WHERE IN THE WORLD IS: Jamal Watson

It is always fun to catch up with former Lethbridge Hurricanes players.

They are scattered all over the globe. Some are still involved in the game while others are not. So as part of Joe's Blog, we're introducing you to a brand new feature called "Where In The World Is."

It's our chance to catch up with some of the players who once stepped foot on Enmax Centre ice and ask them ten random questions, ranging from their time in Lethbridge to their favourite foods and warm-up tunes.

We start things off with former captain Jamal Watson. He played in four seasons with the 'Canes, scoring 69 goals and 79 assists before he finished his career with the Seattle Thunderbirds.

Here are his answers to the questions posed:

#1. Where in the world is Jamal Watson?

Currently in Calgary, attending Mount Royal University in my fourth year of an accounting degree and playing on the men’s hockey team. I think the biggest thing I’ve noticed over the last couple of years compared to junior hockey is just how much more busy I am with just school. I didn’t realize how hard school was until I got here.

#2. Favourite memory of Lethbridge?

I have a couple. Number one being 15-years-old and scoring my first goal in the Western Hockey League. I remember the pass out front and putting it away in front of the net. I think a close second was being the captain of the team in my 19-year-old season. It was really just an honour to be a part of such a group of people you’ve seen wear the ‘C’ on the chest and be a part of the team.

#3. Best teammate you had while in Lethbridge?

I think, personally, my favourite teammate I had was Graham Hood. He was 20 when I was 17 and he was the captain of our team. Me and him are still really good friends today. We always interact with each other and I know he’s in Vancouver right now and I always get a chance to see him when I’m out there and whenever he’s in town, we always connect and hook up. We always just check in on each other and things like that.

#4. Best meal made by a billet?

We had a Taco Tuesday group at one of the billet houses we had and to get at the Taco Tuesday table was a big deal. Unfortunately, when someone got traded, there would be a spot at the table and an argument to see who we’d let in. There would be an initiation where they would do a hot sauce shot and they also had to eat as many tacos as they could on their first attempt to see if we would let them in on our elite table of taco eaters.

#5. Favourite arena in the WHL?

Obviously the Enmax Centre was such a dream because when I got there, they just renovated it and that turned it into an unbelievably nice arena. But my favourite place to play in was actually Portland because of the energy down in the US. I remember it being electric in the Rose Garden. And I’m a big NBA fan and with that being the Trailblazers arena, it’s kind of cool to share that and to see how big it was. I remember playing in there and it being absolutely packed and one of the best atmospheres I’ve ever played in.

#6. Weirdest pre-game ritual you've ever seen in your travels?

I think the weirdest ones I see are when guys are particular about passing and who touches the sock tape first and it has to go in a certain order. I know that was a big one. I remember first coming in, sitting there going “I just need the sock tape, is there any way to get it” and there was a certain order to it. So you had to sit there and wait your turn, figure it out if you don’t have your own roll. But as a rookie, you had to wait your turn after the veteran players.

#7. Favourite song to warm up to?

I’m a big rap guy, so I think my favourite song to listen to is “Walk It Like I Talk It” from Migos featuring Drake. We had that at Mount Royal and that was one of my favourite ones on the playlist. But we’re changing it up this year so we’ll see if I’ll add a new one to the list.

#8. When you're in the stands, what is the one food you gotta have?

Oh, for sure I’m a nachos guy. Any time I go to an arena or whatever, I’m always trying the nachos. The Saddledome nachos are one of the best foods in the world. I’m also a big fan of a nice hot dog. Ketchup, mustard, the whole nine on it. Don’t skip on the toppings at all.

#9. What are you binge-watching right now?

I started watching Top Boy on Netflix. It’s a British show about the drug life in the UK. It has Jamaican roots in it which is part of my family heritage so it’s kind of cool to see because part of my family is also part of England. So it’s kind of interesting to watch a show to get a feel for it and see the different sides of life.

#10. Who has had the biggest influence on your hockey career?

The biggest influence on my career is for sure my dad. The thing that really separated me and helped me on my journey to the WHL and what I’m doing now was always putting me in power-skating camp. I know skating is definitely my strength. As a kid, you don’t understand why your dad keeps putting you in power-skating while everyone else is going to regular hockey camp and stickhandling pucks and things like that. But he always had me going to those camps two or three weeks of the summer to work on my stride to build that up because he realized that skating is the most important thing. It’s what you do on the ice the most. At the time, I obviously wasn’t too happy about it but looking back, it was actually a blessing that he said I should work on it now, I won’t have to work on it later.