On the Sheet: Keaton Verhoeff on the Jump to the NCAA, Maturing His Game, and more

Speak at a college University of North Dakota stand out defender stand out

defenseman on his way to the frozen forest Keaton Verhoff that's some

business and then we'll get to the draft some time in June Keaton Jeff

Merrick here how are you when are you leaving for Vegas did you pack your bathing

suit and your suntan lotion are you already for what's in store for you yeah

no I'm good I'm excited to be on here yeah I think we're leaving a Vegas on

Tuesday so get a couple days of practice maybe some sunlight too yeah and then

right to right to business though and this has been such a fascinating year for

you right like this is the first year of the new reality right like the new

reality of of CHLers and NCAA and the the tug and the pull and and on all of it

and you know you're part of that first wave or first class of players that have

said I'm gonna see what this is like over here if you can before we look at

the future could you take us back to like how you came to that decision

initially I was shocked a lot of people were shocked but how did you arrive at

that decision yeah I think well you go we go back to right when the the rule

kind of changed there and you you kind of look at you thought about it and I

think it was always in there's in the back of some of our heads playing out

that season but really I didn't really start thinking about it too much tell

after playoffs ended finished up my season there in Victoria I'm kind of

got reached out or a couple schools reached out to me explored a bit of

them end up going to 18 worlds at the end of the season then after that came

back and looked went on two visits one to North Dakota and one to Michigan and

you kind of go on those visits and you just get a perspective and perspective of

of what it's like here I mean you always have preconceived kind of ideas of

what it's like to play in college or what it's like to be at a certain place

or in an at a certain college but I think for me when I really came North Dakota

to start on my first visit it kind of was a place that really spoke to me and

it was something that I really I wanted to be a part of the culture here and

the people that are here as well just the the group of coaching staff that we

have it was super was super respectful with the decision as well I think

obviously it was a a weird time and a new time as well everyone was everyone was

kind of learning as well with the coaching staff and and the players as well

coming from the CHL but in the end of it North Dakota was kind of just a

place for me it felt right and but yeah I think that the transition was was

definitely a little different than some people's recruiting process mine

definitely flew by it was the marble floors at Ralph ankle stat like you can be

honest like I've I've seen to like it's it's pretty gorgeous right like oh man

marble floors like where do I sign yeah no I don't know what I'm saying the

Ralph is the Ralph is one of the kind the building here is is kind of it's it's

amazing we're so lucky and fortunate to have to have this this great rank and

obviously the alumni that have helped kind of establish the culture and

obviously Ralph Engelstead as well who kind of was a big part in making this

rink was is someone that we really we cherish or deeply around here okay how do

you handle compliments you handle them well do you like your cheeks get red

like how do you handle compliments yeah I think I might maybe you'll get a

little red but I all right I think it's yeah take it and stride and take it so

I texted with one of your former coaches today so tell me tell me something

about Keaton this is what came back just before the program pure winner NHL

captain material leader of men for sure and extremely down to earth even with

all that's going on that resonate with you that's no matter what coach that came

from or who that came from that's not that's that's something that I think I

pride myself in and just being a guy that people can talk to in a guy that

is is respected as well so to hear that to hear that from you is pretty

special and kind of it's that's a huge honor to for whoever that came from well

like you have like I've talked to a couple of people about you they all have

the same thing it's like I'm like what's your relationship what's your

relationship like with Keaton like what are the conversations I get everything

that I always get back is you feel like you're his best friend five minutes

into a conversation right like your your personality has become a quickly one

of your calling cards and I'm sure that as you know NHL teams you know come

inquiring like I don't think I don't think you're going to be intimidated by

the combine interviews are you no I think for me it's kind of that's

something that I pride myself in almost is being able to talk with people and

just being an outgoing person that's that's always been my personality as

someone that can go into a room that's silent and make everyone become start

talking and become friends as well to kind of say like that but I think for me

just moving away from home at a young age and being around around different

people and build families as well I kind of I kind of grew up into that that

kind of style that I'm able to talk with people and enable the whole

conversations as well I asked I asked your manager Bryn Chizek about you today

we're having a conversation and he told me that you are take is it sports

journalism you're taking a class in sports you're already coming for all of

our jobs here too you're already looking like past you know the finishing up in

college and the NHL career already looking to take all of our jobs here the

other side of the microphone yeah I took to a sports journalism class in the

first semester I was pretty that was a neat class for me yeah I think both just

because obviously I'm interested in things like that and we got to look at

different sports but I think the main reason it kind of helped me and a reason I

wanted to take it as well was was just with talking with media and seeing stuff

from their perspective like as as me for me this year having a talk with

different different interviews and in different podcasts as well it's it's been

nice to have that class kind of see what you guys think and see what's almost

picking you guys's brain a bit but so now you know how easy it is like here's the

thing like dude this is a secret how easy this thing is now you're in the club

you can't tell anybody you gotta say like oh man these guys work so hard oh what a

