08-13-2007, 12:54 PM
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Q & A: Andrew Sharp
Q & A: Andrew Sharp By: Wes McSnipes & Humpzilla August 13, 2007 Here is an e-mail interview that I had with LNAH tough guy, Andrew Sharp. Patrick Gribben (Humpzilla) was also a very big help as he came up with quite a few of these questions, so I’d like to give some credit to him, because he played a part in this interview. Thanks Patrick! Also, I would just like to thank Andrew Sharp for his time and effort that he put into this interview. He gave great answers that were long and very detailed on every single question, and I really appreciate it. He was a really cool guy to interview. Enjoy! Q: For all athletes, there comes a certain time in their life where they really start to get interested in the sport that they would eventually play. When did you first start getting interested in the game of hockey, and what player(s) influenced your style of play at that time? A: I was born in Manila, Philippines and I did not even know what hockey or snow was until I was about 6 years old. My family moved to Cowansville, Quebec because of my father's job. I got interested in hockey when I found out that all my friends were playing and the following season my parents put my brother and I into novice when I was 7 years old. From that first year my entire childhood was consumed by wanting to be a professional hockey player. We moved again when I was 14 to Langley, BC where I continued to pursue my dream. As a kid I idolized Mario Lemieux and later Eric Lindros. Q: What was it like growing up in the hockey hotbed of Quebec? Obviously they have some great hockey fans there, so did that have an effect on you getting interested in the game of hockey, or did you develop that interest on your own, and you would have liked hockey no matter where you grew up? A: Growing up in Quebec was a major influence in my desire to play hockey. It was a religion to most people. The fans not only influenced me but my entire family. My father is British and loves soccer, but quickly became a huge hockey fan cheering the Quebec Nordiques. My mother, a Filipina lady, became a typical hockey mom, scraping ice off the car and shoveling snow from the driveway at 5am so my brother and I could make it to practice. If I would have grown up in the Philippines I would probably have taken up golf. Q: While growing up as a young kid, who was your FAVORITE hockey fighter that you had ever watched, and in your opinion, who is the toughest fighter of all time? A: Daniel Lacroix was my favourite fighter, he helped run a hockey school that I attended every summer in Bromont, Quebec. He was a huge influence and took a special interest in me. He would teach me the fundamentals of the game long after practice was over. As for the toughest of all-time, Bob Probert. But I also really liked Tony Twist because when he punched, it was to hurt. Q: When first starting out in pro hockey in the United States, you played in the SPHL over the span of 2 years. Overall, what was that experience like for you, and what were your thoughts on the level of toughness and quality of hockey while you were down there? A: I really liked the SPHL. My time was cut short because of visa issues but when I was there I really enjoyed myself. There were some beautiful cities to play in. The teams I played for really took care of their players. The hockey was good and you had one or two quality fighters per team. I had some great fights with Ryan Rivard, Luke Phillips, and Craig Stahl among others. Q: On November 4th, 2005, you took part in who many consider to be one of the best, toe to toe SPHL fights in league history, against former Florida Seals player Ryan Rivard. And because of the website Youtube.com, it has been viewed around 31,000 thousand times. As someone who's probably seen the fight since taking part in it, what are your thoughts on that scrap in retrospect? Would you consider it your best? A: I had heard a lot about Ryan and saw him go crazy during the infamous Macon Trax vs. Asheville Aces game when in the third period there were 294 penalty minutes assessed. I was playing for Asheville at the time and was not dressed for the game. We met up the year after when I was with Knoxville. We were playing in Orlando, and for the first two periods I was told not to fight. Katzberg had asked me and I had to turn him down. In the beginning of the third period, we were down 2-1 and our coach finally told me to go after Rivard or Katzberg hoping to swing the momentum in our favor. Before the period started, he called the winger across from Rivard off the ice and I asked him to fight and he obliged. I knew he was left handed and I was squaring off left handed as I wanted to be able to grab a hold of his left arm. Before we came together, I changed my mind and went back to my right handed stance, thinking that I would rather trade blows with him, his left against my right instead of grabbing onto his power hand and having to fight him left hand versus left hand. We had a great exchange and I did not realize how fast we were throwing until I watched the fight on the bus on our way back to Tennessee. We ended up winning the game so I suppose my job was done well on that particular night helping swing the momentum back on our favor. It was one of my best so far in my pro career. I heard that Ryan was now retired, he had a good reputation in the SPHL and is a very tough guy. He has my respect and whatever he is doing now, I wish him all the best. Q: Coming from playing in smaller hockey rinks and rodeo arenas of the deep south's SPHL, what was it like entering into the somewhat "blood thirsty" environment that is the LNAH? What was that experience like for you, how did you make that transition, and