High / Low with Ethan Moreau, Edmonton Oliers captain

Since entering the league in 1979 the Edmonton Oilers have been one of the most successful franchises. They've made seven trips to the Stanley Cup finals, winning five. However, its been a tough few years since their last run in 2006.

Back in the late '80s and early '90s they were one of the LA Kings biggest rivals. Sure, Gretzky came to LA after winning four cups with the Oilers, but it was more than just that trade that made things so special. It also didn't hurt that they played in the same division at the time.

After a big trade 10 years ago, involving seven players, Ethan Moreau arrived back home in Canada. Five years earlier he was a first round draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks and would soon be playing along side Jeremy Roenick, Chris Chelios and Bernie Nicholls in the Windy City.

Now, the Captain of the Oilers, he is trying to guide the team back to the promise land one more time. Prior to tonight's match-up with the Kings he took some time to chat with the Mayor. Here's the first part of the interview:

Who is the smartest player you've ever played with and what did you learn from him?

I'd have to say Chris Pronger. He's probably the best player and the smartest player I've ever played with. I didn't learn too much from him on the ice because he plays a different position. But, he has a real professional approach to the game, he's always prepared to play and he takes a lot of pride in the way he plays. So those are probably things I took from him.


Let's take a look at the first few months of the NHL season. What have been the highs and lows so far?

HIGHS

1. Parity - nobody is running away with things and nobody is out of it

2. Big Hits - I think that's entertaining for everybody

3. Dustin Penner

LOWS

1. Attendance - it's been tough in certain markets

2. Travel Schedule - things have been compressed because of the Olympics

3. Ice Conditions - we've played on some poor ice...some cities can handle the multiple events in the same buildings, others can't

Let's try word association with some of the guys you've had as teammates throughout your career:

Eddie Belfour - eccentric
Chris Chelios - competitive
Jeremy Roenick - entertaining
Tony Amonte - great release
Chris Pronger - smart (guess I set him up with that one earlier, eh?)
Ryan Smyth - hand-eye
Matt Greene - funny
Jarret Stoll - one timer
Patrick O'Sullivan - toe drag
Lubomir Vishnovsky - quick
Craig MacTavish - gray (note: he was his coach, not a teammate)

Finish this sentence: I'll be a better player this season if I ____

stay healthy

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To read more from our exclusive interview with Ethan Moreau - including his thoughts on the trade that brought him to Edmonton, his friends on the Kings, Craig MacTavish, Chris Pronger, Dany Heatley, his near nude pics in ESPN The Magazine and lots more, click here for part two.

The Mayor
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