Taking Liberties With… Andrew Oglevie
ANDREW OGLEVIE
Position: Forward, Rochester Americans (American Hockey League)
Hometown: Fullerton
California Youth Teams: Anaheim Jr. Ducks, Beach City Lightning, California Wave, LA Hockey Club/Selects
Last Amateur Team: University of Notre Dame (Big Ten, NCAA D-I)
California Rubber: Do you have a favorite California hockey memory?
Andrew Oglevie: Winning back-to-back national championships in 2008-09 with LA Hockey. Our (’95) team went to three straight championship games. Another one was the first time our group went to Canada to Silver Sticks in Whitby (Ontario) and got to skate on a frozen pond. We’d never been anywhere that had winter before.
CR: Do you have a favorite memory since?
AO: We went to back-to-back Frozen Fours at Notre Dame. I had the OT game-winner in the regional final (against UMass Lowell) in 2017.
CR: Did you have a favorite hockey team or player growing up?
AO: The Ducks. My all-time favorite player was Mark Messier because my mom’s from New York. My favorite growing up was Paul Kariya. He signed one of my sticks at KHS one time, an Easton Z bubble – my first graphite stick.
CR: Who are some of the influential people in your life?
AO: My parents (Norm and Maury) and my grandparents. My coach at Culver Military Academy, Jason Nightingale, because it was around the time colleges were starting to recruit and he helped me quite a bit. Mark Carlson at Cedar Rapids (USHL) as well.
CR: How close are you to finishing your degree?
AO: I’m going to finish it up this summer (Oglevie signed with the Buffalo Sabres after his junior season). For one, it’s Notre Dame, and it would be very dumb of me not to get my degree. My parents worked hard to get me that opportunity and provide me everything I had to that ended up getting my scholarship.
CR: When you’re back in California, do you have a favorite meal?
AO: There’s too many. You’ve got to go to In-N-Out. The Taqueria. They don’t have good Mexican food anywhere else. The Hat in Brea has really good pastrami sandwiches. Those three are my staples.
CR: Are you particular about your gear?
AO: I like to have my tongues out on my skates. That’s one thing. I tape my stick the same way. I’m not really that superstitious. Nothing too interesting there.
CR: What is the best hockey prank you’ve seen?
AO: I remember watching the playoffs one year and Corey Perry was in the middle between the Ducks and Kings benches. I think it was Jeff Carter who was drinking water and set his gloves on the boards. Perry dumped an entire water bottle into Carter’s gloves. They had to weigh five pounds. Another staple is putting baby powder under a guy’s helmet.
CR: What have you learned through your hockey transitions?
AO: You learn how to treat your body right off the ice. Going to military school, to juniors and to college taught me how to get the recovery I need so I’m consistent every night. I mentioned Mark Carlson as an influence. He taught me how to play a complete, 200-foot game. I always liked offense, but just that doesn’t get you too far. I’ve played a style of hockey he’s molded me into. Be willing to learn and listen to your coaches. Respect them, they’ve been around a long time and know what they’re doing, and they’ll help you get to where you want to go.
CR: What is one thing people don’t realize about pro hockey?
AO: It’s a business. You show up every day, you’re expected to work. You’re traveling a lot. It’s more rigorous than college. It’s also a lot of fun. You’re with the guys all the time on the road. You have to stay consistent. You have to find ways to keep your body fresh and your mind sharp because you’re playing almost every other night for six months. It’s a grind, but you also have a ton of free time.
CR: What are some road essentials?
AO: The rookies always bring the movies. I bring my headphones. I like listening to a lot of music. I have Hulu for movies and TV. A deck of cards is a must.
CR: What are the favorite card games?
AO: I like playing poker, straight up. We love playing UNO, too. Those games get salty.
Photo/Micheline Veluvolu/Rochester Americans
– Compiled by Chris Bayee
(Dec. 10, 2019)