Post by Admin on Jun 1, 2013 20:48:33 GMT
Q&A with Louis Bedard back in 2006
Q and A with Louis Bedard:
1 Can you remember your first career fight? Who was it with and how did it go?
LB: "I fought a 19 year old veteran when I was just 17 in my first training
camp. His name was Nicolas Turmel and I did pretty good against him"
2 Who is the toughest guy you ever fought?
LB: "There is a few names I could talk about but the toughest has to be Georges Laraque, a guy i fought three times in
junior. He was so strong in junior, i can't even imagine how strong he must be right now.Also, i must mention the time i fought Donald Brashear last year . It was my biggest test ever and i did really good against him"
3 Which was your toughest fight in the UK?
LB: "My two fights with Paul Ferone were great toe to toe battles but i must say that my fight with Dennis Vial is my most memorable because of his reputation"
4 Darren Hurley! What did he do that made you so mad in 00-01 for the
Jesters?
LB: "The first time we fought he jumped me and he made my nose bleed. I was really angry and i had to get him back, It is exactly what i did the next time we play each other"
5 Did you fight Brad Wingfield at Bracknell back in your Jesters days? No
footage exists of this fight, some people say you beat him and some say there was never a fight. Do you recall anything?
LB: "Yes, I fought Brad Wingfield and i had the best of him"
6 Your fights with Dennis Vial were great toe-to-toe battles, how do you
feel about those fights and how did you two come to drop the mits?
LB: "Like i said before i wanted to try a guy who had a big reputation. Also, i fought him in Ottawa training when i was just 18 and i didn't do so good. I was really proud to get him back and have a great fight with him"
7 During your time over here you exelled in your role, have you had any
offers to come back to the UK since leaving?
LB: "After the team folded in Newcastle, i lost a lot of money and i received a great offer to stay in quebec so i didn't try to get any offers. Last summer i have talked with my good friend Rob Wilson about the possibility of making a comeback in Newcastle and he was really interested about getting me back there. However, for now, an import must have played the year before at least in the ECHL so i couldn't go back there.Maybe the rule might change in the future and i will make a comeback in England. You never know"
8 Out of all your fights over here in the UK which would you pick as your
'favourite' and why?
LB: "Again, I would say my most memorable fight would be the one with Dennis Vial"
9 Since players move around so much in the LNAH is it hard fo fight a guy who was your teammate last year like Craig Martin and now you have to fight him?
LB: "I didn't fight often with guys i played with before. I don't like to
fight guys who are my friends"
10 How devastating is it to your team when say a young gun on your team takes on a Gaetz or Theriault and gets killed? Do you feel the need to fight them in Round 2 to regain momentum and what do you say to the young gun?
LB: "There is not many young guns in the league and all the top dogs on every team usually fight each other.Even the young guns are still pretty tough!!!"
11 How much is it helpful to have a guy like Roger Maxwell on the team to help you battle the super heavies?
LB: "It help me a lot. A guy like Roger help me and we share most of the work. One night he takes the best guy on the other team and the next night it's me. We make a great team"
12 There seem to be some huge guys in the LNAH, guys that are muscular and weigh over 250 which is hard considering the slimming results of hockey's cardio, do you think there is steroid use in the league?
LB: "There must be some guys who use steroids like in any league but i don't think it is worst than anywhere else"
13 How do guys like Curtis Swanson,Derek Parker and Jaques Dube fight upwards of 75 times(Parker this year) a season and seemingly not have it effect their hands?
LB: "First of all i think it is crazy to fight that many times. These guys are still young and full of piss and vinegar but you can be assure that it will take a toll on them in the next few years. We are not machines"
14 How was Brendan Tedstone thought of around the league?
LB: "I don't want to talk bad about the guy because he came to training camp with us and he seemed to be a great guy but he was not at the right place. It is not because you are huge that you will be a great fighter. The tough guys in this league didn't take him seriously at all in this league"
15 Mirasty has built up a fearsome reputation, you fought him in the
playoffs. Is he as tough as everyone says?
LB: "I have a lot of respect for that guy. He reminds me of myself, a litle guy with a lot of courage who is not afraid to fight anyone and also win most of his fights"
16 In the year of the NHL lockout you fought Brashear. Did you know before the game that you would be fighting him? How do you prepare for fighting a guy like him?
LB: "I wanted to try him because he was one of the best fighter in the NHL and i am proud to say that i did really good against him. I didn't prepare differently than with anybody else because my approach about fighting is to always thinks i am going to win the fight.I did the same thing with him"
17 You handled Doug Doull pretty easily when you played for Newcastle, he later went on to play in the NHL. When you saw him fighting in NHL how did you feel?
