - Winnipeg, MB
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It was pretty exciting to see the building as it was. I think the Moose put on a really good show, and the fans definitely came out to support it. It was nice to be here in Manitoba, so we weren't the guys traveling and everyone had to come to us.
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Hey Wade, firstly congrats on yet another stellar season with the moose. Much has been made of your contract status and the reason(s) as to why you didn't get called up to the parent Canucks, my question to you is, after the NHL trade deadline is it possible for you to get called up to Vancouver without you having to clear waivers? Thanks, and good luck this post-season. Remko - Terrace, BC
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No. I understand that waivers continue through to the end of the season.
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You have had a long career and still seem to be at the top of your game. What do you see as the next phase of your career after your playing days are over? Tom - Winnipeg, MB
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I've had an enjoyable career and I'd like to stay in hockey in some capacity, if that's an option. But at this time, I'm focusing on my on-ice performance.
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