At 22 years old, Scott Timmins already has quite the resume. The native of Hamilton, Ontario, who is about to start his third AHL season, has three OHL Championships and two Memorial Cup Championships under his belt, in addition to 19 NHL games and his first NHL goal. I had the chance to chat with Scott last week and ask him some questions so that fans could learn a little more about the man behind the beard.
Here’s what the Florida Panthers’ sixth round draft pick (165th overall) from 2009 had to say:
When and how did you first get interested in Hockey?
The first time I put on the skates was when I was 4 years old and I just fell in love with it on day 1. Every Canadian plays or at least skates, so it just seemed like the normal thing to do growing up.
Who would your dream line mates be?
Mike Modano and Mario Lemieux. Modano was my favourite player growing up (I wore 9 because of him) and Lemieux just made the game look so easy with his size and skill.
What’s been your favourite hockey moment that you’ve been a part of?
It’s hard to pick just one, aside from scoring my first NHL goal. Winning 3 OHL championships and 2 Memorial Cups will always leave a lasting memory for me. Playing on such dominant teams and having the bond of those championships will always link me and my teammates together which will be cool to look back on in the future.
What’s the best part of playing for the Florida Panthers Organization?
Being part of the rebuilding process to get the franchise back in the right direction. It’s really seen a complete makeover the past few years; going from a bottom feeding team to competitive throughout the whole organization, and seeing the hard work pay off through the success. And the weather doesn’t hurt either.
In 2011 you got a chance to spend some time in the NHL. What was that like and how did it feel to score your first NHL goal?
It was a dream come true playing my first game at the ACC against my childhood team and second game scoring at the Bell Centre in Montreal. I don’t think you can write that up any better.
What’s the best prank you’ve ever pulled on a teammate or had a teammate pull on you?
Me and a teammate in Junior hid under the curtain of the buffet line at a pre-game meal and spread butter on everyone’s shoe (shoe check) that walked by. Those who came in late didn’t know we were under there. It took a while for everyone to figure it out which is when we finally popped out from under the table.
What’s the best/craziest Road Trip story you have?
Craziest story I’d have to say, is last year after playing in Rochester we bused to Grand Rapids (11 hours or so) to play them on a 3-in-3 at 5pm. We were about 5 miles from our hotel in GR and our bus’s tire exploded. We had to wait about 45 minutes for the new bus to come get us and that bus’s doors were frozen underneath so we had to jam all the wet bags onto the aisle of the new bus. We finally got to the hotel, grabbed a quick bite to eat and a very quick nap. We were losing 3-0 in the first 3 minutes of the game and it didn’t get any prettier from there.
Do you have any pre-game rituals or superstitions?
I don’t have any rituals or superstitions. I’d say it’s more of a routine, but if I forget to do something, I’m not losing my mind over it. Nothing weird, just a routine that makes me feel comfortable for the game.
It’s well known that you have one of the best beards around. Any secrets you have? Or any good stories about the famous Timmins beard?
Haha no secrets. I always have a beard ’cause I’m too lazy to shave it since it comes back so fast ,so I just go along with it. Not too many stories from it. I remember getting some weird looks from young kids when I was in Kitchener and we all had shaved heads for playoffs– I looked like Kimbo Slice.
If you were to be stranded on a desert island and you could only take one thing (and no, it can’t be a boat to get you off the island), what would it be?
I think I’d have to take my dog with me. It would get pretty lonely and he would never argue with me while we’re stuck there, so it would be nice company.
Any Goals for the Off-season or for next season?
Obviously I’d love to get as many games and contribute as much as possible with Florida. But I’d like to improve on my numbers from last year as much as I can and win another championship. I felt we really had a shot and after, losing to OKC left a pretty sour taste but only motivates you more to be better.
What’s the best part about being a professional hockey player?
The best thing is you get to hang out with your 20 buddies every day doing what you love to do, while meeting a bunch of others along the way, and being there for the ups and downs and all the laughs that come with the job. We are very fortunate individuals.
Alright, now for your favourites…
Book? Fiction: Hunger Games Trilogy
Non-Fiction: Anthony Kiedis Scar Tissue
Movie? Old School
Food? Mike Caruso‘s cooking
TV Show? Family Guy
Band? Red Hot Chili Peppers
Sports Team? Toronto Blue Jays
Road City? Montreal
Thing to do when not at the rink? Play Guitar
Thing to do in San Antonio? Relax and enjoy the beautiful weather
Teammate to follow on Twitter? When you can understand what he’s writing, Jacob Markstrom
Anything else you’d like to say to the fans?
Just that I can’t wait to be back playing in front of the fans and continuing to grow the fan base down there.
As always thank you for reading and a special thanks to Scott for answering all the questions! Feel free to leave any comments, opinions or suggestions of which prospects you would like to see spotlighted in the future below!
Follow the Rat Pack on Twitter: me @HockeyGirl2530, Frank Rekas @TheRatTrick , David Lasseter @davidlasseter , Josh Luecht@joshluecht, Patrick McLaughlin @PatrickRattrick , Scott Mullin @GreatScottsman, David Rodriguez @davidbub_2, Paige Lewis @peejlewiz Gabby Kiger @gabbykiger, Adam Reid@AdamReid, Justen Rosenberg @JustenRosenberg, Chrissy Parente @chrissaay44 and Kris Eberwein @KrisEberwein . Also, please join our Facebook Fan Page and hit the like button, send us photos, and make some comments.