tough gig that is yeah you guys are working working all day you don't get

talk with fun people at all no no oh I gotta go to work my wife always that you

don't have to go to work you gotta go watch a hockey game like you're not

working like stop like stop with I gotta go to work you watch hockey game and

go like oh that's off side oh that's gonna be icing and we'll be right back

like essentially that's what that's what we do here Keaton and now you know

the secret and now you know the secrets I'm always curious about players in

their in their draft here look Gavin McKenna's going through this as well I

can I can recall Noah Hanuffin okay years ago so Noah Hanuffin the Quebec

ramparts had his rights in the Quebec League and he didn't consider going for

a second I talked to his his representation then Wasserman now the team and I

said like is there any chance that Hanuffin's gonna go and they said you know what

it's his draft year we don't want him in a new environment we want to like

comfortable things that he's used to the same experiences just focus on the

draft year and playing and and that's it we don't want any other any other

distractions in his life and I understand that like it's a really sensitive

year and you're going through it right now but you've deliberately chosen to

put yourself in a different situation one I think that's commendable right

like here's this is like a really really it's like it's a big year in your life

a big year in your career here and you've and you've challenged yourself like

was was any of this part of the thinking to like you know what maybe I should

stay where it's really comfortable put up big points and a Victoria's gonna have

a good team and or was it like at every single step of the way I want to

challenge myself and you know here you are planning against like 23 year olds

now yeah um for sure I think that was that was always in the back your head I

mean it's hard not to kind of have that stuff floating around there but for

me like you said I just kind of I wanted to have that challenge and I know what

kind of going through that I had that same almost obviously on smaller scale

but I had the same kind of thought process going in my second year U15 um oh

yeah kind of for that WL draft year and it was whether I should stay in my

hometown and play triple A there or ended up moving out to Kelowna and playing and

playing in rink so at ring Kelowna so it was kind of a familiar situation but

yeah I think the the kind of things that went into it and the thought

process and the people I had supporting me was super huge kind of coming here

was definitely gonna be a challenge and I knew that but I had so many people to

talk with and and like I said earlier the coaching staff was kind of on a was

so we're so respectful and and kind of wanting to take me to take me through

this process and really be there for me as well I mean this year I've had

those guys beside me every step of the way to kind of talk with and do extra

work or do extra video and whenever things are kind of like there's gonna be

ups and downs in the air so whenever things are going bad they're there for me

whenever things are going good they're there for me as well so it's it's you know

it's anything to we we always hear the term distraction and we never think

that it can actually be a good thing and what are the things that I wonder about

like you know this year first year on campus significantly away from home

etc um we always think the distractions are bad but there's is such a thing as

a positive distraction that through all of this sometimes like you can't be 24

seven consumed by the draft and the season and what's coming in June and where

I'm gonna go and looking at NHL standings and draft simulators and prospect

regularly you can drive yourself crazy like what are some of the positive

distractions that you would have in your life this season so you don't just get

overwhelmed by the draft year I think I think honestly for me it's just been

surrounded myself with the guys really kind of throwing myself into it I mean

you look at junior and it's a little bit different in a sense where some guys

are going to school some guys are out of school and so you're kind of hanging

out with with if you're going to school you're hanging out with the guys that

are going to school if you're not going to school you're hanging out with those

guys so I think for me in college every single guy is going to class every single

guys around the school and around the ring pretty much all the time so to kind

of have those guys and really become really close to those guys has been

super super good for me this year and it's kind of a thing that I think I

really enjoyed this year I mean we're a really close group I don't think we

would be where we are today if we aren't if we weren't as close to we were we

we've gone through so much I mean start of the in the summer we we start kind

of coming together and and really learn each other's games and and kind of

personalities and then as the year goes on you just become closer and closer with

guys and and now there's guys here that are are my best friends and I I'm so

happy that I get to spend every day with these guys at the rink and in a way from

rink and traveling and all that stuff

let me ask you about your your season because early on it was like highlight

highlight highlight and that's great and that's cool and then we look at you

play now and it's like like he looks like a pro like you have like a real

maturity to your game where early on I can understand it like 17 years old like

highlights man like let's let's let's make some videos here and now we watch

you play and it's like wow he really has like a mature poise to his game like

was is that just like was gonna happen through the season was it like at a

certain point you realize I need to start playing a more pro style game here like

