	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

NHL AWARDS CEREMONY

June 22, 2011

Ryan Kesler

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

FRANK J. SELKE TROPHY

Q. (No microphone.)
RYAN KESLER: Obviously there is a lot of things to go into it. Obviously I have a lot of people to thank, teammates were a big part of it, and I play for a great organization and being brought up the right way, you know, it's not just an individual award.
There are a lot of things to go into it.

Q. (No microphone.)
RYAN KESLER: I don't know if you set a goal to win the award, but I pride myself on the defensive part of the game and it's nice to be acknowledged. I guess all those years my dad was yelling "backcheck" at me finally paid off.

Q. (No microphone.)
RYAN KESLER: Yeah, obviously any -- last three years I got nominated I was among very elite talent, those guys had great season and to win it and have those guys as nominees makes it special.

Q. (No microphone.)
RYAN KESLER: Yeah, I think, you know, I pride myself on being hard to play against and I think that's what that award is all about, Jonathan and Pavel are hard to play against, and they take pride in their play and I think that's what this award is all about.

Q. (No microphone.)
RYAN KESLER: I got 23 friends on my team.

Q. (No microphone.)
RYAN KESLER: Yeah, things, you know, kind of happened for me this year. 41 goals and then being named for the Selke, it's a season I'll never forget.

Q. (No microphone.)
RYAN KESLER: I think every year it's one of my goals, usually, the goal to win the Selke? I don't say that. It's my goal to get better defensively and you want to get better every year.

Q. (No microphone.)
RYAN KESLER: At times I do, but, you know, my job is a little bit more offensive.

Q. (No microphone.)
RYAN KESLER: Yeah, it's good if you have the puck, right? It works out that way.

Q. (No microphone.)
RYAN KESLER: Uh-huh.

Q. (No microphone.)
RYAN KESLER: Yeah, it's something special. Obviously he brought me up and always taught me defense first, and I have a ton to thank him for.
He's the one that taught me how to play the right way and I went with it.

Q. (No microphone.)
RYAN KESLER: It was a buck 80 and good skates, so that turned into this.

Q. (No microphone.)
RYAN KESLER: Yeah, I'm goin' back there as soon as I leave here, so it's going to be some good rest and get ready for the next season.

Q. (No microphone.)
RYAN KESLER: Obviously it's nice to get acknowledged but at the end of the day that's the trophy we all want.

Q. (No microphone.)
RYAN KESLER: Yeah, that's the thing. It's still hard to swallow now, but I'm sure in the next couple of weeks we're going to look back and realize we had a great season, and we came one game away.
Obviously it wasn't our goal to come one game away, we wanted to win. But we did a lot of things as an organization that we've never done before. We won a Presidents trophy, and we did a lot of things. Over time -- time heals all wounds, right?

Q. (No microphone.)
RYAN KESLER: No, I didn't.

Q. (No microphone.)
RYAN KESLER: Yeah, yeah.

Q. (No microphone.)
RYAN KESLER: I came here thinking you know what? I'm going to have fun and whatever happens, happens. It's a great honor. I can't put into words to win when you're going against two of the top forwards in the league it's pretty special.

Q. (No microphone.)
RYAN KESLER: I think I was one or two votes away, couple of guys in here probably voted, huh? I'll find 'em! (Laughter.)

Q. (No microphone.)
RYAN KESLER: He always comes in with a smile on his face, he's one of the best guys I've ever played with and face-offwise it always helps when you have a lefty and a righty that can take it and I've learned from him that way.
Just the way he goes about himself, he comes to the rink and works hard every day.

Q. (No microphone.)
RYAN KESLER: I think you could say that. I think with Manny there and really -- we had a good face-off this year, I think we were first or second in the league. When you start with the puck it makes things easier defensively.

Q. (No microphone.)
RYAN KESLER: Yeah, he obviously got a taste of the big leagues this year and, you know, for him, he's great talent and once he puts it all together he's going to be a great player and he'll be here for a long time.

Q. (No microphone.)
RYAN KESLER: Maybe. Hopefully, yeah.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Ryan.
RYAN KESLER: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297