SHEFFIELD, U.K. – I recently spoke to Zack Fitzgerald about his route into hockey and making it to the NHL in part one which can be read here: Part one
Part two focuses on Zack’s move to the UK where he signed with Scottish outfit the Braehead Clan in the summer of 2014. Zack became an instant hit with the ‘Purple Army’ with his tough no-nonsense demeanour on the ice and his incredibly likeable, humble personality off the ice.
Fitzgerald was a fan favourite with the ‘Purple Army’ (Image courtesy of Al Goold)
Zack then signed for the Steelers the following summer where he has established himself as a favourite once again at the ‘House of Steel’ with his impact both on and off the ice resulting in a two-year contract extension.
I spoke with Zack to talk about his time in the UK, the season so far, and the mental and physical toll that fighting takes on the body.
SA- You first came to the EIHL when you joined the Braehead Clan for the 2014-15 season. What did you know about the league before joining?
I didn’t really know much. I knew some guys who played here, like Steven Goertzen, who I played four years of juniors and a year pro with. I didn’t know much about any European league, so I was kind of going into the dark no matter where I signed.
I heard a tonne of good things about the league, and I knew Tim Spencer a little bit. Guys like that are good ambassadors for the league. I tried to watch some video and see what the league was like, although it’s tough to tell on there, you need to be there live. But I was really surprised and I think it keeps on getting better.
SA- How do you feel the league compares or differs to leagues you have previously played in like the AHL and ECHL?
I think it’s right up there with those leagues. I would say it’s more similar to the ECHL and a step above. The AHL is more elite, it has guys who are going up and down from the NHL, it’s very fast and physical. I think it’s right up there. We are getting a lot of the guys in the UK who have come from those leagues. There’s also a lot of good British players here, so it’s a good mixture.
SA- The Clan fans are certainly a passionate group of fans. How did you enjoy your time in Glasgow?
I was amazed. I was really impressed with the fan support and singing during the games. They were positive to my wife and I, and they made us feel really welcome. They made it an easy transition over here for us. Scotland is a beautiful country as well so that was a bonus. They have a great travelling support too, and you have to respect that.
Fitzgerald formed a formidable partnership with former Adirondack Phantoms teammate Cullen Eddy (left) straight away (Image courtesy of Dean Woolley)
SA- The Clan came second in the league, losing the EIHL regular season title to the Steelers by a point. How did that feel?
I really hurt. We had a good group, a good team and we were doing well last year, and we were pretty much ahead in the league for most of the time. We were confident that things were going to work out for us. I still don’t know what happened at the end, there’s nothing really to point the finger at or say that was the reason, we just kind of let it fall apart.
Fitzy became an instant favourite when signing in Sheffield (Image courtesy of Dean Woolley)
SA- Many fans over the summer were surprised when you joined Sheffield, and a contingent of fans were worried about a lack of discipline with previous bans. Were you asked to play a different role in Braehead?
I don’t think anyone really expected me to do anything differently. I think Thommo knew what I brought in the fighting sense of the game, we had some chats and I think he’s happier with my actual play than he expected and that makes me feel good because I like to show that I can play the game. I don’t put up a tonne of points but I take pride in making a good first pass, playing good defensively and helping my forwards out. I think I learnt a lot last year in terms of what I can and cannot get away with in a penalty sense, I had a tonne of penalties last year, the bans, but I have consciously done my best this year to stay out of that and to be a smarter player.
The league I came from you could get away with throwing a little slash or cross check, but you can’t here as the ice is bigger and the referees are looking for that more here. I just wanted to be accountable, and be a guy who wouldn’t hurt the team. The powerplay is important here, and if you are the guy in the box watching goals go in you definitely feel it.
SA- You’ve recently signed a two year contract extension with the Steelers, with the Glasgow Evening Times reporting it’s linked in with a MBA university package. Could you tell us more about putting pen to paper with Sheffield again?
