Mueller addendum

Published 11:22 am Monday, November 26, 2007

Last week Kirby Arnold did I nice article on Peter Mueller, catching up with the former Tips star during his trip to Phoenix. He was kind enough to pass along his unused quotes from that story, so I figured I’d pass them right along to the blog readers. Here you go:

PETER MUELLER

(How do you handle pressure of being labeled a franchise cornerstone)

I don’t picture myself as that. I picture myself as a guy who loves to play hockey. If it happens, it happens. I don’t really get caught up in that kind of thing because I don’t want to be thinking about it when I go on the ice. I just worry about playing my game.

(How long did it take for the “awe” over Gretzky to wear off)

Draft day was pretty bad for me, to see one of the greatest hockey players of all time call your name. The first day of training camp was a nerve-wracking experience, you’re so used to seeing him on TV.

But once you start talking to him and getting to know him, you feel like you’ve known him your whole life because he’s such a down-to-earth person.

(How nice is it living in Arizona)

It’s a lot different than Everett. You wake up in Everett and it’s either cloudy or rainy. Here, it’s 90 and sunny every day.

(How has that helped your golf game)

It hasn’t. My game isn’t good at all.

(On your new Cadillac Escalade EXT)

As soon as I got my signing bonus, I went right out and bought it. It was my first major purchase. I had been driving a 1999 (Mercury) Mountaineer.

(Word is Dailey helped you with your new vehicle)

I called Dailey and told him I was going to get rims for it, but I couldn’t decide whether to get chrome or black. He said, ‘You’ve got to get the black rims.’ So I got black. It looks great.

(How important were the WHL and the Silvertips to you)

Playing there helped me get used to a pro-style schedule, the longer season and the playoffs. There were the three-in-threes (three games in three days) and the long road trips.

My whole experience there was unbelievable. The boys in the locker room made it fun, and the whole coaching staff made it fun to come to the rink every day. I had a billet who was great, and when you put all those together, it was an awesome situation.

(Do you still hear from the team and the fans?)

Not really. The only ones I talk with are Dailey and Reekie, and my billet (Parker Fowlds).

WAYNE GRETZKY

Were really happy with him. After last season, we told everyone that we were going to go with the youth movement and we were going to be patient with our young guys.

In talking to Peter in May and seeing him in July, we stressed to him the importance of his ork ethic in the offseason and that he had a really good opportunity to make this team and stay in the National Hockey League and not have to go back to junior.

He came here in good shape. He also found out real quickly that exhibition games are a lot different than league games. But he really picked up his tempo and he understood and learned that the game is much quicker, so he has to be quicker.

(How’s he handling the pressure of being a first-round pick, dealing with the label as “franchise cornerstone” that we keep hearing)

As I tell him, he’s only one piece to the equation. The success that teams have in the National Hockey League is being a team. He’s going to be a part of that, no question. But one guy doesn’t win the Stanley Cup. If it did, then the Boston Bruins and Bobby Orr would have won every year.

It takes a team effort and Peter will be a part of that building block along with guys like (Keith) Ballard and (Martin) Hanzal and (Kyle) Turris. Our younger players are going to be here for a long time and Peter is going to be a big part of it.

We’re going to rely on him heavily offensively. He plays a lot of power-play time and for being 19 years old, he’s got a pretty good head on his shoulders.

(On the decision to keep him and send him back to Everett)

There was no question in our minds from the first day of summer training camp when he and Hanzal came here and were among the best two kids on the ice in July.

We knew if that same progress was there in September, he was not going to go anywhere. He had that same ability in September; he had a great training camp for us. He’s a really good young man. He wasn’t going anywhere.

DANIEL CARCILLO (left wing…roomed for a while with Mueller)

I met him at the summer camp and he obviously was one of the standout players there. He’s young, but I’m young too. We’re kind of learning the ropes together as we go along here, but we’re having fun.

He’s really coming into his own after that hat trick in Anaheim.

(Describe the difference from junior hockey)

The speed is the biggest thing. Everything’s faster, everything’s quicker, everything’s crisper. It’s not so much harder, but guys know where the puck’s going pretty much all the time. Anticipation is a big thing at this level.

(What did the hat trick do for Peter mentally)

I don’t have too many under my belt. I had a two-goal game the other night and I felt like I was on top of the world.

That just kick-started it all for him.

(Teammates say he’s a funny guy. I what way?)

It’s in the stuff he says. He cracks jokes. His personality is a little different than the other guys. It’s refreshing to see him come in cracking jokes and smiling. We’ve got some older guys on the team, but it’s easy to talk to a kid who’s 19. It’s refreshing.