Snapshot, sponsored by Camera City, is a new feature to norfolkadmirals.com that will allow you to better know your favorite players. Every few weeks, you will be able to submit questions via norfolkadmirals.com for a featured player. A handful of those questions will be selected and their replies posted on norfolkadmirals.com by the featured player.

This edition’s featured player is goaltender #29 Corey Crawford. Last season was Corey’s rookie professional season after being drafted by the Blackhawks in the second round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. The 21-year-old native of Montreal, Quebec appeared in 48 games for the Admirals, posting 22 wins, 23 losses and one shootout loss. He also made his NHL debut with Chicago in January and appeared in two games for the Blackhawks. Corey finished the 2005-06 campaign in strong fashion as he shut out the Binghamton Senators on April 12 at Scope. As Corey enters his sophomore pro season, he looks forward to similar solid outings at Scope and in the Windy City.

Visit norfolkadmirals.com soon for the opportunity to submit questions to #24 Jordan Hendry!

Slapshots:

Name:  Corey Crawford
Number:  29
Position:  Goaltender
Height:  6’02”
Weight:  181
Date of Birth:  12/31/84
Born:  Montreal, Québec, Canada
Hometown:  Chateauguay, Québec, Canada
Marital Status:  Single
Children:  None
Click here for Corey's full bio

Lee (Gloucester, VA): What experiences will you take from your rookie season to your sophmore season?

COREY CRAWFORD:  Playing my first year of pro hockey will definitely help me for next season because of the experience. I was able to play a in a lot of games as a rookie goaltender.

Don Fuller (Chesapeake, VA): With it looking like a majority of the time between the posts will be yours, how do you put last year’s ups and downs behind you?

COREY CRAWFORD:  Instead of trying to put bad times and good times last year behind me, I will use that to my advantage. I could look back at certain situations and use my experience to help me.

Mike S. (Virginia Beach, VA): Let me first say that you are my favorite player on the team! I just got into hockey within the last 2 years and I am hooked!! I always try to get people to go to the games that have never been. My questions are what is your exact ritual when you first get to the net at the begining of each period? I would also like to know what you say to other players when they run into you or try to hit you?(My girlfriend and I figure you talk smack to them). Thanks in advance!

COREY CRAWFORD:  Hey thanks a lot. I'm really glad you're into hockey, it's a great sport. I don't have a big ritual like some goalies. I just like to skate to my net and scrape away the water from my crease. I don't really talk a lot of "smack," we have plenty of those guys on our team that are pretty good at it too.

A Few Favorites…

Music: Runk, Rock
Song: “Girls Not Grey,” by AFI
Book: Thunder and Lightning by Phil Esposito
Movie: Talladega Nights
Food: Lobster
Favorite Part of Playing in Norfolk: Great fans – loud every game

Brandy (Highland Springs, VA): What goes through your mind when you know the guys rely on you to do your best during a big game?

COREY CRAWFORD:  I just try to stay focused and concentrate on stopping the puck. When you put too much pressure in your head that's when it gets tough to play.

Sierra (Virginia Beach, VA), Jess (Suffolk, VA) and Bret Sculthorpe (Newport News, VA): Who did you look up to when you where growing up and why? Also, what was your inspiration to become a hockey player? Was there a person that inspired you to want  to play? Best of luck this season!

COREY CRAWFORD:  Thanks. Well being from Montreal, when i grew up I always watched the Montreal Canadiens and their goalie at the time was Patrick Roy. He's probably the reason I wanted to start playing Goalie when I was younger. [Roy, who will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame this November, is the NHL’s all-time leader in wins and games played by a goaltender].

Shannon (Virginia Beach, VA): How long have you been playing ice hockey?

COREY CRAWFORD:  I started playing hockey when i was five years old. I started goaltending at the age of 10.

Summer Plans

I have trained hard all summer in the gym. I spent some time in the great city of Montreal, lots of things to do there. I started skating on the ice to get ready for training camp.

Caleb Fraser (Virginia Beach, VA), Sierra (Virginia Beach, VA) and Art (Virginia Beach, VA): What does it take to be a goalie, and what advice can you give to a young goaltender?

COREY CRAWFORD:  First of all you can't be scared of the puck. You have to be mentally strong. I think anticipation is the most important. Being able to read the play is key to being a goaltender.

Art (Virginia Beach, VA): What was it like to win your frist game at scope?

COREY CRAWFORD: That was great! The best thing about hockey is definitely winning and hopefully many more will come.

Corey Crawford’s 2005-2006 Statistics

For more Admirals statistics, click here