Media Avail (7/10): Kunin

Shan go ahead hey Luke how’s it going how’s your summer going yeah all good um you know nice to you know enjoy some time with uh family and friends and uh you know get some rest before uh getting back at it but uh all good can’t complain have you been in Minnesota is that where you train in offseason yeah I’ve been in Minnesota most of the time um went uh went back to St Louis for about a week to see uh my folks brother grandparents uh but other than that yeah I’ve been been here most of the way and what’s sort of your plan when do you plan to come back to San Jose uh probably uh September one is is usually when I tend to head back uh haven’t thought uh that far ahead just you know enjoying my time here skating training um you know getting ready for the season hey you talk about you signed the one-year contract to come back to the Sharks just uh can you talk about how that came uh came together and just how excited you are to be back yeah I’m very excited obviously you know being there two years kind of battling and seeing what we’ve gone through I think you know we’re on the rise for sure um you know with the talent that we’ve drafted and the prospects and the players that we’ve brought in and um you know the relationship I have with waro and the coaching staff and um you know knowing how excited and the energy that he has uh for this team moving forward I uh I couldn’t be more excited I’m really looking forward to to getting there and get going have you talked with Ryan a bit sort of your your role on the team and just sort of also to just expectations for for next year with him yeah I mean I think I know what my role is I think I know the type of player that I am um you know we’ve had you know some talks throughout uh the summer uh you know we were very close obviously the last two years too talking and having that relationship for you know me as a player but also as a person and knowing what I need to do and um I think that’s pretty clear so uh like I said I’m excited to uh to play for him and uh you know see what happens and is it nice that the Sharks acquired so many players that maybe take after your own heart guys who are hard to play against guys like Barkley gdo and Ty delandria Carl G grrm just guys like that are sort of cut in the same cloth as you yeah I think you know you got to have competitive guys I think um you know you watch the Stanley Cup Playoffs you look at teams that win you obviously have to have the talent but you got to be the most competitive team um you know and have that playoff style of hockey and um yeah I’m I’m excited and happy with all the moves ever made and um you know the guys that we brought in should uh should help a lot all right thanks Luke go ahead Max uh Luke first of all congratulations on on the contract um you mentioned Ryan and talking about H you know what you guys talked about just more off the ice stuff that’s something he’s emphasized with us what kind of person is he like when he’s not talking like what is that relationship like with a head coach yeah I mean I think it’s different with every head coach um he’s a great person I think he cares about people I think you know he uh he’s a pro you know he approaches you know everything the right way every day he’s got a smile on his face you know when he gets to the rank he’s got that energy that um that competitive Spirit someone you want to go to battle with and um you know I think you know you talk to everyone in that room they all feel that way so um like I said you know talking with the guys everyone’s you know you never want to see you know a change or something happen it’s obviously it’s it’s unfortunate you know with Quinny but it’s a part of the game right you got to move forward it happens uh in the sport and um you know we’re excited like I said for for waro and to play for him and and for what’s to come Mike told us the other day that there’s going to be a lot of competition in training camp this year obviously there was a lot last year but there just seems to be an added you know amount of bodies especially with the forward group it’s a competitive guy yourself I mean a lot of your style plays getting in the corners grinding out what does that do for a training camp when there’s that many guys fying for such small amounts of spots yeah I think it’s great I think you know you want that competitive um Spirit within your team you want that every day at practice you want that throughout the year I think that only you know collectively as a group and um you know we got a lot of young guys I think it’ll be good for them to get into that and and um you know just be battling and you know fighting for everything you know every day at you know such a young age coming into the league um but also for older guys you know that you know you got to earn it as well nothing’s given nothing’s guaranteed and I think you know when you have that mindset from day one getting to Camp that um you know it really sets up a good you know format identity whatever you want to call it for your group that you know it’s an everyday process you got to show up every day you got to you know come uh come ready to go every day or you know someone’s going to take your spot you look at the young players coming in obviously last year with Fabian William and bordalo a little bit and Colin and now you got Will Smith and mlin celini obviously you’ve got the A’s on your on your jersey now have you reached out to any of those guys obviously maybe not necessar eckan and Fabian you but of Will and Macklin maybe some of the other young guys have you reached out to them and talked to them about their summer yeah you know obviously um you know with with Smith I was with him over a world so I got to spend a little time with him um you know and see you know him on the ice practice play with him a little bit so that was pretty cool um you know be able to talk about the team and everything with him so uh and then obviously you know with Macklin and you know some of the guys that got drafted and you know even some of the guys that we brought in just reaching out welcoming you know them to the group and just telling them you know how excited we are and you know ready to go to go to battle with them and get going so uh you know just a little bit here or there don’t want to bombard any you know anyone with