(above) Peter Mannino and Air Force player Eric Ehn chat during the Skills Competition last FridayYouTube Video of Ehn's Nifty Penalty Shot at Skills Competition
Editors Note: D.J. Powers of Hockey's Future.com & Future Considerations.com writes articles about NHL prospects. In the past she's written exclusive articles for LetsGoDU about DU hockey alums at the Snoopy Old-Timers Tournament and interviewed former Pioneer Adrian Veideman. As the Frozen Four approached we asked her to write an article or two with a DU theme for us to publish in LetsGoDU. Yesterday she interviewed DU Captain Andy Thomas. Today's interview is with Air Force star Eric Ehn.
Q & A with Eric Ehn
By: DJ Powers
Special to Let’s Go DU
Eric Ehn has just completed a stellar career at the Air Force Academy that included being the first player in the program’s history to be named a Hobey Hat Trick finalist in 2007. He helped guide the Falcons to two consecutive Atlantic Hockey tournament championships and with them berths into the NCAA Tournament. He finishes a record-setting career at the Air Force Academy with 146 points in 133 career games. Earlier this season, Ehn missed 14 games due to a leg injury. During last Friday’s Skills Challenge at the Pepsi Center in Denver, he was named the Top Skills Performer.
Following the Skills Challenge, Eric Ehn took time out for this interview.
Q: First of all, how are you doing?
EE: I’m doing alright. I’m starting to get my health back, which is nice. It makes sports possible, which I love.
Q: How is your leg?
EE: It’s a little sore after this. I did some skating. I love to come out and skate and have fun out here, so I paid the price a little.
Q: I know that you were in the puck relay and you seemed to get around those pylons or whatever they call those things really well.
EE: Oh, those things were a little sneaky there around the red line, but I navigated it fine there apparently, but I almost went down. It was a lot of fun. Man, we got smoked. I’m not sure why. I think their (East team) cones were a little tighter or something like that.
Q: So what else were you in tonight?
EE: I was in the fastest skater competition, for me – not a chance! (Laughs) But I was in the breakaway, so that was fun.
Q: Tell me what it’s like for you to be here skating again and having that camaraderie again?
EE: That’s the one thing that you don’t realize that you miss so much, is the guys and hanging out with them after the game. Then they give you a weekend of it and kind of tease you a little bit. It makes you realize that you need to get on another team fast because these experiences disappear.
Q: You’ll be leaving the Air Force Academy soon, so what’s next for you?
EE: I’ll be serving in the Air Force and if hockey opportunities present themselves, I’ll try and follow them.
Q: Do you have an (Air Force) assignment yet?
EE: Yeah, Santa Barbara, CA
Q: So what will you be doing?
EE: I’ll be in space and missiles training. I’m not sure which avenue that they’ll be sending me down yet, but it should be interesting and definitely informative.
Q: So where will you be stationed at?
EE: Vandenberg.
Q: How long will you be stationed there?
EE: For a year and then I’ll get reassigned.
Q: Are any of your teammates going with you?
EE: Yeah, five of them…or four of them.
Q: Really? So who is going with you?
EE: (Ian) Harper, (Bryan) Becker, (Josh) Print and (Matt) Charbonneau
Q: You mentioned hockey opportunities earlier. Have you had anyone calling you?
EE: Not that I know about. You’d have to ask Frank (Serratore)
Q: When you do leave the Academy, what are you going to miss the most aside from attending and playing for them?
EE: I’m going to miss the guys and the camaraderie. You get used to the four-year dorms and always having your buddies around. That’ll be tough to start a new life and a new lifestyle, but I think I’m ready for it.
Q: What will you take with you from the Air Force Academy experience, both on and off the ice?
EE: I think that there are too many things to throw my finger on one thing. But if I had to say something, It would be just maturity and getting prepared for life. They do a really good job of presenting you with difficult situations and stresses on your life, and time management becomes key. You really got to have your ‘X’s and ‘O’s together and cross your ‘T’s and dot your ‘I’s It’s mostly positive stuff. They just kind of test you all the time to make sure that you’re ready.
Q: Finally, now that you’ll be leaving the Academy soon and after everything that you’ve accomplished there, what would you like to be best remembered for?
EE: I don’t know. I guess the poster that we had this year kind of summed it all up really well – Championship Foundation. All the seniors are pretty proud to have been there for the back-to-back (Atlantic Hockey) titles. We’re happy that there are championship teams, and just kind of living at the Air Force Academy now. That’s something. We’re struggling with recruiting, deficits that we have to other schools, and standards whipped up on that level. But if we get some more championships under our belts, hopefully the program will stay strong.
