MP: How did you get involved with the sport of hockey? Why did you decide to be a goaltender?

Scott: Being from Canada, I was basically born into hockey. I became a goalie mainly because of my cousin. He was a goalie and i guess I kind of idolized him so i wanted to follow in his footsteps.

MP: Being from Edmonton, Canada, what went into your decision to play college hockey at Wisconsin?

Scott: It was a pretty difficult decision for me to decide to go to college in the states instead of playing major junior in the WHL. I had been drafted by the Kamloops Blazers and they had ben pressuring me to come and play for them quite a bit. After talking to my parents and a few close family friends we decided it was best for me to go to college and get a degree. I was looking at a few schools closely but when i visited Wisconsin I fell in love, and there was no other place I wanted to go.

Scott: What kinds of training goes into playing goalie? What specific exercises and workouts do you focus on?

MP: I think training to be a goalie is very specific. I try to focus mainly on my core and legs. I think those are the two most important things for a goalie to work on. They allow you to be explosive and strong in the net. I like to do a lot of front squats and plyometrics to help focus on these explosive movements. I also do a lot of stretching. As a goalie you can end up in some pretty awkward positions sometimes and you have to make moves that are not natural for your body.

MP: How is an exercise routine different for goalies than other hockey players? How is it similar?

Scott: I think one of the biggest things that is different from goalies and players is the need for players to have much bigger upper bodies. They have to go into the corners an push off of other players where as goalies don't have the same contact with the opposing team. Whereas a goalie has to focus mainly on the legs. We have to be quick and explosive to move from side to side. Another thing that I do as part of my workout routines is reaction drills. I do different drills to work on my hand eye coordination and reactions.

MP: If you had to pick one, what is the most important muscle group that goaltenders should focus on and why?

Scott: I would say that the two most important muscles for a goalie would be the legs and the core. It is important for a goalie to have strong legs and core as they need to be able to make quick explosive pushes in a small area while keeping their body square to the puck.

MP: What kinds of exercises do you specifically work on for your reflexes and reaction time?

Scott: I do a lot of reaction drills. I use racquet balls for most of these drills. My favorite is wall juggling. You basically juggle the balls of the wall. I do many variations of this to focus on different things. I also like to use the reaction ball. The reaction ball gets your feet involved a little more. You have to move side to side and then react to it.

MP: A lot of people think that goaltenders are the most important position on the ice. What is your opinion on this?

Scott: I think goaltenders have probably the most pressure on them during a game and it is because of beliefs such as this. This is something that i really enjoy about being a goalie. I feel that i have a  chance to be a difference maker every time I'm on the ice. Goalies have the chance to win and lose games, and i really enjoy that added pressure.

MP: Do you believe that goalies need to be great skaters to excel in their positions? What do you do to improve your skating ability?

Scott: I think that people say that goalies need to be great skaters without really understanding how different their skating is from a players. A player will have to skate up and down a rink numerous times throughout a game whereas my skating is quick hard explosive movements in the crease. I have to be great and transition from one push to another, and getting up and done as quick as possible. I work on all sorts of in crease movements that help simulate game play. Since goaltending is such a specific position we have a separate practice dedicated for the goalies for 45 min before the teams regular practice. In these practices thats where i focus a lot of my time on these drills to help make me a better skater and goaltender.

MP: In a year in which the Wisconsin Badgers went all the way to the Frozen Four and lost in the national championship game to Boston College, what kinds of pressure did you have goaltending for a top-tier national hockey program? How has this helped you?

Scott: This year was a great experience for me personally. Obviously it would have been much better had we won the national championship game but i was able to learn a lot and gain some valuable experience for next season. Playing in games like the national championship obviously had a lot more pressure. I think playing for Wisconsin also has added pressure with the history our program has. There have been numerous great goalies that have come out of Wisconsin. Also, at Wisconsin they expect you to win. We have a winning tradition and that is something that has made our program successful. It does add some pressure but it is also one of the many reasons as to why I wanted to attend Wisconsin.

MP: In the beginning of the season, you split goalie time with Brett Bennett but eventually got the starting job as the season progressed. How has this competition helped you to succeed at your position?

Scott: I think the competition at the beginning of the season with Brett was helpful as it pushed me to work that much harder. It pushed me to be the best possible goalie that i could be. I think it really helped me realized what I had to be a top goalie at this level. I think now I have taken what I have learned and applied it to every workout and every practice; pushing myself as hard as possible.

MP: What was your best moment as a Badger? What was your most disappointing?

Scott: My best moment as a Badger was when we beat Michigan at Camp Randall. We had 55,000+ fans come out there in the freezing cold and we really took pride in sending them home with a win. It was one of the coolest experiences that I have ever had in my life. The most disappointing part of my season was obviously when we lost the national championship. That game meant everything to me. I know the feeling that I had after that game and just thinking about it will motivate me the much more to work that much harder everyday until we can hoist the national championship trophy over our heads at the end of next season.