what were your expectations? A: There were a few factors that influenced my decision to go to Quebec. I was having difficulty playing in the US because I have a British passport and my visa was filled wrong when I was in Knoxville. I could not get a work visa in the US the entire 2005-2006 season. I went home and enrolled at a university, and I started getting contacted by LNAH teams. I decided to sign in the LNAH for the upcoming season. The SPHL and the LNAH were like night and day. In the SPHL I was told not to fight unless I had to, and in Quebec I was told before the game who I was going to fight. I had no real expectations going to Quebec. I had heard a lot about the league and as a young player I wanted to learn and improve my role as an enforcer. I had fun in Quebec and started to adjust to the style after a few games. I broke my hand early in the year fighting against Trois-Rivieres, which severely shortened my season. Q: Speaking of the “blood thirsty” environment of the LNAH, what are your thoughts on the fans there? Obviously they are some of the loudest and best fans in any hockey league across the world due to their chants, horns, cheering, and “blood-lust” attitude. Are you used to that kind of passion as someone who grew up in Quebec? A: Fans in Quebec were great. In the US you also have very passionate fans, but some are not as knowledgeable about the players as in the LNAH. You could see and hear it when they would start heckling a player. They knew what they were talking about. They would yell personal stuff about him. Things I did not even know and I sat next to the guy in the dressing room. The fans really gave the small rinks in the LNAH the type of atmosphere that they are famous for. I knew beforehand that Quebec fans were passionate but they really researched a guy before laying into him. There were many times I would start laughing hearing some fans. Q: In the LNAH, the fans, teams and management are seemingly always aware of the new tough guys coming into the league and how they've faired prior to signing with a club in Quebec. So for you (someone who was drafted 2nd in the 1st round of the LNAH draft), what kind of level of expectations did you have going into your first couple of games in the LNAH? A: Coming to the LNAH, I wanted to learn from the style of play and improve my skills as a fighter. Maybe put in a year or two and come back to the US. I signed with St-Jean and began quick with four fights and a bench clearing brawl in my first two games before being traded to Thetford-Mines. I started the season centering the 4th line. In Thetford-Mines I was expected to just be a fighter and help carry the fighting load along with Kurtis Swanson and Samuel Duplain, two very good LNAH fighters, but I was moved up after a few games and centered the checking line after I was given a chance to show that I could play as well. Things were going great until I ran into injury problems. Q: In the LNAH, clubs usually tend to have around 3-5 tough players in the lineup on a nightly basis. So for you, what was it like be in the locker rooms before and after games? Specifically, what was the atmosphere like, and how much camaraderie was there between tough guys? A: In Thetford-Mines, I spent a lot of time with Kurtis Swanson and Marc-Andre Roy. I lived with both of them on and off during my time there. Kurtis has been in the league a long time and has fought everybody. He has paid his dues and will stay a top fighter in the league for as long as he decides to keep playing. He would give me the heads up on who was who, their styles, tendencies and who I would match-up well against. Before I got hurt, it was Swanson, Duplain and I carrying the fighting load for the Prolab. Roy came in after I was hurt. On some nights, we would get called in and the coaches would match us up with the other teams fighters and on other nights we would decide amongst ourselves. Kurtis and I got injured about 1-2 minutes apart as I broke my hand and he broke his nose in subsequent fights. The camaraderie amongst the enforcers was good, although in the LNAH not all the players live in the city they are playing in, some having jobs and families to attend to making it harder to spend time with teammates. Kurtis and I both lived in Thetford-Mines, we were both sidelined and shared mutual boredom in the small town having to drive out to Quebec city regularly to make the time go by faster. He is a great guy and although I hated his country music and the fact that he did not seem to like my rock music too much, we tried to keep each other company while we were both healing up. Q: On September 22nd, 2006, you were the recipient of a stick-swing by Sherbrooke tough guy, Brad Wingfield; a hockey player who has garnered the nickname "Wingnut" due to his wild style over the years. From what you remember from that night, could you tell us what brought all of this on, and your perspective of what occurred that night? A: I had already been in a fight and was involved in a bench-clearing brawl before Brad and I met up in the third period. I left the penalty box after Charbonneau, who was sitting in the penalty box next to me, went after Chicoine while he was returning to the Sherbrooke bench. The benches cleared and I was throwing punches at a Sherbrooke player when the linesman pulled me away and told me to leave the ice. I was in the dressing room before my teammates and when the referee was assessing penalties, in the mass confusion following the brawl, not seeing me on the ice, he forgot to add me onto the list. I returned to the ice, and after some arguing between the linesman and our head coach, I was allowed to stay in the game. The only fighters left were Brad and I. Wingfield was taking liberties on the ice when