Checking In with Chris Summers
9/29/2006 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
The final member of the class of 2010, Chris Summers is a fleet-footed defenseman at 6-2, 185 pounds. The Milan, Mich., native, may have been destined to be a Wolverine as he took his first skating lessons at Yost Ice Arena as a kid.
Summers
Summers played the last two seasons for the highly-touted U.S. National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor. This past spring he won a gold medal with Team USA at the World Under-18 Championship, scoring the game-winning goal in the gold medal game. He had a 6-11-17 scoring line in 59 total games last season.
Summers discusses his development as a young player, the experience of being drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes and the possibility of playing forward in addition to defense.
On his roommate ...
"Brian Lebler, he's a character for sure. We kind of have our battles between the U.S. and Canada because he's from British Columbia. But we have fun with it. We get along well. He was born in Austria, so I've already hung an Austrian flag, but we've already had battles on who can write the most American flags on our board."
On getting acquainted with campus ...
"You definitely learn more once you're at the school, but I've driven by these building probably a thousand times, and I didn't know what was inside of them. You definitely feel like this is your home now - you actually belong. Even watching football games, I've always rooted for Michigan football and all the other sports. Now that it's my school I take more pride in cheering on my classmates."
On when he first started playing ...
"I was seven, which I guess is late in hockey. Actually, the first time I ever skated was at Yost Ice Arena. I took a lot of power skating classes and that really helped me - I've been doing power skating lessons my whole life. And at seven or eight, I began mini-mites - that kind of thing."
On if he benefited from power skating ...
"Tremendously - I am where I am because of my skating. I credit everything to that."
On how it started ...
"My dad took me to one of his fraternity brother's son's games, and ever since then I've fallen in love with it. I was the first one in my family to play, but my dad kind of likes to credit himself because we have a picture of him in the backyard with a shovel because he was shoveling off a rink that he and his dad used to make. But he never really played hockey or anything like that."
On when he got serious about hockey ...
"It was always fun for me around nine or 10, but it got serious at around age 13-14. I made the move to Honeybaked, and that was an hour drive to practice every day. It was a huge commitment. My parents were like, 'Are you serious about this, do you really want to do this' I said yes, and they backed me and supported me the entire way."
On any prior connections to Michigan ...
"There were like two other kids from my school that went to Michigan. I know a lot of the guys that played at the program, like (Jack) Johnson and (Mark) Mitera, but other than that, no."
On how he reached the USA National Team Development Program ...
"I think it was because I was a local guy, and I got the exposure. I did go to all the select camps, but I think even if I didn't go to all those camps, it wouldn't have been a big deal because the program was in my hometown. But I think the camps did make a difference - just getting people to watch me and getting my name out there. They started talking to me at the end of my midget major year with Victory Honda. I was one of the earlier commitments to the program. It was just a great moment."
On choosing to go to the U.S. NTDP ...
"That was kind of the place to play - it still is. I didn't even know what the USHL was before USA. So to me, it was USA or nothing - I didn't know anything else."
On if he considered the OHL ...
"No. My parents always told me that education was very important - a fallback if hockey doesn't work out. I really didn't think about that - it was college all the way."
On growing as a player at USA hockey ...
"Obviously physically, you go in there and start lifting quite a bit. I think I gained about 25 pounds in a year and a half. But I think the most important thing I learned was definitely the mental part of the game - preparing for games and that sort of thing. And also the travel. We went to Russia, Finland, Sweden - we competed internationally. That was definitely an eye-opening experience."
On international competition ...
"Just wearing the USA sweater - we never took that for granted. Our final game in the World Championship, we played Finland, and I guess Sweden and Finland hate each other, so we had all the Swedish fans cheering for us. So it was pretty cool hearing all these kids who could barely speak English, chanting U-S-A."
On winning the gold medal and scoring the game winner ...
"It was actually the only goal in the tournament for me. But going into it, we had a lot of pressure, because the year before, the 87's won. We definitely weren't the favorites going into it - the Czechs and Russians were the favorites. But we were a team, and I think that's why we won. That's what separated us from the other teams. We were a team. That was definitely a great, great experience, winning the gold medal. I haven't felt anything like that since. It is my best hockey moment."
On growing up routing for Michigan and going to Yost ...
"Oh jeez, I love it there. I would always get goose bumps. Even last year, when the band started playing and the team got out onto the ice. Or when they score, and everyone is doing Hail to the Victors. It was Michigan all the way - there was no question."
On recruiting ...
"It was pretty straightforward. Other teams approached me, but I think they even knew that I was a Michigan guy all the way. (Michigan) talked to me after my sophomore year of high school. So I was at the end of my midget major year, right before I went to USA. They wanted me to come in with Sauer in last year's group, but I made the decision to stay another year, and I'm glad I made that decision. I feel like this year I'm even more prepared to play for Michigan. I was kind of shocked because they did offer me, and I waited a bit because I was still in awe. I was taken back. It was totally unexpected. I hadn't even started playing with USA yet, so they offered me and it was a little crazy. But I never thought about going anywhere else, but it kind of just swallowed me."
On if he's felt prepared for college hockey after the NTDP ...
"Definitely. I think the most important thing is the rule change. We got a bad taste in our mouth the first part of last year - so many penalties were called on me. The physical aspect was taken down a bit as far as the hooking and all the stuff. But I think the speed was definitely something I needed to adjust to and that's really going to help me this year."
On practice so far ...
"The pace hasn't been too high in practice just because it's been captains' practices. But when the coaches get out, we should be ready to go."
On his favorite player ...
"I've always liked Nick Lidstrom - that's definitely a guy you want to model yourself after because of his leadership, character on the ice and style of play. I mean, how can you go wrong. He's one of the best defenseman in the NHL."
On his strengths ...
"Definitely skating is my best skill because I was always taught that skating was the most important skill you can have in hockey because if you don't know how to skate, you can't do anything else. On the opposite end, something I need to work on is puck control, and my shot can always use improvement."
On playing defense, and possibly forward ...
"I had played forward my entire life until I was 14. A kid on our team got hurt and he was out for a month, so coach pulled me aside. Mike Kesler, my coach at a time, said, 'You're a great skater, how would you feel about playing defense' I thought it could be kind of fun. So when the kid came back from injury my coach asked me if I wanted to stay. I like defense so I decided to stay and have been there ever since. Then actually last year with U-18's they put me back on forward for the last couple months of the season. It took me a while to get me back in the groove of things - but it's just like riding a bike, you never forget. So I had fun with that too. But I have no preference. I wouldn't care if they put me between the pipes at goalie. To be honest, I just want to play."
On going to the NHL draft this summer ...
"The draft was definitely an exciting experience. To be honest, I don't really agree that it's so early because I don't think it really means all that much right now. I went to the Phoenix rookie camp, and the guys drafted in the sixth and seventh round, you're all on the same slate. A guy that was drafted in the eighth round could actually be playing for them earlier than I could. But that's in the back of my mind. I want to enjoy my time at Michigan and play for the Maize and Blue."
On wearing number four ...
"It's just a number. It's a game."
Checking In with ... Schedule
Sept. 25 -- forward Anthony Ciraulo
Sept. 26 -- goalie Steve Jakiel
Sept. 27 -- defenseman Steve Kampfer
Sept. 28 -- forward Brian Lebler
Sept. 29 -- defenseman Chris Summers
Contact: Matt Trevor (734) 763-4423
