Wes Walz
Wes Walz
Wesley Walzis a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and former assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League. Wes currently works as a sports analyst on Fox Sports North for the Minnesota Wild Hockey Club. Walz volunteered as an assistant coach with the Raptors of East Ridge High School, Woodbury, Minnesota. There he coached his son, Kelvin, on the boys varsity ice hockey team and a few years later he coached his daughter, Jaedyn, on...
ProfessionHockey Player
Date of Birth15 May 1970
ahead best challenge excited games last ourselves pulling stretch thinking win
It's been a long time. I'm excited about it. We have a real challenge ahead of us the last 15 games to try to win as many games as we can down the stretch to give ourselves the best chance. We're still pulling in here thinking we can make the playoffs.
understand
We all understand that it's something that could happen. I don't think anyone's untouchable in our room.
consistency days games last peaks played row seven stretch together valleys year
We've had more peaks and valleys in the consistency of our play this year than, I think, any other. If we can have a stretch where we put another six, seven games in a row together here, where we've played like we have over the last 10 days or so, we could be there.
coaching contracts dressing games guys last management obviously played playing remember room staff sure talked
We talked in our dressing room about the last 10 games of the year, making sure that we played the right way. Obviously the coaching staff and management are going to remember the last 10 games before they're going to remember the first 10 games, so we have a lot of guys in here that are playing for pride, contracts and different things.
best goes guys ice nights normally player saying star takes talking
There have been many nights where Gabby is the one talking before warm-up to get the guys ready. If you get your star player saying that, when normally he never did, and he goes out on the ice and is your best player most nights, that's what it takes to be a leader.
lost played
It was unfortunate that we lost because I thought we played really well.
bit cost couple might
You might play a little bit more in your own end, but you've just got to be smarter. We didn't do that. It cost us a couple penalties.
good ice loose puck randy sees
Randy complements our line. He sees the ice really well. When the puck comes around the wall, he's got a good set of hands. He can get a lot of loose pucks out to Gabby.
fold good guys hard knock pack rivalry team
We want to knock these guys out of the playoffs. We have a good rivalry with this team and we're not going to fold up our tents and pack it up, we re going to play hard all the way through.
happen played second seems third wait waited
It seems like we wait and see what's going to happen before we go. In the second and third we played well, but we waited too long to get going.
almost change either goal opportunity team within
It's almost like we play better within one goal either way. When we have a 4-1 lead, it's like we change the way we play. That team generated nothing by themselves. Any opportunity was because of our sloppiness.
definitely hope team
They're definitely a better team than that. But for our sake, I hope they play the same way.
criticize dad frustrated granted guy hockey playing remember somebody telling time took work
I took so many things for granted as a young hockey player. From the time I was 20 to 24, I was the first guy to criticize somebody else if I wasn't playing well. I was lazy. That frustrated my dad a lot. I remember him telling me, if you put something into it, and work hard, you'll always get something out of it. You won't know when it's going to happen. It could be years down the road.
anyone happened
We're fine. I don't think anyone is discouraged by what happened here tonight.