Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/628545
MINNESOTAHOCKEYJOURNAL.COM // FEBRUARY.2016 10 MHJ // Did you really grow up on an island in Lake of the Woods and take a boat to school? AL: I lived on an island until I was 7 and I have an older sister (Sam) who was on the island until she was 12. I only went to school for one year, but it was a one-room schoolhouse. As far as the soli- darity type of thing, I don't remember too much of it to be honest. I think my parents were greatly influential on how I turned out. I think my intro- spectiveness and attitude came from them. MHJ // Back to the ice. How do you maintain the flexibility necessary at the goaltending position? AL: In the last six months I changed a lot of my routines and my eating habits. It's made a huge difference. It's all about persistence. I think generally, everybody knows what the right things are to do, but it's hard to do them sometimes. The biggest thing for me has been the choice: I can either go to the gym and get a stretch in or shower off and go sit at home for three hours. I think taking the time and doing things the right way is a big piece for me. MHJ // What have you been doing differently with your diet? AL: Nothing crazy, just a lot less pasta and burgers. Instead of eating a piece of pizza, I have a salad. I still really enjoy eating bad foods (laugh), but I've real- ly made a conscious effort to clean up my diet. MHJ // Have to ask:. Do goalies deserve their reputation for being a little … different? AL: (Laugh) Yeah, I don't know. I've thought about that a lot. I go through phases where I say, "Goalies are just like everybody else." But then I'll meet one goalie and I'll think, "Man, goalies are weird." I like to think that goalies hold some unique characteristics over other athletes and other positions. It's just such a unique position that your mind just doesn't work in the same way. MHJ // What are some of those unique char- acteristics? AL: The position is so unique that it's like being a quarterback in football. There are just not that many positions in sports where you're on an island by yourself. You're part of a team and you want to help the team, but it's a notion of singleness. I think that creates a different mentality for goalies. You have to bare a little more pressure in some cases and perform a little different role on a team. MHJ // What other interests do you have? AL: I quite enjoy cooking. It's kind of my secret talent. My first two years, I ate in the dining halls in our residential college. Now that I live off campus, I do all my own cooking. I got very experimental this summer. MHJ // What kind of things were you trying? AL: I had some bizarre experiments with sea- food. I got pretty creative with salmon. I made my own pasta sauces, really healthy, from scratch. MHJ // Being from the Walleye Capital of the World, you must have some experience there. AL: I do. My parents came the weekend of our home opener and my dad brought me 10 walleye fillets. I haven't broken them out yet, but in the next couple of days I'll be cooking up walleye for sure. MHJ // Chef—how do you recommend we prepare walleye? AL: The best, in my opinion, is a simple batter and fried. But I bake it mostly now. Put it on tinfoil with a couple of lemons and let it bake. MHJ // Any tips for young hockey players out there? AL: There's nothing more valuable and more rewarding than being the hardest working play- er on your team. I think that's the best advice I could probably give to anybody. INTERVIEW WITH ALEX LYON Q&A 5 FAVORITE MEALS TO COOK AND THEN EAT 1. Steak and sweet potatoes. 2. Pan-seared salmon. 3. Quinoa and chicken breast. 4. Chicken spinach salad with cranberries. 5. Chicken and penne in vodka sauce. there's nothing more valuable and more rewarding than being the hardest worKing player on your team. i thinK that's the best advice i could probably give to anybody." " PHOTOS: TIM KOLEHMAINEN, BREAKDOWN SPORTS MEDIA