MP: This past season you played an outdoor hockey game against Michigan at Camp Randall, the football stadium of the Wisconsin Badgers. What was that experience like?

Scott: That experience was one of the best experiences I have ever had in my entire life. It is something that I will cherish forever. I will never forget the feeling i had after we won the game. It meant so much for us to win that game for all the fans that came out and battled through the freezing cold. There aren't too many words that can describe being apart of something that special. It was amazing and something that I will never forget.

MP: Most of the time, a goaltender is only recognized to be as good as he is because of the defense playing in front of him. This was evident with Nikolai Khabibulin when he was on Tampa Bay. He wasn’t recognized as one the best goalies in the NHL until the franchise worked on their roster issues.  As a result of this, the Tampa Bay Lightning won a Stanley Cup with Khabibulin in goal. Given the success that you received as both a goaltender and Wisconsin as a team, what credit do you give to your defense for protecting you and the offense for maintaining possession of the puck?

Scott: Playing goalie for our team this year was awesome. The guys did such a great job in front of me that it made my  life a lot easier. Our defense did a great job all year of blocking shots and boxing players out in front of the net, and the forwards did a great job of back checking and putting pressure on the opposing team. Another factor that was great was the fact that we were the 2nd highest scoring team in college hockey for most of the year. Having a team that is gifted offensively takes a little pressure off of me. It gives me a little bit of breathing room.

MP: How much have your improved from high school to college as a goalie? Do you mainly attribute that to coaches, teammates or your general work ethic?

Scott: We actually don't have high school hockey where I live so i had to move away from home when I was 16 to player Junior hockey. But I really believe that my game is night and day from when I was in Juniors vs Today. I think that i can attribute that to many factors. I was fortunate enough to meet a great goalie coach in Mike Valley during my second year at Wisconsin. I trained with him the entire summer before this past summer which I believe really help me develop as a goalie. We found my strengths and were able to utilize them to my fullest. Also, this past season working with our new goalie coach Jeff Sanger has been great. We have built off of what I learned from Vals which has helped me to continue to develop. Another coach that has played an important role in my development is our strength coach Jim Snider. He has been awesome with all of my off-ice training. I also have to attribute it to playing with better players. I think having quality players on your team makes you better. Every practice I am facing their shots. The better their shots are and the harder they work makes me better. The last thing would be my work ethic. I think that I have worked very hard, especially over the past year and a half, to get to where I am today. I am a strong believer that you can accomplish anything in life as long as you work hard at it.

MP: Who do you believe is the best goaltender in the NHL and why?

Scott: The best goalie to ever play the game is Patrick Roy. He revolutionized the game of goaltending with the butterfly. He was my favorite goalie growing up. Now that he has retired I would have to say Roberto Luongo. He had a great regular season, and won an Olympic Gold Medal for Canada. I really love the way he plays and handles himself in the net.

MP: What is your playing style as goalie?

Scott: I would say that i am a butterfly goalie. I like to go down and seal my pads to the ice taking away the low part of the net from shooters.

MP: Who’s professional goalie style do you emulate the most?

Scott: I wouldn't say i try to emulate one goalies style. I really enjoy watching a few different goalies and taking different aspects of their games and applying it to mine. I really like to watch Lundqvist as i play similar to him with a wide and aggressive stance. I also like to watch Fleury as he is so quick and athletic in the net. The last goalie I really enjoy watching is Luongo because he is always so cool, calm and collected in the net. All three of these goalies are also butterfly goalies which is the style I play.

MP: Did you look up to any goaltenders when you were young? Why did you like this goalie the most?

Scott: Patrick Roy was my favorite goalie when I was younger. He revolutionized the game with his butterfly and was a winner as he won four stanley cups.

MP: Do you have any pregame rituals before you step foot on the ice?

Scott: I always go and sit in the same seat in the stands and tape my stick before every game. I also get dressed from right to left. Another thing I like to do before every game is stretch. I will stretch for about 45 - 60 min before every game so that I am warm and loose.

MP: What are your expectations for the Badgers next year as you enter your senior season as their goalie? Do you think you will improve as a team and you will improve as a goalie?

Scott: I don't think there is any reason why we can't win a national championship. We came so close this year and fell short. Having just a taste and not getting the whole thing is what is going to motivate our team to be that much better next season. I know my goal for next season is to win a national championship.

MP: What will be the toughest transition for both the Badgers and yourself next season?

Scott: I think one of the toughest things for us will be to fill a few spots after some key losses this year. We have some guys that are going to need to step up and fill the shoes of guys like Blake Geoffrion and Brendan Smith. 

MP: What are your future goals after finishing your career as a Badger?

Scott: My goal has always been to play professional hockey. Its a dream I have had since I was a child.