the coach told me to bump into Brad and ask him to fight. I got on the ice and skated right towards him, I wanted to bump into him but he saw me at the last minute and side-stepped me, I reached out and caught him with the inside of my arm and we were both skating at a pretty good speed and both of us went flying. We were on all fours about 10-12 feet apart. We got up and I dropped my gloves and skated towards him. He took a swing at me with his stick and I ducked down as it caught me. The linesmen got in between and I don't think he ever dropped his gloves. He may have been hurt, and did not want to fight, I am really not sure. We played against each other closer to Christmas time in Thetford-Mines, and I was anticipating to have a fight with him. I was beginning to play again after my hand injury, but he never saw the ice the entire game. He was having shoulder and hand problems throughout the year. I've heard a lot about Brad, because we both come from the Vancouver area, he has been around a long time and has been fighting in the minors for years. He has had a great career and holds a couple records for penalty minutes in some of the minor leagues in the US. I don't condone stick swinging in a game as a guy can get seriously hurt, although I think he was sidelined for a lengthy amount of time with a back injury after we collided. Maybe it was a case of him being an established fighter and he felt as if a young up and comer like me should not have gone after him as I did. Q: On January 27, 2007, you took part in a game against the Saint-Georges CRS Express; a game which saw your teammate Mark Black going into the stands after a fan. From your experience that night, what was your take on that incident? A: As far as how it started I am not certain. I believe that some players who were not dressed were getting into arguments with some fans. I had already left the bench to get involved in a line-brawl. I was at the other end of the ice, close to the St-George bench when it all began. After the scrum, I was being ejected from the game for leaving the bench, when I saw Mark climb into the stands and get involved with some of the St-George arena security guards. I think he was trying to get at a fan but the security got in his way. I was standing by our bench refusing the linesman's attempts to get me to leave the ice. In the event that something were to get out of hand, I did not want to be sitting in the dressing room. Fans were throwing various debris at the bench and at the players on the ice. Mark was holding one of the guards down when a fan threw a punch at him. I pushed my teammates aside and made my way up the stands and threw a punch at the spectator who went after Mark. A female spectator, probably the fan's wife, yelled for me to stop and grabbed him so I let go of him right away. Mark and I were pulled down by the coaches and sent to the dressing room. Mark is a good guy that does his job well and sticks up for teammates on the ice, and apparently off the ice also. It was a memorable night and a game that I will remember for the remainder of my career. Q: In particular, you enjoyed a short stint on whom many consider to be the toughest club in pro hockey today, in the St-Jean Chiefs. For you, what was it like being on a team that was in a bench clearer in your 1st game, and that sat you in a locker room with guys like Patrick Cote, Steve Bosse, Brandon Sugden, and a character like Louis-Philippe Charbonneau? Overall, what was this experience like for you? A: When I was in St-jean, I was put on a line centering Patrick Cote and Steve Bosse. I spent time with Steve over all the other guys. He is a nice guy off the ice and took it upon himself to make me feel comfortable when I arrived in Quebec. He made sure to exchange cell phone numbers my first day there and called me everyday to see if I wanted to go to the gym or take a look at St-Jean. I went out downtown St-Jean a couple times with him and his girlfriend. He is an animal on the ice but is the furthest thing from it off the ice. Definitely one of the nicest guys I've ever played with. I sat next to L-P Charbonneau in the dressing room, and he is a funny guy on and off the ice. His antics were hilarious and he really got under the skin of opposing teams. Although there are exceptions, I have noticed a trend in hockey of the tougher the player, the nicer the guy. I had fun there and it was a good place to get my feet wet before I was traded to Thetford-Mines. By the time the season started in Thetford-Mines, I had a crash course of what the LNAH was all about. Q: When you eventually come play in the International League in the future, how do you think your game would suit the league, which as of recent, dropped their Instigator Penalty? How exactly would that affect your game and role as Enforcer? A: I've heard a lot about the IHL from my agent, Mark Feinsod, as teams have been speaking to him about having me on their roster. The no instigator rule could make the league a little more exciting as players will not have to put their team in jeopardy to start a fight. As for myself, the league could be a great fit, having the possibility of being called up to the AHL while possibly enjoying the freedom to fight as I had in the LNAH. In the SPHL, I was told not to fight unless I had to. As an enforcer the league would allow me to play and show what I can do hockey wise while still being able to fight when I believe it to be warranted. Q: Since you are a free agent this off season, what are your current plans for next season? Which league are you planning on playing in for 2007-2008? A: I received a several offers to play in the IHL and another to play in the EIHL, in the UK. I had to think about what would be the best situation for me and what