Chris Antzoulatos

Number: 10
Position: Forward
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 185
Hometown: Agoura Hills, CA
Last Team: Soo Hawks, Buccaneers
Birthdate: 8-30-78

Player Biography

Chris is a senior at Valley High School in West Des Moines and rejoines the Bucs from Agoura Hills, California. Some of his honors include game MVP of the Prince Albert, Saskatchewan Tournament in 1993, as well as MVP of the California Jr. Kings in 1991-92 and the 1992 MVP in the Phoenix Tournament. He feels his greatest accomplishment was helping the 1995-96 Des Moines Buccaneers defeat the Omaha Lancers in the 1st round of the playoffs last season.

Sarah: What do you have to do now to get ready to play? (Note: Antzoulatos had just come back from Mono)

Chris Antzoulatos: Well I have to ride the bike an hour, at least every other day, to get my wind back. Because I get really tired if I skate too long. Skating a little bit more each day. Every day I feel a little bit better. The first day I could only skate for about twenty minutes. The next day I had to get off the ice because I was so sick. I have to eat a lot too, because I lost a lot of weight, I lost about ten pounds.

Sarah: What are you eating, anything special?

Chris Antzoulatos: Chili.

Sarah: Chili?

Chris Antzoulatos: Pasta maybe.

Sarah: How old where you when you started?

C. Antzoulatos: I started playing when I was ten.

Sarah: Why did you start?

Antzoulatos: Wayne Gretzky came to Los Angeles. A lot of kids in my neighborhood then started playing roller hockey then I just got into it through there.

Sarah: Do you still play roller hockey?

Chris Antzoulatos: No, I just did it for a summer or so then I started ice hockey. I really don't play roller hockey.

Sarah: Why did you decide to play for the Bucs?

Antzoulatos: I heard it was the best place to play. They protect the Soo Hawks in Michigan, the team I played on. I actually wasn't supposed to get a try-out, but then some kid who had a try-out here backed out. Bob Laden asked Coach Ferguson if I could have a try-out and I ended up coming and having a really good try-out.

Sarah: What was it like up in Sault Ste. Marie?

Chris Antzoulatos: It was like a small town, freezing. It was good for what it was, it helped me get here. It was okay.

Sarah: Have you always been a forward?

Antzoulatos: Ya. They tried making me a D when I was younger, but every time they'd have me play I'd play really bad.

Sarah: Tell me about the past teams you've played for.

Antzoulatos: I played for the junior Kings, which was an all star team for California. Then that closed down when I was about fifteen. So I went back to Agoura, my home town, to a little club team there. I played with the older team, the midget team, so when I was fifteen I was playing with the eighteen year old's. I ended up going to some all-star tournament and the Soo Hawks saw me, and so I got out of there. We were this really small town, everyone that lived there played. We traveled a lot, played a lot of other teams, but it wasn't anything very competitive.

Sarah: So when did you leave?

Antzoulatos: I was sixteen, two years ago, when I went to Michigan.

Sarah: Do you have a favorite pro or college team?

Antzoulatos: My favorite college team, I like Denver. And my favorite pro team is Los Angeles

Sarah: What about a favorite player?

Antzoulatos: I'd have to say Landon Wilson for the Colorado Avalanche.

Sarah: Do you have a nickname?

Antzoulatos: A nickname? Ya, because Antzoulatos is really long everyone calls me Antonio. Because I always had my hair slicked back they used to call me Antonio. Regg Simon and Klage Kaebel used to say that.

Sarah: What is your favorite saying?

Antzoulatos: I guess I say dude a lot. Everyone's always saying, "why do you say dude all the time."

Sarah: If you were head coach of a team what would you do?

Antzoulatos: If I was head coach of this team? What are you trying to do to me?

Sarah: Ok, any team.

Antzoulatos: I'd make it really enjoyable and fun for the players. Sometimes when you get up to this level for the coaches it's like a business, they're your friends but. I'd make if more of a friendly kind of relationship. Which I don't know if it would work.

Sarah: Tell me about some of your goals for the future.

Antzoulatos: I'd like to go to college next year and finish off strong this season. It's been really hard to sit by and watch and not play, especially when the team's having so much success. I really want to get in there and finish off well. Yes, I'd like to go to college and get a business degree and work. I don't know, see where my hockey takes me.

Sarah: So you went back home while you were sick?

Antzoulatos: Ya.

Sarah: How long where you there?

Antzoulatos: About four weeks, almost a month.

Sarah: Were you sick that whole time?

Antzoulatos: The first week or two I was in bed. I didn't leave the house until the last week I was home. About four or five days I was kind of up and moving around. But usually I'd get up and do a little bit of my homework and watch tv, or whatever, and then by six o'clock I'd be back in bed, either watching tv or going to sleep.

Sarah: Did you have a lot of homework to do?

Antzoulatos: Yes, I'm just trying to get caught up.

Sarah: Finish this sentence: The fans would be surprised to know that I...

Antzoulatos: Umm (he laughs).

Sarah: This question always takes awhile?

Antzoulatos: Is this the one question that always takes awhile?

Sarah: Mm hm.

Antzoulatos: That's because you don't want to tell them anything to personal.

Sarah: True

Antzoulatos: Well most people might not know that my hair changes color from like week to week.

Sarah: That would be good.

Antzoulatos: They probably do know though.

Sarah: Did I ask you what your hobbies are?

Antzoulatos: Not.

Sarah: Then I'll ask you now, what are they?

Antzoulatos: I like to lift weights. In the off season I don't like to do that much ice. In the summer I like to lift weight once or twice a week. I like race cars. That's kind of like a hobby of mine. Working on cars and things like that is what I like to do. Old cars, dragster's, street cars. I guess than that most people would be surprised to know that I'm kind of a gear head.

Sarah: That would work.

Antzoulatos: I like cars a lot.