Leon Gutzwiler goes 21st Overall to Las Vegas [2/2]

[Gwdjohnson 40]

"With the 21st overall pick, the Las Vegas Aces are proud to select...from Switzerland--"

 

Leon Gutzwiler knew what was coming. After his brother Gabriel had gone 17th to the Halifax 21st's earlier in the round, Leon knew that there were no alternative options from Switzerland that would be selected here. And sure enough...

 

"Leon Gutzwiler"

 

Sure enough, it was Leon's time to go up to the stage and accept his jersey, handshakes and smiles with members of the Las Vegas organization. Having spoken at length before this draft about his desire to link up with his brother at a team, there were some doubts about his commitment now that they are sure to be split up. We at VHL.com spoke to him for an interview while the rest of round two played out.

 

Q: So Leon, you've gone 21st overall in the VHLM draft, and will be packing your bags and heading to the beautiful city of Las Vegas! How do you feel?

 

LG: I am feeling pretty good! I have not been in North America very long, but I know Las Vegas is a very popular and fun city, so I hope to do well here.

 

Q: Obviously, you made it no secret that you held a strong desire to be able to play with your brother Gabriel in the minors. Are you disappointed or upset at all that it has not played out that way in the end?

 

LG: A little bit, I would say. Me and Gabe have a great connection on and off the ice, and it is too bad that we are split up in the league, but it was always going to be hard to keep us together. I will still do the best I can, anyway.

 

Q: Do you feel your motivation could be hurt at all by your separation? It really seems like your play styles meshed perfectly when you two tore it up in Switzerland; do you think it will be harder to reach that same level of production in another continent without Gabriel around?

 

LG: I don't think so, no. It will be a big adjustment for both of us to learn to play without each other, but I think we can both adapt well and be good for our separate teams.

 

Q: What would you say are your main strengths that you can bring to the table for the Aces, and what do the fans have to be excited about for the one Gutzwiler brother that they landed?

 

LG: I would say my two big strengths are my positioning and my shooting. Gabriel and I are both players who like to think about the shot before the pass, and we are both good on the forecheck and tracking back into our zone. I always want to improve my complete game, and I want to be a center that kind of does everything. I want to be good on faceoffs, good at controlling and stealing the puck, and getting points. That is where I see my value.

 

Q: Well that should wrap it up, we will let you talk about the draft with Gabe and the rest of the Gutzwiler family now. Thanks.

 

Leon stepped away from the interview and went back to his family in the stands with a smile, although he did have a bit of a defeated look about him. Only time will tell how the Gutzwilers play on separate teams, but Leon assures they will be just fine.

 

(582 words)

[Renomitsu 933]

Review

Welcome to the league, and congrats on getting drafted! I know the site can be a little overwhelming at first, and figuring out how to cap isn't the easiest thing to do, but you're well on your way. Only one real comment here, specifically for redundancy:

 

Quote

And sure enough...

 

"Leon Gutzwiler"

 

Sure enough, it

 

Otherwise, nice job! Glad to have you on board at the VHL; let us know if you have any more questions and keep us updated on Leon.

[zepheter 586]

Welcome to the league.

[KC15 340]

Reveiw:  Always enjoy a good interview.  Fun to get some insight into the "real" player behind the user.  And they are easy to read with their back and forth and the different voices of the interviewer and player being interviewed.  More like this please.