I’m super excited to be back. It’s great to have a home for a couple of years and for them to show their confidence in me and keep me around that long. At the moment we are working on getting into the school, it’s not certain at the moment but I’m hoping to do it and I think it’s to better myself as a person and to lead to a better future. I have no plans on retiring any time soon. I played the major junior route and I don’t have any college education. Fortunately, I have an opportunity to do that here and being a 30-year-old man I respect education a lot more than I did when I was in high school. I was always a good student but I take pride in it more now and want to further myself more in that sense. I’m here to play hockey first and foremost and if I go to school or not, it won’t change the way I play the game or see it.
SA- You fought a pretty tough customer in Cam Janssen earlier this season. What were your thoughts on the fight?
It was the right time for us to fight. I thought as a team we were a little flat at the time, and needed a jump and I think everyone had anticipated that the fight would happen. It worked out to be at home for us. I’ve fought him before, I have a tonne of respect for him. He’s been around forever and fought the toughest guys in hockey and I think he showed a good respect back towards me. It was a good fight, I would give it a draw and I think it was good for the fans, they all loved it and it’s bound to happen again.
Fitzgerald (right) drops the gloves with former NHL’er Cam Janssen in November at the Sheffield Arena (Image courtesy of Dean Woolley)
SA- Do you watch fight videos of players you are going to face to help with the technical side if you do drop the gloves?
I catch videos when I can. Most of the guys that are over here now, I kind of know what they are going to be like. Just from repetition and doing it over the years I know where to grab and what to do. A lot of the times your mind goes blank when you are in a fight and after that’s when you reflect and think “I should have done this or that.” I’ve watched some of Janssen’s fights and other guys to see how they do against each other, it’s a good way to do your homework.
SA- you scored your first goal for the Steelers in a 6-1 win against the Edinburgh Capitals at Ice Sheffield before Christmas. How did that goal feel? Could you describe it?
It felt really good. I’m sure everyone could see in my expression after I scored it, how it felt. I was very happy. I was coming off the bench to the point, and Fredrik Vestberg wheeled up from the faceoff circle, he passed it to me and I skated in to the slot without much pressure. I shot it as hard as I could to the blocker side and it looked prettier than it probably should have!
SA- Many people feel that the enforcer role is on its way out of hockey with fighting declining in recent years. Do you feel this is the case?
You can see in the NHL, that not every team is carrying a heavyweight. They have gone for players who can play now, like Matt Beleskey and Chris Neil, they can make plays, score goals, hit, be effective on the forecheck etc. It’s definitely changed, you see a lot of the enforcers in the minors now, which is too bad as they are definitely needed to protect the top players but you have guys who are almost as tough and who are willing to fight and can play the game. I think guys are more worried about winning the game now, rather than throwing punches. In a fan view it’s too bad as some fans go to games just for that but in a hockey sense it’s not terrible for the game. As long as those guys are still there to stick up for their teammates and fight when needed it should be fine.
SA- There have been many deaths of former hockey tough guys with the likes of Rick Rypien, Derek Boogaard, and Wade Belak taking their own lives. I know you played with Rypien at the Canucks organisation. Do you feel that the role is tough to balance with the mental health side of things?
Rypien was a great guy, a great teammate and a great person and it was really unfortunate what happened to him. His problems stemmed from when he was a kid, and it always stuck with him, and he never really got over it. It happened because of hockey in a way, but hockey also kept him same. It’s not the easiest job in the world, it’s tough on the mind when you know you are playing 3-4 games a week and fighting 3-4 times a week. When you look at the average player and they probably fight once a year on average, and you’re out there fighting regularly with bare first it’s tough. Especially when you think you could potentially be injured very badly, or potentially you can win a fight and you will be fine.
There is always the thought in the back of your mind that you could get hurt. Guys are willing to do the job and they are happy to do it, but at the same time you get a little worried. You also want to do it in the right way to keep your job too as that’s on the line. It’s definitely a line that’s hard to walk.
SA- Do you worry about the toll that dropping the gloves could take on your body? Or one bad punch could do some serious damage?
