Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche

PD: I’m with Yahoo’s Puck Daddy. I’m totally sick of asking serious questions.

NM: Okay

PD: So, how’s the weekend?

NM: It’s been fun

PD: So far? Even being what, are you 19 now? Nooo. You’re not even 19 yet. Aww, next you’ll be driving.

NM: Nah, I’ve been driving for four years.

PD: In Canada it’s 16?

NM: Yeah

PD: I’m from California. It’s 18 there. Weird right?

NM: Okay, yeah, right.

PD: What have you done so far?

NM: I only got in yesterday. So I just kinda walked around

PD: Are you really sick of being compared to Sidney Crosby, yet?

NM: Uhhh, I think that ended a couple years ago. It’s not really going on.

PD: Oh come on… Anything else? What are you looking forward to this weekend? Jon Cooper from the Lightning said it was going to be an Avalanche party.

NM: Oh really? It could be a Tampa party, too. I guess we’ll see. I don’t know. It’s going to be fun, obviously with my family and friends. Looking forward to it. We’ll have some good dinner tonight, go walk around. Play a little golf here.

PD: It’s only a hundred million degrees outside.

NM: Yeah, exactly.

PD: Did you ever think you’d be standing right here, right now? Being nominated for Rookie of the Year?

NM: I didn’t really think about the awards. I just always wanted to make the NHL as a kid. I didn’t really think about winning anything, and potentially I could here. Definitely pretty surreal, I think.

PD: Are you a fan of the X-Men?

NM: Pardon?

PD: Are you a fan of the X-Men? I know it’s random.

NM: No

PD: OH! You aren’t?!

NM: Nah

PD: What’s your favorite super hero then?

NM: Uh, probably Superman

PD: Why? (pause) C’mon Nate!

NM: I’ve always wanted to be able to fly.

PD: Very good. Thank you.

NM: Yeah, no problem.

Ben Bishop, Tampa Bay Lightning

PD: Don’t worry, I’m not going to ask any serious questions.

BB: Oh, then I don’t want to talk to you. (Laughs)

PD: Yes, you’re a serious athlete… I’m from Puck Daddy on Yahoo.

BB: Oh, okay

PD: We a little bit weird there, and I’m tired of asking serious questions. So, how ya doing?

BB: Doing great! We’re in Vegas.

PD: Have you won anything so far?

BB: No. I got in late last night…and so now

PD: <cuts him off> Aaaand you went to sleep?!

BB: Nooo.

PD: Okay

BB: We went out but we didn’t gamble. So we’ll try our luck today.

PD: What’s your favorite game then?

BB: Probably blackjack.

PD: Good

BB: I like to think that I like craps, but I don’t know how to play so it’s kind of…

PD: I just stand there and cheer.

BB: Yeah, exactly. I see everyone go wild and I wish I knew how to play.

PD: I just want to be the person that rolls the dice, but apparently there’s a rule to that. I don’t know.

BB: Yeah, I don’t know.

PD: Do you like the X-Men?

BB: Yeah, I do. I’m not like a big fan. I’ve watched it before.

PD: Do you have a favorite one?

BB: Maybe Wolverine?

PD: That’s everyone’s go-to answer. I’m trying to find more people that are nerds like me that really love it… Um, how are you feeling?

BB: I’m feeling good. Getting better. I had surgery almost eight-weeks ago. So, it’s getting better, slow, it’s kind of one day at a time right now.

PD: Which one is worse: Florida heat or Vegas heat?

BB: You know, Florida isn’t too bad right now.

PD: (Exasperated) I lived there! It’s terrible!

BB: But it’s worse in the upcoming months, but 105-degrees today, that’s pretty hot.

PD: Are you golfing?

BB: I’m not

PD: Okay. Yeah, me neither. I know I look like a golfer, though.

BB: (courtesy laugh)

PD: Anything else you want to say? How was your season, aside from the disappointing ending we won’t talk about?

BB: Yeah, it was a lot of fun. We have a good group of guys in Tampa. It’s obviously a great place to play. We’ve got a good young team going forward, so it should be an exciting few years coming up.

PD: Awesome. We look forward to watching ya’.

BB: Thank you.

PD: Thanks, Ben.

Ryan O’Reilly, Colorado Avalanche

PD: I am with Puck Daddy on Yahoo, and I don’t want to ask serious questions anymore. I won’t ask you about contracts or anything else.