would be best for my career. I don't want to ruin any surprises but I should have a decision made in the upcoming week. Q: How do you most like to spend the off season? Being an enforcer, do you like to focus on fighting during your time off, or do you view the summer as a time to just relax and get away from fighting for a few months? A: I worked as a bouncer in Vancouver during the early summer months and trained during the day. A fellow bouncer was my training partner and we lifted weights 5 times a week. I helped him train for his bodybuilding completion and picked up some training pointers from him. I have a former junior roommate, ex-SPHLer and ex-LNAHer Gabe Yeung who invited me to train with him in Madison, Wisconsin. I am in Wisconsin right now lifting weights, skating and boxing. Q: Are there any improvements that you want to make this off season as a fighter, and what kind of training are you doing to help you succeed at that? Boxing? A: I am boxing several times a week, working out 5 days a week and skating every other day. My summer training will concentrate on improving my conditioning, strength and speed. I am working on my technique with boxing and will begin plyometrics in a couple weeks. I am trying to improve all aspects of my fighting while also working on improving my game. With the way the game is changing I need to not only concentrate on my fighting skills but work on my game as well. Q: Say it’s a night when you’re just relaxing at your house. Do you think of your team’s up-coming schedule and plan to see when your next fight could be, or do you just not think about it and see what happens during the game? A: A few days before the game I begin to think about who I am going to fight. If I have never played the team before and am unaware of who they carry in terms of toughness, I usually just prepare myself to make sure I am ready to fight. In most cases, US pro leagues have pre-game reports which is given to each team before every game. They give a brief summary of every player in the lineup that night. I will usually take a few minutes before warm-up and look at the report to see who may be potential opponents. It let's you know where they have played and gives you an idea of who they are. Other than that I try not to think about it too much and just make sure I am ready to fight. Q: Have you ever become friends with a fellow enforcer that you had a good fight with? A: In hockey, fighting is a job. Enforcers have a mutual respect toward each other. I have never become great friends with a player I have fought but have joked around with some enforcers after the game or even in the penalty box after a good fight. We realize that it is a job and that it is tough fighting night after night. I have never felt any animosity toward an opponent win, lose or draw. Players and fans have a lot of respect for enforcers who have been fighting consistently for years. Fighting in hockey is a tough job and I tip my hat to any player who embraces the role. Q: Do you have any goals for your hockey career? Are you hoping to ever make it to the NHL or are you fine where you are now? A: Just like any young player growing up I dreamed of one day playing in the NHL. I want to go as far as I can in my hockey career and if the NHL is somewhere along the way that would be a dream come true. I would like to continue improving all aspects of my game and move up the hockey ladder. The AHL calls-up players from the IHL and if I choose to sign with one of the teams that have offered me a contract, I will definitely be doing everything I can to try and make myself an attractive commodity to AHL teams. The IHL is in close proximity to many AHL clubs and every time I step on the ice, the opportunity to be one step from the NHL will always be in the back of my mind. Q: As of now, what would you like to do once you retire? Any plans? A: I would like to continue on playing for as long as I can. But when I retire I plan on moving back to the Philippines with a friend of mine and starting a business. My father owns two paper mills there and my family still have a house in Greenhills, Manila. I would have an opportunity to work with my father while working on a few business ideas that my friend and I have been thinking about venturing into. Hockey has started to flourish in the Philippines and even though it is still in its infancy compared to hockey saturated countries, there are half a dozen ice rinks most of them situated in shopping malls. I would still be able to play hockey and maybe help hockey become more popular in the country by training players and starting a few hockey schools. Q: Have you or do you ever visit hockeyfights.com? It’s a huge site filled with thousands of fight fans across the world! A: I have visited hockeyfights.com on numerous occasions and know of a lot fellow pro players and enforcers who visit the site on a regular basis and read up on recent news and rumors. In Thetford-Mines, Kurtis Swanson, Marc-Andre Roy and I would visit hockeyfights.com several times a week. The site has a lot of information and a lot of players go on there and check up on recent happenings around their league. --- Here are some Pictures that I would like to add:   *Photos by: Steeve Caron and Daniel Deneault* Here are some videos of some of Andrew's good fights: [youtube="tv9qntdyOU0"]SPHL: Andrew Sharp vs Ryan Rivard[/youtube] Vote: Sharp vs Rivard Nov 04, 2005 [youtube="iWlEaUc-Z1w"]LNAH: Andrew Sharp vs Ken Patzack[/youtube] Vote: Sharp vs Patzack Sep 29, 2006 [youtube="51gWM06rjLI"]LNAH: Andrew Sharp vs Ken Patzack[/youtube] Vote: Sharp vs Patzack Oct 19, 2006 Once again, I'd like to thank Andrew Sharp for taking his time to do this interview! It was awesome. I hope everyone liked this interview. I enjoyed it.
