Don't blame Konrad Sander for not being too excited about being named to the Pacific International Junior Hockey League's (PIJHL) all-star team.
The leading scorer on the 麻豆社国产Wolf Pack simply wasn't aware that he had earned the honour.
"To be honest, I just found out right now," Sander said after being informed of his inclusion on the team by The Chief. "I'm sure it will be a good time. I've never played in an all-star game like this before, so it should be a lot of fun."
Sander said that it won't be strange at all to be lacing up his skates with members of rival teams like the Ice Hawks, Steelers and Sockeyes.
"I've played with or against a lot of these guys throughout my hockey career," he said. "It shouldn't be weird at all."
Sander is the lone representative going to the game for the Pack and the numbers certainly prove that he was the right choice. He sits in 12th place in the PIJHL in scoring, with 11 goals and 25 assists in 29 games. Sander is averaging 1.2 points per game for the league's worst team but Sander said that despite the team's poor record, it's been a fun season.
"I've been doing much better than I thought I would be doing," he said. "Earlier on in the year I had some great chemistry with [Trevor] Kang and now I'm developing some nice chemistry with Mico [Dragutinovic]."
The chemistry between Sander and Dragutinovic has led to better results for the team. Sander said he has really enjoyed what Dragutinovic has brought to the team.
"It's awesome to get to play with him," he said. "He's a great guy in the room, a really hilarious guy and I can't complain at all playing on a line with him."
The frustrating season thus far for the Pack weighs heavily on the mind of Sander, but he said the team has looked better in recent weeks.
"I think we've had a lot of bad luck this season," he said. "We've had a bunch of one-goal games and a few games where we have either bad starts or third-period collapses. We just need to play a more simple game. We're not the best offensive team in the league so we need to limit turnovers and work better on our defensive zone coverage to win."
Sander said he's not sure if the team can still qualify for the playoffs but he wants the Pack to finish the season strong.
"We want to end the season on a good note," he said. "For me personally, I think if me and Mico continue developing chemistry then we can both get up there for scoring."
As for the all-star game, Sander said he's looking forward to the skills competition portion of the event.
"I'm not sure what exactly the format is but I'd like to take part in the accuracy drill or the hardest shot contest," he said. "I'll leave the fastest skate to some of the speedier guys in the league."
The 2011 PIJHL all-star game will take place at the MSA Arena in Abbotsford on Jan. 17. Face-off for the game is scheduled for 7 p.m. For more information on the game, visit www.pijhl.com.
