BROOKLYN, NY – Brooklyn Aviators defenseman K.C. Timmons’ face resembles that of many players in the FHL – one that is bumped, scarred and bruised from a lifetime of playing the game of hockey.
But unlike many other players in the FHL, few can say their career has taken them the places that Timmons’ has – most notably, sharing the ice with Peter Forsberg.
Standing at 6-3 and about 220, the Victoria, B.C. native towers over many of the players around the Federal Hockey League – a league that features a lot of small, dynamic, fast skaters. From being drafted by the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche to seeing his career take him everywhere from Manchester, England to Melbourne, Australia to Hershey, Pennsylvania, he has seen a lot.
Timmons’ story is unique, but at the same time, his professional career mirrors many of the players who are currently employed in the FHL both on the Aviators and around the league as a whole.
Dan Sicignano : What is it like to be captain? (Timmons is an alternate captain with the Aviators)
K.C. Timmons : To be honest, it’s a pain in the ass sometimes (laughs). Some guys really like it, but it’s not that big of a deal to me. I guess if your team looks up to you, then that’s cool, but some of the other stuff, like having to make sure guys do this and that, I can’t be bothered. Some guys love it – I’m kind of indifferent – but I guess it’s alright. I’ve been both a captain and alternate captain before in junior hockey.
DS : You were drafted by the Colorado Avalanche (141st overall in 1998). What was that experience like?
KT : It was good; it’s what I had always hoped for as a kid. It was a cool experience.
D.S.: Who’s the best player you’ve played with, or against, in your career?
K.T.: Peter Forsberg. I played with him in Colorado for a few exhibition games.
D.S.: What was it like playing in the NHL, even for just exhibition games?
K.T.: It’s more about just getting over the fact that you’re there. If you’re playing, you’re obviously good enough to play, so it’s kind of getting over when you see guys on TV and then you’re standing next to them. When you get past that, it’s just another hockey game. It’s a good hockey game, obviously, but just another hockey game.
D.S.: Did it take a while to get used to that?
K.T.: Not really. I was 19 when I played my first game, and we played in Dallas against the Stars. They paired Mike Modano’s line against ours, so I played against him the whole night. You see him and he’s got the hair and the jersey flying by, you almost think that they aren’t real people, like they’re video games. So it was cool.
DS: What was it like playing in places like Holland and England considering that hockey isn’t the top sport over there? Did the fans get into it?
KT: Yeah, we had a really good fan following in England. We’d get like, 7,000 fans a game in some arenas. I was on the top team (Manchester Phoenix), so we sold out every game. It was good, the fans were really good people. The fans that followed hockey were quite fanatical, but everyone followed football – we watched it as well, as part of the lifestyle. But the fans were loyal people.
D.S.: Where was your favorite place to play hockey?
K.T.: Manchester was ok – it had a good music scene. Coventry was the best hockey-wise, but the town was a little boring and there wasn’t a whole lot to do – just a tiny strip of bars. Hockey-wise, though, it was great. I got along with my coach really well and we won the league, along with two or three Cups – the main Cup and another one as well.
D.S.: How does Brooklyn differ from your hometown of Victoria, B.C.?
K.T.: Victoria isn’t a small city, but it’s not big either – maybe about 300,000 people. I’ve loved the hockey part of my career, but I hated living in these small cities like Hershey, PA. To me, they were really boring cities. You know, you’re young and you want to be somewhere cool. Manchester was the first time I ever played somewhere that I somewhat enjoyed. It wasn’t New York, but there was stuff to do. I actually didn’t even come to New York to play hockey – I moved here just to live in the city, and it turned out there was a team here, so now I’m in my third year here.
D.S.: How did you hook up with the Aviators?
K.T.: My dad actually emailed me and said there was a team here. I honestly didn’t even believe him. I emailed the team, (head coach Rob Miller) called me and then two weeks later I was playing hockey. The game seems to follow me around – I even played hockey in Australia as well (with the Melbourne Ice). I was living there and my visa was up. I didn’t even know they had hockey there, so I emailed the team and a few days later I was playing hockey again.
D.S.: What was hockey like in Australia?
K.T.: It wasn’t great, but it was still fun. We flew to Sydney and I played in Melbourne, so I got to see a lot of the country and some cities I may not have ordinarily been able to.
D.S.: Who did you grow up rooting for as a kid?
K.T.: I don’t know (laughs). My dad always made me like the Montreal Canadiens – I don’t know if that was his choice or my choice. I just liked players; I never got carried away with a favorite team or anything.
D.S.: Who were some of your favorite players?
K.T.: (Wayne) Gretzky obviously. But as I got older, I started to like guys like Kelly Buchberger and Adam Graves, guys who were a little tougher. As a kid you like guys like Mario (Lemieux), but when you get older, you start to get into a specific kind of player.
D.S.: Do you enjoy watching anyone currently in the NHL?
K.T.: To be honest, I never really had cable in Europe, and they didn’t show a lot of hockey highlights there. I don’t even know half the guys playing anymore. I know the old-school guys who have been there for 10 years, but I don’t really know the newer guys. I actually don’t follow much in the way of sports. I play hockey so much and you only have so much time. But these guys (teammates) love it – they watch it every night. I still enjoy playing, but I don’t really follow it.
D.S.: Do you have another job in addition to playing hockey?
K.T.: I was working in a restaurant for the last six months before the season began. It was kind of fun, but I’m not sure I’d want to do it full time. My friend talked about opening a vintage clothing shop in Brooklyn, so that sounds pretty cool.
D.S.: What do you hope to do after your hockey career is finished?
K.T.: Good question. I just got my real estate license (laughs). I’m not sure. I’m slowly figuring that out.
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