Christian Laden

Number: 5
Position: Defense
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 175
Shoots: Left
Hometown: Urbandale, IA
Last Team: Des Moines Buccaneers
Birthdate: 4-1-77

Player Biography

Christian is a veteran of the Bucs, returning for his second year with the team. He is the proud recipient of the Pepsi Scholarship Award for the player with the most outstanding academic achievement. While with the Soo Hawks AAA Midgets of the Michigan National Hockey League Christian was Captain of the team, and helped to lead them to the MNHL championship.

Sarah: What is it like playing at home?

Christian Laden: It's great actually, it's something I dreamed about as a kid. When I was younger growing up. I moved away for a couple of years and came back home and it's the best experience I've had so far in my life.

Sarah: Are you treated differently here than in Sault Ste. Marie?

C. Laden: It's not really a comparison. Fans up in Sault Ste. Marie, are like my parents and some of the locals. We were lucky to get 500 at our games. Here 3,000, you're treated a little differently, yeah. You're treated great here. It's the best organization in the league the best fans in the league. If you ask anybody that comes from any other team, anybody who's been traded here, you're going to be treated better here than any place else.

Sarah: What is the best thing about playing in front of your home town crowd?

C. Laden: The atmosphere, just knowing that my parents can see me every game. Most of my family lives in town anyway, all my relatives. So it's nice to be able to play in front of them and always have them at my games. So they get a chance to watch me play throughout my life.

Sarah: When did you start playing hockey?

C. Laden: When I was six years old.

Sarah: Why did you start?

C. Laden: I believe it was because of a flyer that went around through the schools. So I took it home to mom and sure enough she got me started. Ever since then I've loved it.

Sarah: Have you always played defense?

C. Laden: I've always played defense.

Sarah: What made you decide to play for the Bucs?

C. Laden: First being in my home town. Having such a good organization and great team since Ferguson came. The team really picked up, the league really picked up, it just made it even more attractive for me and it was the best way to get to college.

Sarah: Were there any other choices that you were thinking about, besides the Bucs?

C. Laden: I had try-outs to go to Omaha my first year and North Iowa. Those were options, but I didn't go because I made Des Moines. I could have played up in Sault Ste. Marie, for the Soo Indians which is a North American League, I was tendered by them. But basically because of the home town and the USHL is the best junior league in the nation. The home town didn't have much of an effect then as much as the league, the team, and the atmosphere of the organization influenced me to play here.

Sarah: What are some of the teams you've played on in the past?

C. Laden: Through my first year of Bantams I played in Des Moines on travel hockey. My second year of Bantams, I would have been fifteen, I moved to Detroit and lived with a housing family there and played for a Michigan National Bantam Major team, which is triple A. After that I moved up to Sault Ste. Marie for two years, both years of my midgets and played for the Soo Hawks. Then I came to Des Moines after that and this will be my second year in Des Moines.

Sarah: What is your role on the team?

C. Laden: Get the puck out of my zone, don't get scored on, and any offense that comes from me is a bonus.

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

C. Laden: Blackhawks, don't really have a favorite college team. The Blackhawks are definitely my favorite pro team. Chris Chelios is my favorite hockey player.

Sarah: Is there any reason why the Blackhawks are your favorite team?

C. Laden: Well my dad's from Chicago, so I'm a Chicago through and through fan. Everything Chicago.

Sarah: My next question was who is your favorite player, Chelios, but can you tell me why?

C. Laden: I like how he comes and grinds every night. Probably the most in shape and he always works hard than everybody else on the ice and I like to base my game on that.

Sarah: Besides hockey tell me about some of your other hobbies.

C. Laden: I thoroughly enjoy school. I'm not going to school this year, but I enjoy mathematics. I like to play tennis. I played varsity tennis my freshman year, but because of hockey I didn't get a chance to play after that. I really enjoy tennis and weight lifting are two of the other hobbies I really enjoy doing.

Sarah: Is that it?

C. Laden: That and spending time with my girlfriend, if you can count that a hobby?

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

C. Laden: Oh, I had to do this last year. Probably that on the ice I'm really intense, I really go after guys, but off the ice I'm as laid back as anybody else. It takes a lot to get me angry off the ice, but on the ice it's like a snap like that. So it's probably that I'm real laid back off the ice.