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THE OFFICE "Boom, roasted." Formerly Wes McSnipes Last edited by Snipes19; 08-13-2007 at 01:01 PM. 
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OneilltheGiant (04-29-2009) | ||
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08-13-2007, 01:30 PM
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Excellent interview, good job buddie...
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08-13-2007, 02:00 PM
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Had a really good time with this interview, and had been wanting to conduct one with Andrew for several months. Hell, probably since the first time I saw the Rivard fight. And honestly, after seeing a scrap that great, I only wish Andrew could have spent more time in the SPHL. (so that I could have seen him more)
Oh, and seeing as how Andrew will probably be reading this soon, I'd like to send out a big Thank You for doing this. You really put some serious time into this, and its much appreciated by me, Snipes, along with everyone who'll be reading it. I look forward to seeing you play and scrap in the future.
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08-13-2007, 08:11 PM
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Very informative. Thanks for the read.
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Bruins You Be Killin Em
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08-13-2007, 08:27 PM
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Some good insight into the LNAH (guys and coaches deciding who goes with who before the game) however a major point / question was missed.
What ever happend to the charges that were pending in St.Georges? The St.Georges newspaper reported a day after the 2/27 incident that the police were investigating both Black and Sharp for being in the stands fighting spectators and the security. Was this settled out of court? Did someone get a slap on the wrist or pay a fine? Sharp already admitted here to throwing a punch. What did he think he was going to accomplish by even going into the stands? To help a teamate? Black was retarted enough to go into the stands in the first place, why follow him? You help teamates on the ice to win the game, NOT to go into the crowd to fight security and spectators. 
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08-14-2007, 01:43 AM
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Quote:
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I'm a complete player, my goals and fights are equally as ugly. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdZdg53A83c http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=if8X3-9-S6g
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08-14-2007, 09:54 AM
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Great read guys. Im learning more about the LANH every day on this site. In a thread a while back someone said the fights were actually "scripted" which this interview comes close to varifying. I guess they dont actually script the fights but do choose up partners.
Interesting concept.
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Still lookin for that Ace!
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08-14-2007, 10:21 AM
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Great read guys. Im learning more about the LANH every day on this site. In a thread a while back someone said the fights were actually "scripted" which this interview comes close to varifying. I guess they dont actually script the fights but do choose up partners.
Interesting concept. Does this league have a salary cap? And is the cap ignored for the most part as in some other leagues? (better yet, players compensated otherwise) It seems a good fighter in this league would warrent a bigger paycheck then a good skill player, how true is that?
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Still lookin for that Ace!
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08-14-2007, 11:40 AM
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Quote:
I wouldn't say the fights are scripted but certain fights are a forgone conlusion, you will not see Jon Mirasty fighting a second or third string fighter unless his coach sends Jon out to pick a fight with a certain player, that is not a heavy weight. It is normal in the league for two teams to hype a fight days before the game, it fills up the barns if people know that Mirasty will fight Bosse on a certain night. Certain players play even if they are injured, such as Mirasty and Sugden, in the Pre-game, fighters want to know who is willing and who is injured. So is the who is fighting who pre decided, most of the time with your heavy weights, but the rest of the fights are ala-cart. Yes the league does have a salary cap but many certain teams ( Chiefs definatly included) learn how to work around the cap, take this statement for what it is worth, any team with EX AHL or Nhl players on there rosters are going over the cap. pointe finale..... Here is the question of the day lets see who can figure it out. Who is the highest paid player in this league??????????
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08-14-2007, 04:26 PM
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Good read Wes and Hump!
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Aye, fight and you may die, run and you'll live...at least for a while. And dying in your beds many years from now, would you be willin' to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take..OUR FREEDOM! KILROY was here 2007 HF ProPick'em Champ
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08-14-2007, 07:24 PM
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Good interview, guys. Well researched questions.
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Steve Webb for Commissioner. 
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