ROR: (Laughs) No worries. Go ahead.

PD: How’s your summer going?

ROR: Good, good. Just hanging out in Denver, enjoying the nice weather.

PD: You’re golfing…(Looks at his outfit) You’re probably not golfing today? That’s not a golf outfit.

ROR: Yeah, no, no. Unfortunately I’m not golfing today. Gotta stay away from that for a little bit.

PD: Are you a fan of the X-Men?

ROR: I am.

PD: Can you tell me your favorite X-Man? X-woman? Or X-person?

ROR: I do like Wolverine. I haven’t seen …

PD: (cuts him off) That’s the go-to answer. So boring!

ROR: You got Hugh Jackman, just cut, and just, he’s Hugh Jackman. If you’ve seen the ones he’s in, he’s in pretty much every one of them.

PD: Yeah, he is.

ROR: I haven’t seen the recent one, but anytime watching him makes you want to hit the gym a bit harder.

PD: He’s gigantic. He says he trains every single day. Could you imagine getting that big and still skating upright?

ROR: I don’t know if I could skate properly that big, but it’s definitely fun to watch him get huge. Kind of rule the world, pretty much.

PD: How are you enjoying Vegas? Did you get in last night, too?

ROR: Yeah, I got in last night.

PD: Did you go to sleep?

ROR: We went and saw a couple things. I’m with my girlfriend and it’s the first time she’s ever been here.

PD: That must be crazy

ROR: So, I took her around and showed her some things, which is exciting. Obviously it’s a great place to be, and the weather is unbelievable.

PD: Really, 105-degrees is unbelievable?!

ROR: Well, yeah. I’ve been in Denver it’s warm. Coming here it’s perfect. I’m laying by the pool and stuff. You can’t get that most places.

PD: I guess I’m pale, I catch on fire in the sun.

ROR: (courtesy laugh) Well, I’m Irish too. I gotta make sure I use sunblock, too. I burn real quick.

PD: Yeah, I’m about an SPF 120… So, anything else you want to end the season on? I mean, obviously, it wasn’t the way you guys wanted. Your outlook for next season? You’re excited? You’re…blah blah blah?

ROR: I’m very excited for next season. Obviously we’ve got a lot of good pieces that are coming back together. Working together, we’ve got a good chance of winning. Obviously it was a heartbreaking end to the season for us, but we’re excited. There’s just so many pieces that we could do some damage.

PD: Yeah, you guys are scary.

ROR: (Laughs)

PD: Good luck. Stay healthy. I hope nobody else talks to you about the contract.

ROR: (Laughs) Thanks

Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks

PD: I’m from Puck Daddy on Yahoo. I’m going to ask you some not serious questions because I’m bored of asking those.

JT: Okay

PD: You have the Wolverine chops. Do you actually watch X-Men?

JT: Uh <pause> I’ve seen the one movie. I don’t know if there’s like two or three of them, but I haven’t seen any of them

PD: I think there’s like seven of them.

JT: Is there seven?

PD: Yeah, I think so.

JT: Okay then, times two then.

PD: How’s your summer going? Aside from the ending, but everything else, how’s your summer?

JT: Really good, really good. It took a while to get over the loss…for a while. Trying my best to relax and enjoy my life away from hockey, so that when it’s time to go back to work, I’ll get as motivated as I can be. Right? <Grins>

PD: You’re going to play golf. What people don’t know is that you’re wearing seersucker pants right now. Did you know that’s what those are called?

JT: Why are they called seersucker?

PD: I don’t know why they’re called seersucker but they are. You’re going to go play golf in the 112 [degree] heat.

JT: Yeah.

PD: That’s badass

JT: Should be fun, right?

PD: Right?

JT: I got a big bottle of water (shows me Fiji bottle) I’ll just dump it on my head.

PD: Anything else? How’s summer? You actually get time off. Do you know what to do?

JT: I’m in Las Vegas. I don’t have to think real hard to find anything fun.

PD: You’re going to let loose?

JT: Yeah, a little bit.

PD: A little bit?

JT: A tiny bit.

PD: So we won’t see you on TMZ the next day?

JT: I don’t think so. Hopefully not. It’s more undercover.

PD: Sounds good. And did you sleep last night?

JT: A little bit, yeah.

PD: A little bit. ‘kay. That’s good. Standard answer. Thanks, Jonathan.

JT: I probably look like I didn’t sleep last night.

PD: You look fine.