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Amy (from hershey): So far in your AHL career what was your favorite city to play in? Paul Healey: I'd have to say Philadelphia because that's where I won the Calder Cup with the Phantom. I had a lot of fun there. Everywhere else that I've played -- Hershey and Hamilton -- have been great places to play also, but Philadelphia was my favourite to date. I'm really enjoying Hamilton, so that could take over the top spot.
Hartford is Trash: Do you feel you have the chance to win it all this year with this team? Paul Healey: I think we have a really good mix of guys and a good hockey team here. Once we get everyone working together and on the same page, we'll be a hard team to beat every night.
HartfordisHell: Who was your role model growing up? Paul Healey: My role model growing up was Steve Yzerman. I loved the way he played and I loved watching the way the Red Wings played. Aside from Edmonton, which is where I'm from, he was just playing with a team that I really liked to watch.
HfdFansRtrash: Coongratulations! Which AHL team do you look forwards playing against most? Paul Healey: You don't really look forward to playing one team in particular, but we have a bit of a rivaly with Quebec and it's always fun to get pumped up for those games. Every time we've played them this year, they've been very exciting games. Hopefully it will be like that throughout the rest of the year when we play them.
Purintonis1uglydude: Which is the most difficult goalie you have faced in your career? Paul Healey: It would have to be Khabibulin. That was last year when I was playing in Milwaukee in the IHL. He was playing for Long Beach. He was really tough to face. We played against them three times, and we didn't score any goals. We even had two shootouts, but we still couldn't score on him.
Gore will Win!!!: Good job! Which moment for you was the best in your hockey career? Paul Healey: The best moment in my career so far has been winning the Calder Cup in Philadelphia. It was something that I'll never forget in my life, especially in the last game when we had 17,000 fans looking on. People went crazy. I'll never forget it.
Bring Back the Whalers: If you could play for any NHL team which would you choose? Paul Healey: It would have to be the Edmonton Oilers. That's not just because I'm under contract with them, but because growing up in Edmonton and watching the Oilers was a real treat when the team had Gretzky and Messier. It would be a real dream to put on the Oilers jersey and play for Edmonton.
Cohen&Walbridge: Which AHL arena do you like best and which do you like the least? thank you! Paul Healey: I like playing at home, so this year it's the Hamilton arena. This is a tough one, but if I have to choose one, I'd have to say that I don't like playing in Quebec.
SWalsh: Paul: Congratulations on your award. I would like to know, with the possibility that the parent Edmonton Oilers might leave Hamilton at the end of the season, how does that effect you and the other players? Paul Healey: I don't think it has a great deal of effect on the players. We as players aren't involved in it. If we play well, we'll bring in a bigger crowd. But it's up to the city to try to get out to the games and try to support us as much as they can. It's nothing that the players have any choice in. It's all a matter of dollars for Edmonton, so if they're losing money, they have no choice. We need support from the people of Hamilton to come out and watch us play.
Gene from Baltimore: I have had the chance to watch you play a few seasons in Philly as well as being the Phantoms leading scorer while on the championship team. My question is, what has been the biggest difference between your time in Philly to your time now in Hamilton? Paul Healey: The biggest differences in Philadelphia is that we had a much older team, compared to Hamilton it's a really young hockey club we have. Myself included, I was really young in Philadelphia. Now I've been in the league a few more years and experience helps a little bit.
Marc Vachon: Do you believe that scouts will now percive you as offencive defencemen? Do you believe yourself that you are an offensive defensemen?? Paul Healey: Umm, I play forward.
Todd MacDonald St. Catharines, Ontario: Hamilton currently has a campain going to keep the Bulldogs in Hamilton. Do you think Hamilton is a viable AHL city and how does the low attendance affect your team. Paul Healey: I do think that Hamilton can support an AHL team. Everytime the St. John's Maple Leafs come into town, we have a full house. We just need to get out and promote the game a bit more. I do think it affects the team. It's nice when you play and you have a nice crowd. They get you going and it makes the guys want to play even harder.
Dave: Who, in your opinion, is the toughest enforcer in the AHL? Paul Healey: I would have to say, and there's a few: Francois Leroux from Springfield, Steve McLaren with Philadelphia Phantoms, Martin Laitre who plays for us.
Joe in Hamden: Paul, what seems to be the problem with the Bulldogs this year? The talent is there, but the results haven't been. Paul Healey: We're a young team right now and we've been a little inconsistent, but I think we're a team that's going to do a lot of good things this year as long as we get everyone working in the same direction. I think we'll be a really good team when it comes time for the playoffs. I think we have great coaching this year, which helps out a lot when you have a young team.
Youcousin_AmyG.: When Is McTavish gonna realize he needs you on the team? Paul Healey: That's out of my hands. All I can do is work as hard as I can here in Hamilton, and hopefully I will get my chance.
Dave: How did you find your brief stint in the IHL? Was the calibre of play similar to the AHL or was it tough to adjust? Paul Healey: I found it was very similar in that there's a lot of NHL-affiliated teams in the I as there is the A. But there are some players on the independent teams that have older players, so when you're playing against teams like that, they play a really smart game and you have to adjust. It's a little bit more of a controlled game, but other than that, there isn't much difference between the two leagues.
Johnny: How difficult is life in the AHL for a young player coming out of junior hockey? Paul Healey: I think it's tough on our first-year guys. They have to adjust to living on their own and getting used to all the travel and wear and tear. Now you realize that this is your job. If you want to keep your job, you have to perform. It affected me too, it was hard living on my own and cooking and cleaning. It all comes pretty fast at you.
Mark Smith: How were your three years in Prince Albert with the Raiders. Paul Healey: I had a good three years there. I really enjoyed my junior hockey there. I thought I learned a lot there and have taken it into the pros. It's a lot of fun playing Juniors and it will be in the memory for a long time.
Ed Boyd: Do you expect to get called up for a tryout with the Oilers after your phenomenal weak. They need another scorer. Paul Healey: I don't expect to get called up. The Oilers have been playing well and they don't need to make a lot of changes right now. I just have to try to stay focussed and play the best I can and let them know that I'm ready to get called up.
Rob Beck: Great week Paul, How do you like playing with your linemates Riesen and Horcoff? Paul Healey: They're both excellent players. I give a lot of credit to Shawn and Michael for the week I just had. They're great with the puck and we play well together. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be where I am.
Paul Healey: I want to thank the AHL for nominating me player of the week. I also want to thank my teammates for playing well around me. I want to thank the fans for writing in their questions for me to answer. And I want to tell the people of Hamilton that I want them to come out and start watching us play.
Moderator: Thanks for chatting with us Paul. Congratulations on your award this week. Keep it up and hopefully we'll see you with the Oilers soon.