LB: "I coudn't believe it!!! there a lot of guys that i also beat in the East
Coast and didn't have better stats than me who reached the NHL. I guess it is all about being at the right place at the right time.The only thing i can say is that i have no regret and i am really proud of what i accomplished in my career"
18 What is the best feeling? Scoring a goal or winning a fight?
LB: "Both gives me great feelings but there is nothing like beating up somebody and shut up the whole crowd in his own building"
19 What has been the highlight of your career so far?
LB: "There is a few. Attending two NHL training camps( Ottawa in 1994 and Washington in 1999), winning two cups in the NAHL and fighting Donald Brashear and having a draw with him are the greatest moment of my carreer"
20 Does your reputation on the ice ever cause you problems away from the ice, for example a drunk in a bar trying to pick a fight?
LB: "No. Most of the times people are nice with us"
21 There are so many tough guys in the LNAH, do you socialse with any of them ? Or is it better not to make friends in case you have to fight them in a game?
LB: "Yeah. I know a lot of them and i can say it is the league that i see the most respect between fighters. You hardly see any cheap shots between fighters. We all know how hard this job is in this league"
22 Have you ever had a teamate that you really disliked and wanted to fight? If so and he moved to another team did you go after him?
LB: "No. It never happened. Most of the times, the other fighters become my best friends on the team"
23 Do you study video of other fighters before you play them?
LB: "No. I don't do that"
24 Who are you favourite players/fighters?
LB: "My favorite is Tie Domi. I recognize myself in him.When i was younger my two best players were Cam Neely and Rick Tocchet two guys who can fight, hit and score. Rick Tocchet wore number 92 for a long time troughout his carreer and i wear that number because of him"
25 What are your plans for life after hockey?
LB: "I will finish a degree in business marketing next year and i want to work in that field. I have seen so many guys with nothing in front of them at the end of their carreer and i promised myself i would never be one of them. Hockey has been my life for a long time and i would love to stay involve in a front office job. My degree in Marketing is going to be really useful if i want to do that"
"To finish, i would like to say that i really appreciate my time in England and i would probably be still playing there if the team in Newcastle hadn't folded.It means a lot to me to know that people didn't forget me in your country"
Thankyou,
Louis Bedard
Q and A with Louis Bedard:
1 Can you remember your first career fight? Who was it with and how did it go?
LB: "I fought a 19 year old veteran when I was just 17 in my first training
camp. His name was Nicolas Turmel and I did pretty good against him"
2 Who is the toughest guy you ever fought?
LB: "There is a few names I could talk about but the toughest has to be Georges Laraque, a guy i fought three times in
junior. He was so strong in junior, i can't even imagine how strong he must be right now.Also, i must mention the time i fought Donald Brashear last year . It was my biggest test ever and i did really good against him"
3 Which was your toughest fight in the UK?
LB: "My two fights with Paul Ferone were great toe to toe battles but i must say that my fight with Dennis Vial is my most memorable because of his reputation"
4 Darren Hurley! What did he do that made you so mad in 00-01 for the
Jesters?
LB: "The first time we fought he jumped me and he made my nose bleed. I was really angry and i had to get him back, It is exactly what i did the next time we play each other"
5 Did you fight Brad Wingfield at Bracknell back in your Jesters days? No
footage exists of this fight, some people say you beat him and some say there was never a fight. Do you recall anything?
LB: "Yes, I fought Brad Wingfield and i had the best of him"
6 Your fights with Dennis Vial were great toe-to-toe battles, how do you
feel about those fights and how did you two come to drop the mits?
LB: "Like i said before i wanted to try a guy who had a big reputation. Also, i fought him in Ottawa training when i was just 18 and i didn't do so good. I was really proud to get him back and have a great fight with him"
7 During your time over here you exelled in your role, have you had any
offers to come back to the UK since leaving?
LB: "After the team folded in Newcastle, i lost a lot of money and i received a great offer to stay in quebec so i didn't try to get any offers. Last summer i have talked with my good friend Rob Wilson about the possibility of making a comeback in Newcastle and he was really interested about getting me back there. However, for now, an import must have played the year before at least in the ECHL so i couldn't go back there.Maybe the rule might change in the future and i will make a comeback in England. You never know"
8 Out of all your fights over here in the UK which would you pick as your
'favourite' and why?
LB: "Again, I would say my most memorable fight would be the one with Dennis Vial"
9 Since players move around so much in the LNAH is it hard fo fight a guy who was your teammate last year like Craig Martin and now you have to fight him?
