One-on-one with Worcester Sharks forward Cam MacIntyre

Special thank you to Eric Lindquist and Cam MacIntyre for this opportunity. Enjoy.

Has “Bike Nation” expanded or is it still you and Mike Moore?
{Laughs} “Bike Nation” is still myself and Moore. I can’t say that we’ve biked everyday due to the weather but hopefully in spring time, it’ll come back {laughs}.

Who came up with the idea for “Bike Nation?”
“Bike Nation” was something we talked about at the start of the year. We talked about “going green” and found a couple bikes on Craigslist. We thought it would be a cool idea.

Curt Gogol {@CurtGogol13} tweeted on Dec. 5, “Can’t believe I have dumb and dumber as vets for rookie party. @SeanSullivan37 and jmac had to reach out to twitter for ideas. #Simplejack.” Who did you have for the rookie party?
{Laughs} I had Brodie Reid {laughs}. The rookie party was great. I can’t get into too many details about it but it was fun {laughs}. It was a good time and a good team night.

Which nickname do you prefer, “Mac,” “C-Mac” or “The Pride of the Pacific Northwest?”
{Laughs} Just “Mac.” “C-Mac” is too similar to “J-Mac” John McCarthy {laughs}.

How did you first become interested in hockey?
I grew up in a small town {Sooke, BC} where hockey was big and the thing to do in the little fishing community. I loved playing hockey. I started skating at age four and started playing hockey at age five.

Was there a particular moment when you knew you wanted to be a professional hockey player?
Yeah, I think it was just the realization that playing professionally was a possibility when I was in college while trying to get my degree and then that possibility became a reality.

What did you enjoy most about playing for the Cowichan Valley Capitals and Salmon Arm Silverbacks of the British Columbia Hockey League {BCHL}, both of which you captained?
It was all great. All the cities I played in {Nanaimo for Wellington Secondary School, Cowichan, Salmon} were great cities as each experience was unique and different in different ways. In the BCHL, it’s a lot of small towns with a lot of support from the community for the teams. It’s fun and exciting to be a hockey player when you’re 16, 17, 18 years old or 19-20 as in my case. The hockey there is pretty serious and fun as you make good friends that you keep in touch with. All in all, it was a great experience.

Do you remember your BCHL fight with Moore?
I do {laughs}. We’ve had a few laughs about it. I think I asked him to go because he was playing real physical. I guess you can say he started it {laughs}.

Has Moore told you the story of what he told the coaches about you in front of the team when they were recruiting you?
Yeah, he told me about that {laughs}.

What attracted you to Princeton and what was it like playing there?
I had a great visit there and the school/institution speaks for itself. I was pretty excited with the hockey program they had as they had a new coach, Gary Gadowsky, who is a phenomenal coach. I had heard great things about him and was a big reason why I chose to go. I’m definitely not disappointed going there as it was a great experience.

What was it like playing with Moore in college and how has it been playing with him in Worcester?
It was great. It was pretty cool to have played with Moore for two years {2006-08} at Princeton and its been cool playing with him the last couple seasons in Worcester. Moore was a great leader for us at Princeton and it’s just cool to play with him.

I read on the Princeton website that you majored in history. What made you interested in history?
I took a few intro classes in all the areas. Originally, I wanted to go into Pre-Med and then I switched to history my sophomore year. I loved the cool stories and not being much of a match guy, it worked out pretty well from the perspective that there was a lot of reading and writing {laughs}. History is just cool stuff.

Injuries limited you to 24 combined games your junior and senior seasons {2008-10}. Which is tougher, the physical aspect of the injury or the mental aspect?
Definitely the mental aspect is the tough part for sure. Anytime someone has anything similar to what I had with the groin, hip and back, the mental part is the worst. It’s just nasty as you want to be with the team, put on the jersey and compete with all that. No matter how hard you try, it’s hard sitting in the stands.

What went through your mind when you signed an entry level contract with the San Jose Sharks organization on April 5, 2010 and had San Jose been scouting you during your time at Princeton?
That it was awesome {laughs}. It was really exciting and a pretty cool opportunity. You hope for the opportunity growing up of being a professional hockey player and that became a realization by signing with the Sharks. I called my parents right away and they were thrilled. They might not have thought it was in the cards because I was a late bloomer as far as going to college later and playing five years junior but it was cool for it to happen. I had started talking to the Sharks throughout the years at Princeton but I made it aware to interested teams that I didn’t want to leave Princeton early because I wanted to graduate.

Your dad is a retired firefighter and your mom is a nurse. How supportive were they of you becoming a professional hockey player?
My parents were highly supportive. They drove me to the rink, drove long hours, worked late night shifts to support me playing hockey when I was growing up and made a lot of sacrifices to make it possible. I definitely owe them a lot and I’m super grateful for them. They’re my role models/heroes.

A Binghamton Senators fan asked me in the AHL Live chat box if you’re related to hockey journeyman Steve MacIntyre. Do you get asked that a lot?
No I don’t actually {laughs}. I’ve never been asked that about Steve MacIntyre {laughs}.

What have you enjoyed most about playing in Worcester?
We have a great team this year so I like my teammates {laughs}. I like the Northeast as it’s a good area and I went to school in Jersey so it’s just great. Playing professional hockey is the best part about it.

