Oakland University Hockey

Oakland Hockey’s Corey Hagood is starting a new series right here on www.oaklandhockey.org called “Off The Ice With..”  This feature will give you an in-depth look at your favorite Grizzly Hockey players.

How and why did you start playing Hockey? I started playing around 5 years old; I think it was because my ADD kept getting me lost during soccer games.

Who is your hockey Idol and why? I don’t really have a hockey idol, but idol in general is my brother Josh. Over the last couple of years he has been faced with some big obstacles in life and not only did he overcome them, he outright beat them. Something that not many 17 year kids could have done.

 What is your most memorable goal and why? My most memorable goal is scoring the game winning goal against Catholic Central when I was a senior in high school. It was the biggest game of the year.

What is your typical routine on gameday? I’m not gonna lie it’s pretty casual. I usually wake up about 1, go to my parents’ house and eat. Then sit around and fall back asleep until it’s time for the game. On a good day I’ll shoot a couple tennis balls for my dog to chase

Why did you choose to wear number 14? Any significance in that number?

Again, to be honest I was one of the last guys to be asked given where I sat in the room so 14 was the only non moldy number left.

Take us through how you ended up at OU Hockey? The reason I ended up at OU was pretty simple. I had to have back surgery when I was playing out east and got redshirted for that year so I decided to come home. I came to OU because I wanted to stay close to home this time around, and have fun playing hockey. Little did I know "we work harder here". I’m still having a lot of fun though.

 Can you take us through your first goal here and what it meant to you? My first goal was hopefully an ice breaker for me. When I was younger they came easy to me, now it seems I gotta work a little harder for them. Hopefully now that I popped the cherry they’ll go in a little easier.

What is something you bring to the team that is uniquely you? I’d have to say I bring a unique sense of Humor. I usually like to end any conversation with something stupid or funny. I feel it helps keep the team loose.

What's your nickname and how did you get it? Odd enough my nickname is: The Condor. Worrell gave it to me thinking that a condor was a snake, but little did he know it was a bird. But it stuck

Who's your funniest teammate and why? My funniest teammate to me would have to be Jimbo. (Jim Moran) It’s not all the time but when he gets going I usually end up crying I’m laughing so hard.

What current NHL player would you compare yourself to and why? I don’t know if I play like him completely but I’d like to compare myself to Franzen. He’s a hardworking played who also has some sleeper skill. He can battle and put the puck in the net.

Have you played any other positions other then forward and how did that turn out?
When I was in high school I played defense every once in a while, on the power play and the penalty kill. It was terrible. I was just lost, and I have to give the D some credit because all the forwards are always complaining about people ringing it around the boards....but it’s tough when you got 3 players all over you forechecking.

What is your most embarrassing hockey moment? When I was playing Juniors we were away plying in a packed barn and one of my teammates lost an edge and slid into me and I flipped over him..Hard. And the crowd for the rest of the game let us know it happened about every three seconds.

What is the weirdest thing to happen while on a road trip? The weirdest thing would be rooming with MAC. (Jordan MacDonald) That guy has conversation with imaginary people in his sleep. It’s actually creepy.

Are you a superstitious guy and if so what are some of your superstitions? I’m not really superstitious; the only thing for me is that both my skates have to be the same tightness on each foot. So there’s a good amount of tying and retying before games and practice.

If we were to check on your Ipod or CD Player what type of songs would we find on there? I listen to everything. But if you were to look on my ipod you would probably think I was a 14 year old girl, because it seems everyone in my family has taken over my itunes.

What is your favorite website to visit and why? My favorite website is idontlikeyouinthatway.com it’s a celebrity gossip website..You know you can never be down on your celeb gossip

Favorite Food? My favorite food is Doritos. There is just nothing like them to me. I could eat a bag a meal for years, but I don’t because they make me fat.

What is one thing you cannot live without and why? I cannot live without my cell phone. I mean when I don’t have that thing I feel like I’m disconnected from earth. It’s terrible.

Who is the most famous hockey person you have met and what advice did he give you if any? I met Chris Osgood when I was younger and he told me my fly was open. It was good enough but it didn’t bother me because when he was playing in a game later on that night...his five hole was open when he let in six goals against Colorado.

If you got to pick any current NHL players to play on the ice at the same time as you who would they be? Who would be the coach? Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Nash Lidstrom - Campbell
Connors - I would play goalie because the play would never come in my end. So I could just relax and enjoy the show. The coach would be Babcock because he’s the man.

If you could be on and TV show which one would it be and why? I want to be on SNL. Those guys are all hilarious. I think if I could act id be a stud on that show.

Which coach has been most influential to you in your career and why? The one coach that was the most influential to me was Brian Klanow at St. Mary’s. He was a straight forward coach who demanded consistency in every shift that I had. Not to mention he is still a friend to me today.

What is something that most people don’t know about you that would surprise them? One thing that most probably don’t know is that I need to be chewing gum when I do anything that involves me being active I don’t know why but I gotta have it.

I started playing hockey when I was about 4. It all started when I was younger, I never wanted to ride my bike outside I was the one always rolling around with my roller blades on. After I was wheeling around my parents mentioned hockey and after they said hockey I was all in.