Definitely, especially with the research coming out relating to brain trauma with hockey players like Boogaard and NFL players. Especially when your wife starts worrying about it too, it’s a scary thought, you only get one life to live. You try to protect yourself as well as you can. I can’t honestly say that I don’t worry about it, because I do. I’ve been fortunate until here, and hopefully things can keep going my way and I can hopefully make it past that.
In the zone, watching the action from the bench against Manchester (Image courtesy of Dean Woolley)
SA- How would you describe your fighting style? Would you say you are a technical fighter or quite open?
I would definitely say I’m quite open. I’m not too technical. You have to take one to give one. I’m pretty good at dodging them, and how to protect my face. I was blessed with a very hard head so I can handle getting hit sometimes. I would class myself as more of a brawler than a technical fighter.
SA- During the off season is there a particular way that you train off the ice to sharpen up on the pugilistic skills?
Not as much anymore. I used to do Muay Thai and boxing, with the Muay Thai more for the grappling and grabbing the jersey. When I get chance to go to the gym I do like to hit the punch bag and practise some punches. Summer is now preparing for hockey in general and getting in good physical form.
SA- You’ve dropped the gloves in close to 200 fights since your WHL days. Are there any particular fights that stand out?
I had a fight against former Detroit Red Wings legend Darren McCarty. He had retired but wanted to make a comeback, and a minor league team took a chance on him. I saw he came back into the league and I was like “I wanna fight this guy”. I saw him playing when I was younger, and we ended up fighting. He tied me up pretty good, and he was giving me throat shots. I had to chuckle about it because he tied me up so well. After the game he handed a CD to our media guy and told him to give it to me. It was his rock band ‘Grinder’ CD. It’s pretty good, I’ve still got it back home.
Other fights would have to be the ones against Colton Orr, Steve Macintyre, Cam Janssen, Pierre-Luc Leblond and Kevin Westgarth.
SA- Was there a particular player that you had a rivalry with and really enjoyed fighting?
I would have to say Pierre Luc Leblond, mainly because when I was in Adirondack he was in Albany, and when I was in Adirondack he was in Wilkes- Barre, so he was the guy who I ran into more often than not. He’s super tough and he has huge hands. Also Eric Neilson, we’ve had some great fights.
SA- Does it feel strange when you have to fight a former teammate?
It’s definitely the craziest situation. Getting to know someone of the ice and being close to them and then having to fight them on the ice, it’s strange.
There have been a few times in my career where I have fought guys and then ended up becoming teammates with them. Tye McGinn and Oliver Lauridsen for example and then being teammates with them the following season. Fighting Leigh Salters earlier this season, that was a kind of awkward situation, we got along very well. Everyone knows their job and sometimes you just have to go for it. Nate McIver I played with him and then fought him when we played against each other.
SA- How does your partner feel about your role in hockey? Does she ever worry?
Yeah she worries about it. When it’s happening she’s like everyone else, you can’t help but get excited about it. She hopes the best for me and hopes that I come out on top. At the end of the day it worries her a bit. We chat about fighting every now and again but she understands its part of my job and puts food on the table as well, so it’s kind of hard to not let it happen.
“We chat about fighting every now and again but she understands its part of my job and puts food on the table” (Image courtesy of Dean Woolley).
SA- Who is the most skilled player that you have played with and against in your career?
That’s a tough question. Jason Krog would be right up there, who played with the Ducks for a while. For me it’s more the hard working guys who stand out. Someone like Mike Keane who won three Stanley Cups and then came and played for the Manitoba Moose in the AHL at 41-years-old. He was probably one of the top 3 players in the best shape on the team, he worked hard and he was skilled, he would make players and even fight guys at 41-years-old.
SA- Any final words for the fans?
I appreciate how we’ve been treated since we got here. Everyone has been nothing but great to us. People questioned the signing with me coming in, but they’ve given me a chance, they’ve accepted me as a person and as a player and I appreciate it. In the end they are the people who we are out there playing for and coming to support us at home and on the road. I just want to say a big thank you to them.
I would like to thank Zack Fitzgerald for giving up his time for the interview and wish him all the best for the remainder of the season.
Contact the author at Scott.antcliffe@prohockeynews.com
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Follow the author on Twitter – @cliffy94
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