Since you went to school in Jersey, are you a fan of the show “Jersey Shore”?
I am the furthest thing from a fan of Jersey Shore {laughs}. Does anyone really admit to being a fan of Jersey Shore {laughs}?

How would you compare this year’s team to last year’s?
There is a different group dynamic this year. We’re a much closer, tight knit group team. Obviously, we’ve got a lot of fresh faces that are young guys and we’re a young team. But we’re an energetic team with passion and that is in large part due to our youth.

What do you remember about scoring your first career professional goal on Dec. 5, 2010, against the Portland Pirates, which was also your first professional game?
I think Tommy Wingels was in on the forecheck and he got a stick on the puck behind the net. The goalie came out to challenge and sort of created a turnover. The puck popped out to me and I backhanded it for the goal.

How much did San Jose’s training camp help you as a player and prepare you for this current season?
San Jose’s training camp was immeasurable. It was really crazy going through the NHL, the competition and the system. I got to see another layer of how the system works from the coaches up there and their perspective. A month of high intensity competition definitely prepared me for the season.

I read you like to surf. Did you get a chance to go surfing in Santa Cruz when attending San Jose training camp?
I did {laughs}. I was probably in Santa Cruz more than I should’ve been {laughs}. I was in Santa Cruz 3-4 days a week after workouts. I got a little apartment and spent the summer in San Jose. I’d throw my board in the car and when our workouts were done, I was there in Santa Cruz, which is an awesome area with great spots. I haven’t got to surf in the Northeast yet. I want to surf on the Rhode Island breaks but it won’t be happening anytime this winter {laughs}.

How much have the speed skating lessons you took over the summer helped your game?
I took power skating lessons in Kelowna, BC, with a power skating coach for a month this past summer and it was really helpful. Skating is huge, it’s everything. I mean, all the best players in the world are good skaters right {laughs}? Being a bigger guy myself, skating is always something I want to work on as I’m not naturally a skater and I want to fix my weaknesses.

Having completed a fourth of the current AHL season, do you feel becoming less muscular has improved your game when compared to last year and your time at Princeton?
I think so. I think its been a bunch of different things. It’s easier to get around and I have more energy. Maybe I’m healthier as a result and less injury prone. I definitely feel better and clothes fit better too {laughs}.

Worcester head coach Roy Sommer said to Bill Ballou of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette that “if you saw him {MacIntyre} last year, then just saw him again this year, you’d think it was an entirely different person” with regards to your weight loss. How shocked were people when they saw your new physique for the first time?
Yeah, I’ll take that as a compliment {laughs}. I don’t think it was that shocking really. I was always under 10 percent body fat and for a big guy, that wasn’t a lot of fat to loose. Some guys noticed and asked if I slimmed down a bit but nothing major. However, everytime I talk to Eric Lindquist, he makes me feel like I’ve lost 50 pounds {laughs}. Eric interviewed me last weekend and brought it up again {laughs}.

How much do you enjoy the community activities that Worcester participates in?
They’re great. A cool part of being a hockey player is having free time and helping give back to the community. It’s great to get involved in the Worcester community and I always enjoy the events. Michael Myers, our Director of Youth Hockey and Community Relations, does a great job of keeping things interesting with his creative stuff, such as “Skating with the Sharks,” which are after practice and always fun.

What has been the best piece of advice you have ever received?
I think, um tough question {laughs}. Probably just work hard. My mom and dad always said that growing up {laughs}.

Have you had a chance to check out your cyber character in EA Sports’ NHL 12 video game?
I haven’t. I saw something though from my buddy who’s into that stuff as he put my rating on my Facebook wall but I can’t remember my rating {laughs}.

They have you rated as a 72 overall and listed as a center.
Oh right on {laughs}.

What do you like to do in your down time?
I like reading books and I like to hike. I’m big into hiking but it’s more of a summer time thing. In Worcester though, summer is different {laughs}. For the winter, I’ll go to a coffee shop and read a book, relax or listen to music. I like Acoustic Java Coffee Shop in Worcester.

The Princeton website said you’re into fishing. What do you like to fish for?
I grew up doing a ton of fishing in Sooke {laughs}. I like fishing for Spring Salmon, aka Chinook, out on the west coast.

Will you be getting a twitter anytime soon?
No, no twitter for me. I’m not a techie guy at all {laughs}.

Cam MacIntyre Quick Hits

Nickname….. “Mac”

Favorite Musician….. Tragically Hip

Favorite movie….. “The Big Lebowski”

Favorite TV show….. “Human Planet”

Favorite NHL Team growing up….. Vancouver Canucks

Favorite road city….. Charlotte

Favorite professional team {other than Sharks}….. I follow Princeton sports

Favorite sport {other than hockey}….. Surfing

Favorite book….. “No Great Mischief” by Alistair MacLeod

Favorite MMA fighter…. George St. Pierre

Favorite food….. Hamburger

Favorite website….. Cnn.com

Favorite holiday….. Christmas {I got to get my shopping done}

Favorite magazine….. The Economist

Favorite vacation spot… Tofino, British Columbia

Favorite board game….. Risk

Favorite pro athlete….. Pro mountain biker Mike Kinrade

Favorite hockey moment….. Winning ECAC’s at Princeton

Hockey idol….. Joe Sakic

First job….. Mowing lawns

Hidden talent….. Cooking

Favorite Bay Area restaurant….. The Plant Cafe Organic in San Francisco