We caught up with Matthew Lindblad of the Dartmouth Big Green. He was signed by the Boston Bruins in early April to an entry level contract. Matt was the Ivy League Rookie of The Year in 2010-2011. During his sophomore year, he was injured and only played 26 games but still was 2nd on the team in scoring with 24 points! He’s a nice guy, replies quickly, and he knows how to celebrate after a goal! So follow him on Twitter, @mlindblad9. He’s a cool follow! You know who else is a cool follow? We are! Follow us on Twitter @HkyBlogger and like us on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/NotYourAverageHockeyBlog  

We’re not going to drag this on longer, so without further to do!
Like usual, we are in bold.

So we know Matthew Lindblad’s name, but we don’t know Matthew Lindblad as a person. So let hear a little bit about yourself! Maybe your childhood or maybe something cool about yourself?

I grew up in Winnetka, Illinois and didn’t start playing hockey till around age six.  I have always looked up to my brother, Brewster who is two years older, and once I saw him play for the first time it immediately became something I wanted to do as well. 

 

Take us through a day in the life of Matthew Lindblad?

A typical day for me consists of a good breakfast at around 8:00.  I usually like to get to the rink early to stretch and warm up, so for a 10:30 practice you’d find me usually at the rink by 9:00.  After practice I like to stick around on the ice and work on different aspects of my game, whether shooting pucks or doing extra drills with some of the guys.  After practice I would cool down and stretch before grabbing lunch with a couple teammates.  With the rest of the day usually open, I am typically either watching movies or playing XBOX.  

 

As a child, was there a player you looked up to?

One of my favorite players as a kid was Ilya Kovalchuck.

 

What were you studying at Dartmouth?

At school I have been studying Government.

 

What do you think your greatest asset as a hockey player is?

I’d say my greatest asset is how I think the game.  I am very responsible in both ends of the ice.

 

Where do you think you can improve the most?

Something I need to improve on that I have been working towards is becoming stronger.  One of the biggest differences I notice from one level to another is how strong guys are.  I feel that this is an aspect of my game that I need to continue to focus on in order to maximize my potential.

 

How do you play such a disciplined game while playing a large role for Dartmouth?

There is no real secret for how I play a disciplined game.  Whether I was playing at Dartmouth or at any other level, I have always tried to minimize making mistakes.

 

You’ve played a lot at the college level but not as many at the AHL, but from your limited experience, whats the biggest difference college hockey and AHL hockey?

At the AHL level, guys are much bigger and stronger.  However, what I have also noticed to be a heavy difference is the style of play.  The different systems we play, and the positioning of players is much different than what I had experienced at Dartmouth. 

 

Take us back to when you were signed, can you paint us a picture of what happened?

I signed about two weeks after my season at Dartmouth ended.  Before signing, I asked if there was any way I could catch a game at the Garden since I had never been there before.  My family flew out to Boston to meet me at the game and it was an experience I’ll never forget. 

 

Right now in Providence, who’s your roomie on the road?

Unfortunately I had to return to Dartmouth to finish out the term so I am not on the road.  However, when I was in Providence my roommate was Rob Flick, who had just recently been traded from Rockford. 

 

So the next part is sort of like a “lightning round”. Don’t give lots of thought in to these questions. Just answer. Ready?

Motorcycle or car?

Car

 

Backyard Barbecue or Fancy night out?

Backyard Barbecue

 

Read the book or watch the movie?

Watch the movie

 

Pet peeve?

Bad service when going out to eat

 

Dogs or cats?

Dogs

 

Favourite TV show?

The Office

 

xBox or Playstation?

xBox

 

Final questions:

Any advice for aspiring hockey players?

Never give up on pursuing your dreams

 

Who should we interview next?

Tim O’Brien

Thank you for your time!