I remember I'll give an example I remember going to watch the uh you 16

Toronto Marley this is when Conor McGaver is on the team and Josh Hossing they

were the two stars and Josh Hossing was a guy that would like dangle five guys

and then regroup in the neutral zone just so you could do it again and then he

would go and score where McDavid like at 15 like looked like a pro Mike oh my

God this guy looks like he's like forget OHL he's going right to the NHL from

from you 16 like was there like moments throughout the season where you like I

got to mature my game here or did that just happen naturally yeah for sure I

think kind of going back to that decision I think to come to North Dakota is

kind of a place where um the maturity is is established from the people that

have been here before us um but yeah I think going into the year um there's

definitely some holes in my game um and some spots that I that I wanted to fix I

mean a big big point for me was was coming here to kind of improve my

defensive ability and and my my D zone structure and that stuff um and obviously

playing against those older and more mature guys it kind of comes along with

it I think the biggest difference for me in college this year was just the

details of guys um the details like for the guys you play against and the details

of um your teammates as well so being able to learn from those guys has has been

super huge but I think at the start of the year you kind of you go and start of

the year and you're you're playing like I'm kind of I was playing almost a

different type of game um you you're going you're you're putting up lots of

numbers and you're doing that stuff but and that's all great and fun but I

think at the end of the day the game I'm playing right now is is something that

it is more mature and more capable to be able to take to the next level it's it's

not as much of a running gun game it's more of a kind of know the situation and

know the the area of when I should maybe jump up in the play and and make a

rush player or stay back and kind of be that be that reliable defensive defensive

defenseman so I think for me the the maturity my game has been a huge jump for

me um I'd say honestly that's that's been the biggest biggest kind of thing for

me that's developed issue mm-hmm a couple of more minutes left with you I want

to ask about a couple of things specifically throughout your season you know

there was that ASU weekend where you're in January I believe it was where you

were just like lights out like that was like holy smokes Keen Verhof holy

geez were there moments like that like throughout the season that we we may

have missed along the way where yeah my ASU weekend was good but how about this

weekend really like your last game was fantastic here too to get you here

the frozen for but like were there moments where you stand out and you go like

yeah you know what I'm really proud of this weekend or this game or these two

games yeah hundred percent I think everyone kind of goes to that weekend you just

kind of look at the numbers and you look at the production wise and then you you

watch the games and you see I played pretty well but honestly in my head that

was a good weekend production wise but for myself like playing I felt good I

know there was better though for me and I think weekends that that don't show up

on the score sheet as much that are kind of good stepping stones where I I

know I played well and and things like that kind of the things just don't fall

on the back than that but things like for me Colorado we went to Colorado

college right after the world junior break and I went there and I played a

super solid game I was moving box quick and and joining joining the rush and

doing things like that but it's just those type of games where I'm playing the

the important times and I'm playing the the right way or things that I really

look for and and I really pride myself in in learning this year honestly and

and maturing my game that way miss playing goalie no not as much anymore

I'll get the pads on a couple months ago here and I still a little bit yeah I

still got a little bit of game in me but not much I don't think my

abilities where it was I look more like what what skates did you wear do you

wear goalie skates it's just where you're on your own I was in the straight

normal player skates I wasn't moving very well I was more of a up-down

walk around okay but I still got some hand died going that's good I just

got the mitt that's all right you still got the mitt okay well we'll we'll

land on this one's I know every day is busy for you so let me let me end on

this one what do you want people to know about you I'm always curious like you

know you want to you know share your personality you got a big personality

you're you're easy to like like all of it but what do you want people to know

about you like what do you want people to take away from either seeing this

interview or or having a conversation with you what do you want people to know

about yourself yeah I think for me it's just get to know me as a person in kind

of the the way I handle myself in the way I'm gonna be respectful to

everyone something that I kind of I always pride myself in being is being

a like being a friend with everyone on the team not kind of having clicks and

not being in different groups but being a guy that that every single guy wants

talk to and can can be around and hang out with is is something that I that I

kind of like to be in and like to be around all the guys as well but I think

for me is just my the down to earth kind of human I am I don't really I don't

really want to to go around and flash lots of things I mean there's things to

talk about and obviously when when hockey comes up there's fun things that

that come along with it but also just kind of making sure that I'm a

different I'm a person away from the rank as well and and lots of lots of

other things to kind of talk about and making sure that I'm not just a one

dimensional person that that can only talk about hockey it can be there to

talk about other things with people and and be a guy that can they can just

hang out away from the rank as well what a revelation a young man that

doesn't just want to talk about hockey 24-7 I love it you have a favorite NHL

team by the way yeah I think for me it's got to be oilers I grew up a I grew up

a Montreal fan when I was a goalie because I really like Kerry Price

and then eventually and I fell into the oil the oilers the oilers fan base

growing up in the Minton area so I kind of have grown to like watching them

for it's a sketch one I have a favorite oiler oiler I don't know right now

as of right now I kind of just I'm cheering for the team there's lots of

guys on there I mean actually you know what yeah I guess I do now probably Colton

doc my cousin all right I got I got news for you unless they significantly

trade up in the draft you're not going to get drafted by the Edmonton

oilers it's getting me much much much higher listen thank you so much for

stopping by with me today this has been a really great conversation really

appreciate a good luck in Vegas and I know it'll be interesting for you if it

comes down to to you and Michigan you and Michigan here so well we'll see

what that ends up you you be well we'll talk soon awesome thank you very much

take care