Nick MacNeil, the right winger for the Admirals and a talented player steadily on the rise, spoke about his experience in Norfolk thus far and team expectations going into the season. He was born in Nova Scotia, Canada, and played all four years in college with the University of New Brunswick. MacNeil most recently played with the Bakersfield Condors, netting 12 goals and 14 assists in his second professional season. Q: How did you first get into hockey, and what was the youth hockey culture like growing up in Canada? A: Well, I first started playing when I was four years old and watched hockey as a little kid. I really liked the excitement of it and enjoyed all the different gear. When I started minor league hockey, I got really into it and growing up through it, my coaches always pushed me. I've always loved the game and have had a lot of really good coaches. The one that pushed me the most was probably Frank McGinnis; no one around here knows him, but back home, he was a big motivator for me. Q: What other positions have you played throughout your career? A: Honestly, I've played all the forward positions (right wing, left wing, and center). I'm willing to do anything I can to help the team. Q: Now that you're in Norfolk, what are some big differences between living here and back home in Canada? A: I'm definitely looking forward to the warmer weather here since in Canada, we have nice summers, but our winters are terrible. In California last year, it was a big wake up call for me since I didn't see a lot of snow. I'm also looking forward to finishing up this week and getting the season going. Q: What do you bring to the team in terms of your skills and assets? A: I'm just going to play hard every night and be as physical as possible since forwards all have pretty big bodies. I can play both sides of the box and will also contribute defensively when I can. Q: How do you prepare for games in terms of diet and nutrition, and are there any special regiments that you do outside of the gym? A: I don't do anything out of the ordinary. I'm an early morning guy, so I like working out in the mornings and getting a good breakfast. My pregame meal has been spaghetti for the last ten years, so I'm used to eating that along with chicken and protein. My girlfriend's a dietician, so she's helped me a lot with my diet over the past few years. Q: What do you like to do for fun outside of practice? A: I like to play golf during the summers. Back when I was growing up, my father used to train racehorses so I got really into horse racing. Sometimes when I'm bored, I'll go online and just watch some horse races since it's a pretty big thing in Canada. I guess I have a good bloodline for that. Q: What are some of your personal and team goals for the season? A: Coach Eric made it pretty clear that he expects the team to make the playoffs. Last year, our team was decent, but during the second half of the season, we really struggled. Training camp has been intense here, so it's only going to make us better. It's definitely going to make me better too, and we're all looking forward to getting the season going.