Who is your hockey Idol and why?

My hockey idol is Tomas Holmstrom. He is an awesome player. A player that knows his role on a great team and does his job. He is not cocky but knows what it takes to get his name on the cup. Also David Booth of the Florida Panthers. I grew up hanging around his younger brother and he is a class act. Played at State, strong Christian that knows life isn’t about making money but about helping others in need.

 What is your most memorable goal and why?

My most memorable goal was when I was suited up in the Metro Jet Uniform. It was a tie game went to OT. OT was over and the shootout came. Sure enough I ended up going because Big Mac (Jordan MacDonald) and Novy (Adam Novack) couldn’t score so coach sent me out to finish the game. I went high glove game over win for metro.

What is your typical routine on gameday?

I have a pretty simple gameday routine. I wake up get a good breakfast in with some orange juice. Around 11 or so ill get an orange Gatorade, drink that with my lunch then stay active till game time. Dinner I either eat pasta or chicken with a lot of water. I head to the rink get a snickers tape both my sticks and listen to Lil Wayne.

Why did you choose to wear number 27? Any significance in that number?

Well my number that I always want to rock is 18 but it is not available here at OU. 27 doesn’t really have a lot of anything behind it. When I was in Iowa I was given 27 and I thought it was a cool number. Any number is better than a single digit number on the jersey I cannot stand that. so 27 is my number and will be forever now.

Take us through how you ended up at OU Hockey?

Diz is my nickname. I’m not sure how this came upon me. On every other team I was always called diesel. One of my first games here at OU Gordie yelled out the next two D going out and said Diz I turned around looked at him and said who is Diz? He said it was me after that the name has stuck.

Who is your funniest teammate and why?

Connors for sure. He is a character man. No matter what is going on he will always throw a one liner in there to get the group laughing. He’s a great kid always good to have around to have a great time.

 What current NHL player would you compare yourself to and why?

I’m not sure really. I’m an offensive defenseman I skate up a lot like Brett Lebda but I also feel like I can run the PP like Lidstrom. I’m an in between kind of player.

 Have you played any other positions other then defense and how did that turn out?

Yes, when I played Midget A I played center for Troy sting. It turned out great. We ended up taking the team to the national finals but sadly lost. I put up a good amount of points I believe like 80 or 90.

 What is your most embarrassing hockey moment?

My most embarrassing hockey moment would have to be when I had to leave the ice to go to the bathroom. I was playing and could not hold it. I left in the middle of the game to go I came back and sniped.

What is the weirdest thing to happen while on a road trip?

Roadtrips are a blast. A lot of weird things happen that’s for sure. Probably one of the weirdest would have to be seeing 8 guys on the team, and I was one of them playing Bazooka ball in the mall. It was weird but the funniest thing ever.

 Are you a superstitious guy and if so what are some of your superstitions?

Not really I just have one thing I do before every game. I have a puck that I have had for years now and after I tape my stick with white tape ill rub the puck on the blade where it is taped to get the puck marks on it. Idk why I do it I just do.

 If we were to check on your Ipod or CD Player what type of songs would we find on there?

I’m a variety kind of guy. You will definitely see a lot of country. Also you will see plenty of rap but on the most played list you will see the Goo Goo Dolls I’m a huge fan of them.

 What is your favorite website to visit and why?

My favorite website is probably facebook. You can see what everyone is doing and chat it up with the girls.

My favorite food is spaghetti. There is nothing like homemade spaghetti coming from Sandi DeSano. It’s the best trust me.

 Who is the most famous hockey person you have met and what advice did he give you if any?

Dino Ciccarelli, he told me that no matter what work hard good things will happen if your feet are moving and don’t be afraid to take a hit. Also I met David Booth he told me to have fun work hard if you’re not having fun there is no point to work hard. Do it for the team get the championship good things happen when you play as a team.

 Who is the most famous person non hockey you met and how did that meeting come about? And what did it mean to you?

Never really met anyone famous boring life I know

If you could pick and current NHL players to play on the ice at the same time as you who would they be? (3F 1D, G. you are the other D.

Forwards: Joe Thornton, Alex Ovechkin, Tomas Holmstrom
Defense: Nick Lidstom, Me
Goalie: Roberto Luongo

Can you tell us the story of the fishbowl?

Oh the fishbowl! The fishbowl is something that the whole OU hockey team should rock. Me and novy were debating on rocking them before the year and we just decided to do it. It is a great look. I love the way people try to chirp on the ice but they know they can’t because we have the balls to rock the fish bowl. It’s sick.

If you could be on a TV show which one would it be and why?

Price is right....I want to win a car or some cash

You work with Novack at the rink. Can you tell us what it's like to work with him?
Well I work at the Macomb rink but sometimes we do work together. One thing about novy is he likes to have a good time. When we are dead he always has something up his sleeve to do while we are slow. Also every blonde girl that walks through Peranis somehow becomes novy’s new girlfriend its hilarious

What is something that most people don’t know about you that would surprise them?
I’m a gongshow