In this 2007-08 premier edition of Rays On The Record, the Stingrays’ Joe Shetrom chats with defenseman Andrew Andricopoulos.  Andricopoulos, 20, is in his first season as a professional after spending the last four years with the QMJHL’s Quebec Remparts, where he won a Memorial Cup Championship in 2006.  In this first of a two-part interview, the Beverley, Massachusetts native talks about joining the Stingrays, adjusting to the pro game, and playing for Patrick Roy.

JS:  What’s your assessment on the first half of the 2007-08 season, as well as the progress of your first pro season?
AA:  I think we started off pretty well, and then we had a slump where we lost six games in a row.  But then we picked it up and won twelve in a row.  We have a lot of talent, I think.  We’ve got a lot of rookies, mixed with a great group of veteran guys.  I think we can surprise a lot of people, that’s for sure.

JS:  Are you enjoying your time here in the Lowcountry?
AA:  Absolutely, I love it.  I didn’t know what to expect when I was released from Texas .  Downtown Charleston – I love it, and my family loves it.  There are a lot of fun things to do, and it’s a really nice place.

JS:  You signed with the Texas Wildcatters last summer.  How did that come about?
AA:  That came about from my agent.  I think it was around June or July that I signed with them.  Actually, I think I was the first or second to sign with that team too, so that’s why I was a little surprised when I was released from over there.  I guess it was a blessing, because this place is more for me than Texas , for sure.  I love the city, and the guys are great. 

JS:  When you were released from the Wildcatters, and picked up off waivers by South Carolina , what factored into your decision to come here?
AA:  Well, it’s a lot closer to home.  I also knew the weather would be really nice here, and that was one thing I was looking forward to.  I played in Quebec City for four years, and I was just sick of seeing ten feet of snow and the sub-zero temperatures every day.  So those were probably the biggest factors.

JS:  What has it been like adjusting to being so far away from your family and home in Massachusetts ?
AA:  I’m used to it.  I went to private school when I turned 14 – I did my freshman and sophomore year in private school – so I’ve been living away from home for almost seven years now, so I’m fairly used to it now.  Other than that I really don’t notice.

JS:  Has it been lonely since your roommate, Tom Maxwell, moved up to the Hershey Bears earlier this season?
AA:  He was living here for probably just two weeks when he was called up.  It gets a little boring sometimes, but there are other guys in the apartment complex so we try to have fun.  I enrolled in online classes, so it gives me time to work on that and focus.

JS:  You made a great professional debut, scoring a late 3^rd period goal against the Johnstown Chiefs in late October that assured the Stingrays at least one point in the standings.  How did the goal come about?
AA:  The puck just came out in the right spot at the right time.  I just took a slapshot and it went in.  Couldn’t ask for anything better than that.  It sent the game into overtime, and we got a point in that game.

JS:  You’ve played forward on a handful of occasions this season.  When was the last time you played up front?
AA:  My last season for Quebec my coach, for some reason, wanted to put me up front for two games, so I played two games last season at forward.  Before that it’s probably been ten years or so.  I’ve been a defenseman basically my whole life.  It’s definitely a readjustment period. 

JS:  Did you come into this season with any particular goals in mind?
AA:  Honestly, just to have some fun.  Really, I just wanted to have fun this year.  The past four years in Quebec City I learned a lot, met a lot of great people.  But it was just a tough situation for me being up there.  It might not sound professional, but my goal this year is just to have fun, do the best I can do and try to help my hockey team win some games.

JS:  As a rookie, what are some of the jobs/chores you’ve had?
AA:  I have to pick up the pucks after practice, as well as with the other guys.  Clean the bus after road trips.  If we’re ever standing in line waiting for food, I have to know my role and get to the back of the line.  Nothing too harsh.  It’s pretty easy.

JS:  You spent the last four years playing for the QMJHL’s Quebec Remparts.  What was it like playing for NHL Hall of Famer Patrick Roy?
AA:  Obviously, he knows everything about the game.  He taught me a lot; he taught me how to play defense.  When I went up there I was a defenseman, but I have to admit I don’t think I played too much defense.  I was more of an offensive guy.  This year my point production has slowed down a little bit.  But I guess it’s normal, coming into a new league.  He’s very, very intense.  It was difficult at times.  
JS:  Did you ever ask for his autograph?
AA:  I think I did when I first got there.  I know there are a few circulating in my house.    

Note: Part 2 of Andricopoulos’s interview will appear Thursday.


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