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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE MEDIA CONFERENCE

December 17, 2009

Ty Conklin

DAVID KEON: Good afternoon, everyone. I'm David Keon of the National Hockey League's public relations department, and I'd like to welcome you to today's call. Our guest is St. Louis Blues' goaltender Ty Conklin. Thanks to Ty for taking the time to join us in answering your questions, and thanks to Mike Caruso of the Blues' public relations staff for helping to arrange the call.
So far this season, Ty has appeared in 11 games for the Blues posting a record of 5?4?1 with a 2.38 goals?against average, .929 save percentage, and shutouts against Anaheim on October 16th and a 1?0 shutout win over his former team Detroit one week ago.
Ty also holds the distinction of being the only player in the NHL to have participated in all three of the NHL's regular season outdoor names. The native of Anchorage, Alaska, was in net for Edmonton's 4?2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens in the 2003 Heritage Classic in Edmonton.
In the 2008 Winter Classic at Rich Stadium in Buffalo, he backstopped the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 2?1 shootout win over the Buffalo Sabres, turning aside 36 of 37 shots, followed by two of three shootout attempts.
A year ago he made 33 saves in a 6?4 win for the Detroit Red Wings over Chicago at Wrigley Field.
Thanks again to Ty for taking the time to join us in answering your questions. We'll open it up now.

Q. For the first time in a long time you'll be sitting home on January 1st. What are your plans, and will it be strange not playing in the Classic?
TY CONKLIN: No, I think it'll be exciting to watch it. I've obviously been really lucky to participate in all of them. It was something that I'll always remember. They're special memories for me anyway, but no, I think something like this, it happens once a year, but it's something that everybody should be able to enjoy. I'll be interested just to watch it as a spectator.

Q. Can you talk about the changes you've experienced in this game from your perspective the past three years, that buildup, the excitement and the ice, what it's been like the past three years?
TY CONKLIN: You know what, they've done a great job because I know that it wasn't January 1st the first one, I think it was sometime in the middle or late November in Edmonton, and that one wasn't ?? I don't think that one was put on by the NHL, it was more put on by Edmonton if I remember right. I'm sure the NHL had a lot to do with it, but in the last two, the NHL has put it on and they've done a great job.
You know, to put a rink up in a football stadium or a baseball stadium for these last two, deal with all the weather, all the ?? the number of difficulties that goes into doing something like this has got to be amazing. And to pull it off the way they have is pretty incredible.

Q. Are you in favor of having this game just once during the year, and if so, why?
TY CONKLIN: Yeah. You know, I don't think it needs any more than once. You know, it's something that ?? a lot of non?hockey fans tune into it. People see hockey being played outside, and it's something that's different. So I think it pulls in a lot of people that maybe would be on the fringe otherwise or might not watch the game if it was in an arena.
But I think once is probably plenty. I don't think to have it every other week is anything that needs to be done.

Q. Does one game stand out over another for you personally?
TY CONKLIN: You know what, not really. Like I said, I think they all have their special moments that I remember about them. You know, in Edmonton, everything was just so brand new. It was the first time for it, so there was obviously ?? it was just kind of the shock factor when you walked out and how big it was and everything.
And then the one in Buffalo was ?? it couldn't have been scripted any better. You had the snow and everything, it goes to a shootout, Sid Crosby scores the shootout winner.
And then last year two really big rivals in Chicago and Detroit playing in Wrigley Field in a baseball stadium for the first time. The weather was perfect. It was probably the best of the games, the quality of the play. They all have their special moments I thought.

Q. Yeah, it's interesting you mentioned about that game with Pittsburgh when you played Buffalo, and that snowstorm, I mean, how difficult was it playing in the midst of that storm for you?
TY CONKLIN: Well, you know what, I don't think it was ?? for me it wasn't difficult. I think it made it a lot more difficult for the guys trying to score goals or trying to handle the puck I think it was obviously a lot more difficult.
As far as the goalies, we were probably the beneficiaries of that. Trying to make a move around the net with a half an inch of snow on the ground is definitely to our advantage.

Q. My question has to do with goaltending equipment, especially the goalie mask. I know a lot of the NHL rinks can be fairly warm at times because they have so many lights beaming down at you. When you're outdoors, does your goalie mask actually get in the way or interfere with anything? Do you feel it more than usual with those extreme temperatures?
TY CONKLIN: No, I wouldn't say so. I think that ?? I guess the first game, the one in Edmonton, it was cold to the point where you'd want to wear something underneath, or you wore more clothes underneath your gear than usual. But the mask wasn't ?? the only things that ever really got cold on me at all were my hands in the first game.
And then in the last two games, boy, calling it extreme temperatures would be a massive stretch. It was pretty temperate, really. Last year I think it was right around freezing and maybe a couple degrees below freezing. The only thing I think weather?wise that affects anything or makes it cold or something you have to deal with would be the wind. Both days ?? it was a little bit windy in Buffalo, but not really, and last year there was hardly any wind. That was really the only thing that would affect me at all was the wind. The mask was not really an issue at all.

Q. You've played hockey in that area, at the University of New Hampshire. How do you think the city of Boston will rally around this Classic?
TY CONKLIN: Well, I think Boston, this is the area, obviously ?? it's a lot of hockey fans, a lot of hockey played there. A lot of good players come out of there, not just NHL. Obviously tons of college hockey with Hockey East, and even Division III hockey. I can't imagine it not being really exciting.
And being at Fenway, I think the people in Boston are pretty proud of that ballpark anyway. You know, it's ?? just going to ballgames on a Wednesday evening, it's always packed. So I think just as far as sports fans go, Boston sports fans are real loyal, and they're going to be there for sure.

Q. What would be your advice to the two goalies competing at this year's game?
TY CONKLIN: I don't know if it's advice. I think it's something that they'll do without even thinking about it, and that's just enjoy it. I'm sure it's ?? I don't know if I could give any advice. I just tried to go out and enjoy it. I think at the end of the day, you have to realize, though, it is two points, and it's a game that'll count on the schedule. It's obviously two teams that are probably pretty hungry for those two points.
Yeah, that's maybe something that I wouldn't say was lost in the first game, but I sensed that the two points were maybe a little more ?? the teams were a little more hungry for those two points in the other two games, in the last two games.
I think good weather will help that, too. The better the weather is, the easier it is to actually get into the game and feel comfortable out there.

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