Dallas Stars center Matt Duchene recently appeared on Sports Radio 96.7 FM/1310 The Ticket (KTCK-AM) to discuss the process of filling an NCAA Tournament spot with his hockey idols.
Here are some highlights, edited for length and clarity:
Mike Modano recently A statue will be unveiled in Dallas. Are there any athletes or musicians you've met in your career that still impress you?
Matt Duchesne: “For me, Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg are those two people. Joe was my GM there for a few years and we have a really good relationship when we meet. To me, that's the perfect person. Very close, Joe Sakic. Peter Forsberg, I played with him in his last two games in the NHL. I got to know him pretty well and actually came here a little later. I had business dealings with him. He's still someone I don't meet very often, but when I do, he's really amazing.
“They'll never understand how much they meant to me as a kid and actually being able to play in the NHL and how much of an inspiration they were to me. What they meant to me as a kid, I'll never be able to quantify it for them, and I'll probably never understand it for myself either. Like Mike Modano. The guy would have been the same for a lot of kids that grew up in this area. Obviously, he was one of the original Stars-like players here and what he probably did for Texas and hockey. You can't really quantify what he's done. He's a larger-than-life person in a way and has an aura around the sport. He's a pretty incredible player and guy to have been here in Texas. ”
do you all do that? March Madness Bracket Challenge Heading into March Madness?
Duchesne: “Yes, I'm doing it. I haven't even peeked in yet. That means a lot of “close your eyes and point at the school.” I'll probably choose another school that I know well for football, or another school for hockey. I don't know. I think I won the bracket last year when I was in Nashville. “I have a friend who is very keen to help. He and I have been doing this for years and we finally got it last year so I hope we can do the same this year. I think.”
Who is the best college hockey team this year?
Duchesne: “I have no idea. Normally Boston College is the team. BU would be at the top of that. They've been a dominant program the last few years. Not as much as Boston College, but Boston College. Michigan State. Boston University has a very strong team and has sent a lot of players to the NHL. I didn't go to college, so I haven't gone on to college as much as my Canadian juniors. Still. , I don't really follow that. I follow the teams I used to play for, I follow the league on Instagram. That kind of thing. I don't really know about the college side. I don't know much about the team when it comes to that. You'll need to ask university officials.”
Listen to the rest of Duchesne's radio appearance here.
Check out more Dallas Morning News Star coverage here.