Q & A with Eric Ehn
By: DJ Powers
Special to Let’s Go DU
Eric Ehn has just completed a stellar career at the Air Force Academy that included being the first player in the program’s history to be named a Hobey Hat Trick finalist in 2007. He helped guide the Falcons to two consecutive Atlantic Hockey tournament championships and with them berths into the NCAA Tournament. He finishes a record-setting career at the Air Force Academy with 146 points in 133 career games. Earlier this season, Ehn missed 14 games due to a leg injury. During last Friday’s Skills Challenge at the Pepsi Center in Denver, he was named the Top Skills Performer.
Following the Skills Challenge, Eric Ehn took time out for this interview.
Q: First of all, how are you doing?
EE: I’m doing alright. I’m starting to get my health back, which is nice. It makes sports possible, which I love.
Q: How is your leg?
EE: It’s a little sore after this. I did some skating. I love to come out and skate and have fun out here, so I paid the price a little.
Q: I know that you were in the puck relay and you seemed to get around those pylons or whatever they call those things really well.
EE: Oh, those things were a little sneaky there around the red line, but I navigated it fine there apparently, but I almost went down. It was a lot of fun. Man, we got smoked. I’m not sure why. I think their (East team) cones were a little tighter or something like that.
Q: So what else were you in tonight?
EE: I was in the fastest skater competition, for me – not a chance! (Laughs) But I was in the breakaway, so that was fun.
Q: Tell me what it’s like for you to be here skating again and having that camaraderie again?
EE: That’s the one thing that you don’t realize that you miss so much, is the guys and hanging out with them after the game. Then they give you a weekend of it and kind of tease you a little bit. It makes you realize that you need to get on another team fast because these experiences disappear.
Q: You’ll be leaving the Air Force Academy soon, so what’s next for you?
EE: I’ll be serving in the Air Force and if hockey opportunities present themselves, I’ll try and follow them.
Q: Do you have an (Air Force) assignment yet?
EE: Yeah, Santa Barbara, CA
Q: So what will you be doing?
EE: I’ll be in space and missiles training. I’m not sure which avenue that they’ll be sending me down yet, but it should be interesting and definitely informative.
Q: So where will you be stationed at?
EE: Vandenberg.
Q: How long will you be stationed there?
EE: For a year and then I’ll get reassigned.
Q: Are any of your teammates going with you?
EE: Yeah, five of them…or four of them.
Q: Really? So who is going with you?
EE: (Ian) Harper, (Bryan) Becker, (Josh) Print and (Matt) Charbonneau
Q: You mentioned hockey opportunities earlier. Have you had anyone calling you?
EE: Not that I know about. You’d have to ask Frank (Serratore)
Q: When you do leave the Academy, what are you going to miss the most aside from attending and playing for them?
EE: I’m going to miss the guys and the camaraderie. You get used to the four-year dorms and always having your buddies around. That’ll be tough to start a new life and a new lifestyle, but I think I’m ready for it.
Q: What will you take with you from the Air Force Academy experience, both on and off the ice?
EE: I think that there are too many things to throw my finger on one thing. But if I had to say something, It would be just maturity and getting prepared for life. They do a really good job of presenting you with difficult situations and stresses on your life, and time management becomes key. You really got to have your ‘X’s and ‘O’s together and cross your ‘T’s and dot your ‘I’s It’s mostly positive stuff. They just kind of test you all the time to make sure that you’re ready.
Q: Finally, now that you’ll be leaving the Academy soon and after everything that you’ve accomplished there, what would you like to be best remembered for?
EE: I don’t know. I guess the poster that we had this year kind of summed it all up really well – Championship Foundation. All the seniors are pretty proud to have been there for the back-to-back (Atlantic Hockey) titles. We’re happy that there are championship teams, and just kind of living at the Air Force Academy now. That’s something. We’re struggling with recruiting, deficits that we have to other schools, and standards whipped up on that level. But if we get some more championships under our belts, hopefully the program will stay strong.
2 comments:
Hard not to root Ehn or anyone else from AFA. He'll do great things wherever he goes.
It is too bad that Ehn did not win the Hobey. It certainly seems that he had all the right credentials for the award. Good luck to him in his future endeavors. I wouldn't be surprised at all if he found his way back to the Academy and a spot on Frank's staff.
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