Yvon Hopps

Yvon Hopps

Number: 12
Position: Defense
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 180
Shoots: Right
Hometown: Watertown, NY
Last Team: Des Moines Buccaneers
Birthdate: 4-28-77

Player Biography

The Bucs welcome back Yvon for another exciting season. Yvon is a former member of the Soo Hawks of the Michigan National Hockey League. He is a member of the National Honor Society, and has received a Presidential Academic award. His future plans include earning a college degree in Business or Law.
In-Depth Interview
December 3, 1996

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

Yvon Hopps: Because I wanted to go to Division I college. Back home in New York there's no higher level of hockey; you go play high school or midgets and that's it. You can go play Junior B, but if you play there you are going to end up playing Division III in a New York school, if you are lucky. I came out here so I could end up somewhere good, get a good education, and play hockey for a few more years.

Sarah: I realize you played for the Soo Hawks along with some of the other guy's on the team, how long did you play for them?

Y. Hopps: I played one year, my senior year in high school. That was my last year of eligibility and they recruited me from the tryouts here, from the National Championship team that year. That was a big opportunity for me, Ferguson told me that would help me out a lot.

Sarah: Before that where did you play?

Hopps: I played Junior B in Syracuse. It was way below the level of the Soo Hawks, it was the same age group as Junior A, but the kids are just brutal. Before that I just played Bantams and Pee Wee's and up through association hockey.

Sarah: So how old where you when you started playing hockey?

Hopps: I started when I was five, the year I started Kindergarten, so yes five.

Sarah: Why did you start?

Hopps: I got a letter in the mail from the town, because they ran it. They sent it out to all the little kids and it said, do you want to play hockey? I had no idea what it was so I asked my dad what it was. When he told me, I decided it sounded like a good time. That's how I got started.

Sarah: Have you always played defense?

Hopps: I played defense since I started. For two years I played wing, I did okay there, but they started throwing me back on defense. So I've played defense for the last six...seven years.

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

Hopps: My favorite pro team would be Toronto and my favorite college team would be Clarkson. They're right near my house, I've seen them play, and heard a lot about them as I've grown up.

Sarah: What do you like to do besides hockey?

Hopps: I like to read a lot. I kind of miss school a bit. I haven't been there for two years. I liked the learning and after you get out of it for a while you want back in. I like to hang out with the guys on the team and stuff like that.

Sarah: Finish this sentence: I can't imagine living without...

Hopps: I can't imagine living without playing hockey. Because I have no idea what I would do, I've played it for so long. As a little kid I never did anything, but play around. I've grown up my entire life playing hockey and I have no life outside of that. I don't know what I would do with all my free time if I didn't do this, because this takes up my entire life. Other than working and going to school I don't know what I'd be doing.

Sarah: Do you have a favorite saying?

Hopps: No, I really don't.

Sarah: Can you remember your most embarrassing moment? Tell me about it.

Hopps: That was probably last year, we had a game at home and we were killing a penalty. It was 5 on 4, I can't remember whom we were playing, but we were skating back into my zone. It was me and Fure and two guys coming down on us. I tripped coming over the blue line going backwards, just in front of everybody. All I could here was the whole crowd just go "ahh" and they came down 2 on 1 on Fure and scored. I felt so small, like an inch big.

Sarah: What are some of your goals for the future?

Hopps: My immediate goal right now, is to get some sort of scholarship to school. To make it through school four years and get a degree. I don't know, maybe engineering or law. I haven't really decided yet what I want to do. So just getting through college and getting a successful career started where I can make a lot of money and wouldn't have to do any sort of manual labor.

Sarah: One final question, what would the fans be surprised to know about you?

Hopps: Probably that I have two tattoos, both on my legs.