LB: "I didn't fight often with guys i played with before. I don't like to
fight guys who are my friends"
10 How devastating is it to your team when say a young gun on your team takes on a Gaetz or Theriault and gets killed? Do you feel the need to fight them in Round 2 to regain momentum and what do you say to the young gun?
LB: "There is not many young guns in the league and all the top dogs on every team usually fight each other.Even the young guns are still pretty tough!!!"
11 How much is it helpful to have a guy like Roger Maxwell on the team to help you battle the super heavies?
LB: "It help me a lot. A guy like Roger help me and we share most of the work. One night he takes the best guy on the other team and the next night it's me. We make a great team"
12 There seem to be some huge guys in the LNAH, guys that are muscular and weigh over 250 which is hard considering the slimming results of hockey's cardio, do you think there is steroid use in the league?
LB: "There must be some guys who use steroids like in any league but i don't think it is worst than anywhere else"
13 How do guys like Curtis Swanson,Derek Parker and Jaques Dube fight upwards of 75 times(Parker this year) a season and seemingly not have it effect their hands?
LB: "First of all i think it is crazy to fight that many times. These guys are still young and full of piss and vinegar but you can be assure that it will take a toll on them in the next few years. We are not machines"
14 How was Brendan Tedstone thought of around the league?
LB: "I don't want to talk bad about the guy because he came to training camp with us and he seemed to be a great guy but he was not at the right place. It is not because you are huge that you will be a great fighter. The tough guys in this league didn't take him seriously at all in this league"
15 Mirasty has built up a fearsome reputation, you fought him in the
playoffs. Is he as tough as everyone says?
LB: "I have a lot of respect for that guy. He reminds me of myself, a litle guy with a lot of courage who is not afraid to fight anyone and also win most of his fights"
16 In the year of the NHL lockout you fought Brashear. Did you know before the game that you would be fighting him? How do you prepare for fighting a guy like him?
LB: "I wanted to try him because he was one of the best fighter in the NHL and i am proud to say that i did really good against him. I didn't prepare differently than with anybody else because my approach about fighting is to always thinks i am going to win the fight.I did the same thing with him"
17 You handled Doug Doull pretty easily when you played for Newcastle, he later went on to play in the NHL. When you saw him fighting in NHL how did you feel?
LB: "I coudn't believe it!!! there a lot of guys that i also beat in the East
Coast and didn't have better stats than me who reached the NHL. I guess it is all about being at the right place at the right time.The only thing i can say is that i have no regret and i am really proud of what i accomplished in my career"
18 What is the best feeling? Scoring a goal or winning a fight?
LB: "Both gives me great feelings but there is nothing like beating up somebody and shut up the whole crowd in his own building"
19 What has been the highlight of your career so far?
LB: "There is a few. Attending two NHL training camps( Ottawa in 1994 and Washington in 1999), winning two cups in the NAHL and fighting Donald Brashear and having a draw with him are the greatest moment of my carreer"
20 Does your reputation on the ice ever cause you problems away from the ice, for example a drunk in a bar trying to pick a fight?
LB: "No. Most of the times people are nice with us"
21 There are so many tough guys in the LNAH, do you socialse with any of them ? Or is it better not to make friends in case you have to fight them in a game?
LB: "Yeah. I know a lot of them and i can say it is the league that i see the most respect between fighters. You hardly see any cheap shots between fighters. We all know how hard this job is in this league"
22 Have you ever had a teamate that you really disliked and wanted to fight? If so and he moved to another team did you go after him?
LB: "No. It never happened. Most of the times, the other fighters become my best friends on the team"
23 Do you study video of other fighters before you play them?
LB: "No. I don't do that"
24 Who are you favourite players/fighters?
LB: "My favorite is Tie Domi. I recognize myself in him.When i was younger my two best players were Cam Neely and Rick Tocchet two guys who can fight, hit and score. Rick Tocchet wore number 92 for a long time troughout his carreer and i wear that number because of him"
25 What are your plans for life after hockey?
LB: "I will finish a degree in business marketing next year and i want to work in that field. I have seen so many guys with nothing in front of them at the end of their carreer and i promised myself i would never be one of them. Hockey has been my life for a long time and i would love to stay involve in a front office job. My degree in Marketing is going to be really useful if i want to do that"
"To finish, i would like to say that i really appreciate my time in England and i would probably be still playing there if the team in Newcastle hadn't folded.It means a lot to me to know that people didn't forget me in your country"
Thankyou,
Louis Bedard