The Inferno Interview - Colt King

26th Mar 2012 | Posted by The Inferno

For the latest in the on-going series of Inferno Interviews we caught up with the man who broke a lot of Devils fans wish lists and hearts in Cardiff when he signed for the Sheffield Steelers at the Start of this season the one and only Colt King or Colt 45 or "The King" if you prefer.

A 4th round NHL draft pick by the Colorado Avalanche in 2001,Power forward King has racked up an impressive 49 points and 120 odd Penalty minutes for the Steelers this season joined the Yorkshire side from the Rapid City Rush in the CHL where he played with the likes of former Devil Jon Pelle and current Devil Jamie Vanderveeken.

We caught up with Colt this week fresh off the back of the Steelers shock back to back loses in Belfast which ended the Steelers run to retain the league title this year, we talked about Kings and the Steelers focus for the rest of the year, his impression of the UK hockey scene and his plans for next year… we might have also snuck in “that” question as well about why the choice to play in Sheffield and not us ( not that we are bitter, we can move on etc etc)

The Inferno (IF) - How and when did you get involved in Ice Hockey?

The King- I started organized hockey when I was 4 years old. I have been playing hockey my whole life. When i was a kid that's all me, my friends, my older brother and his friends ever did. At school during recess we played, after school we played, we all played on club teams, some of us teammates. Our club teams were obviously most important not only for bragging rights but development. During the winter I never took my skates off.  I had 3 outdoor rinks within a three minute walk from the house i grew up in. The city flooded and maintained them throughout the winter, I skated everyday from after school until my curfew, all of my friends, my older brother and his friends would be down there playing. it was ruthless out there. just skates gloves and sticks. it could be -30C outside and we"d be in t shirts, sweating we were out there battling so long.

 

IF - Can you clear something up for us once and for all.. did you ever have talks with the Devils as it was rumoured for a few seasons? If we were in talks, can we ask what were your reasons for declining?

The King- The Devils organization had been in touch with me before. Everyone that I know that has played there had nothing but good things to say about the organization, and the city of Cardiff. It's a tough thing to do when trying to pick a place to play. You just try to put yourself if the best fit for yourself and your family.

 

IF - What's the best arena you've played in for atmosphere and most intimidating?

The King- Fans all over the UK are extremely loyal and passionate fans. It was a surprising but refreshing site my first trip throughout the different rinks around the league. The best atmosphere is obviously Sheffield. It's great to see more and more new faces at the games. We have a great fans base in Sheffield. Nottingham's rink can be pretty intimidating. Especially when the Steelers are in town. They're fun games to be a part of. Belfast's fans are great. Cardiff’s are great as well, very rambunctious. It would be nice to see you guys get a new facility. You're fans are definitely a passionate bunch. easy to see why the you guys never loose at home.

 

IF - What's been your best moment as a pro to date?

The King- Winning a Championship with the Rapid City Rush in '09-'10 season. Former Devil Derek Campbell was apart of that championship team. Nothing can match winning a Championship.

 

IF - Who's the best forward you've played on a line with and best D man against?

The King- It's been great playing with every one of the forwards on the Steelers this year. Jeremy Rebek is the D man that stands out the most. A  good leader and a well rounded, talented defenseman.

 

IF - As we know, there's quite a high percentage of CHL players in the UK in the last few years, what attracted you to the UK?

The King- As depressing as this sounds, I came to the realization that i wasn't getting another shot at getting a called up the the AHL so i wanted to take advantage of having the opportunity to play over seas. It's always been a goal of mine to play in "Europe".

 

IF - Leading on from the last question, some ex Rapid City team mates of yours such as Jon Pelle, Jamie Vanderveeken, Derek LeBlanc, as well as previous years Brendon Cook have played in the UK, did they give you much info before you chose to sign in Sheffield ?

The King- I've had convos throughout the years with different guys and their experiences in the UK. Again, Ultimately it comes down to trying to find the best fit for yourself and family. The business side of hockey unfortunately can take center stage when choosing a team to play for so you just hope that it all works out the way you hope it does.

 

IF - What do you think of Ryan Finnerty as a coach and what do you think of Sheffield as a team/fans etc?

The King- We have such a great group of guys. As a team we all get along great. maybe sometimes to good. If that's ever a bad thing. Sheffield has been a great place to play. The fans are great. True hockey fans. They're a rowdy, passionate, loyal bunch. There hasn't been one single away game that we haven't had a load of them there supporting us.

 IF - Have you thought about next year? Somewhere else in Europe to play or looking to stay put ?

The King- Having only a one year contract you've always got it in the back of your mind of what you're going to do "next year". As of right now I haven't made up my mind as to where I'm going to end up playing next season.

 IF - Do you Plans for when you hang your skates up?

The King- No plans set in stone but I'm thinking that it's going to be in the next couple of seasons. i wish i could play hockey until i was 50. I'm never going to stop playing.

 IF - We've got to ask.. When you arrived in Cardiff for your first game, what did you think of the Big Blue tent?

The King- I was thrown back a bit. It was better than the picture I had in my head before we pulled in.

The rink it's self isn't that bad. for us players, it's way too small. I've had a lot of "firsts" this hockey season. The rink in Cardiff was one of them.

IF - Finally as you've just missed out on the league title ( well done on a cracking league campaign btw), how focused are the Steelers for the playoffs and lifting the cup?

The King- We're definitely focused on winning the playoffs. It's the last chance to get our hands on hardware. The boys deserve a cup. We've battled hard this season.

We'd like to thank Colt for taking the time out to speak to us and wish him all the best for the rest of the season.