too much stuff then obviously with um you know Ai and and and zets I I talked to them enough uh we we talk plenty so it’s uh you know it’s a fun group it’s a good group of guys and um you know we’ve said that all along it’s just good people in this organization so um you know just want to you know bring that into going to work every day and and getting the job done last one for me here obviously just from a you know one of the reasons why Macklin told us he signed is that you know they brought in a lot of players to help the quality of the team you went through the struggles of the team last year from a player who was here last year seeing those moves May bringing in a guy like Alex wenberg or Tyler T Foley and then the grunch from dantry and then obviously signing these top prospects what is it do for confidence for players that have been there and went through the struggles of last season yeah I mean I think obviously we all know what uh what happened the last few years I think you got to use it to fuel the fire you got to use it to you know remember the feeling and get out of that and and you know not want that anymore and I think obviously the pieces we brought in are going to help for sure and I think the guys that were there should just be hungrier and hungrier to you know not have that feeling and um you know when you’re training when you’re working out skating everything over the summer you’re just thinking about that and wanting to be better and doing everything you possibly can you know do to uh you know to be ready when Camp starts and help our team win awesome thanks luk yeah Christian go ahead yeah Luke how did you and the Sharks ultimately settle on you know one year as the length of this contract uh I mean there’s a lot of uh you know with the negotiations with you know your agent and you know careers you going you know talking and trying to figure things out I don’t want to obviously get into too much of that I’m happy with how everything you know went down I’m happy to be there uh for another year and um you know be a part of this group and um do whatever I can to help uh you know our Hockey Club win yeah and now that you’re you know like you said back in the fold how do you see your role with these talented young guys coming in in this new era sort of starting for the Sharks yeah I think um you know 200 foot player like you know I try to always be since I you know I’ve gotten into the league um you know a leader physical energy just you know play my game um penalty kill whatever it is that waro needs you know I’m willing to do um but yeah just try to you know be a good guy for these young guys to look up to just do the right things every day and um you know help them as much as possible yeah then you’ve had a fun summer obviously with your wife winning a championship what was that like and how has it just been you know this whole Whirlwind of the summer for you yeah it’s been uh it’s been pretty crazy um you know I was fortunate enough to you know go to World Championships and after that I was still able to uh you know catch the the pwhl playoffs and and watch them win uh it was pretty special something really special to be a part of obviously missing a lot of her games you know over the years so it was cool that I could be there for her and and her team and um you know for her last you know game ever to win a championship and you know the inaugural season of The League was pretty pretty amazing and um you know great memories that um you know we’ll both cherish so it uh was very cool to see yeah what was the discussion like with her you know as she was getting ready to decide whether or not to hang him up oh did that not come through I think you cut out there can you say that again yeah sure what was the discussion like her you know like you said coming off coming off winning a championship and then you know ultimately her decision to hang him up yeah I mean um the end of the day it’s you know her choice I think we’ve had you know some talks even before the season that this you know was potentially going to be her last year um you know being married wanting to you know spend obviously more time together than a part like we have the last few years and you know you know hopefully a family and um be together that’s just kind of what went into that uh but yeah just her decision nothing um loves the game loves everything about it but um loved her loved her time playing in Minnesota and how the league went and it was just uh I guess her time gotcha thanks Luke appreciate it yeah all right guys we have Luke for a few more minutes so just a reminder uh use raise hand if you have any questions for him uh Shan go ahead uh Luke just wanted to ask uh in relation to that um are you now you know you got a a gun for a championship now so that she doesn’t have those breking rights over you yeah absolutely I don’t uh we’re pretty competitive uh you know family so it’s uh you never want to be the one on the losing end of things and yeah she won a championship so definitely uh I want to win something as well well I guess for you you didn’t win at first but you can win more right absolutely absolutely I also want to ask you just what was your impression of Will Smith in a time you spent with him you know he didn’t get to play a lot obviously for Team USA but just you know at practice and just spending time with him hanging out with him what was he like yeah I think first and foremost you can tell just how great of a kid he is um you know you can tell he was raised right and um fun to be around um you know smile on his face every time he’s at the rink and you know you see you know you see him in practice and the things that he can do and his talent and uh just makes you excited to uh you know to have him on our team and play with play with him this year and um yeah it was uh it was fun to see and be a part of him didn’t you know get to spend much time with him before that obviously so it was uh it was nice what kind of questions did he have for you be it uh being in San Jose just the living experience or even just as an angel player did he have any questions for you and either of those kind of areas yeah I think there’s a little bit of everything obviously asking about San Jose asking about you know the rink asking about um you know you name it where the best places to live are you know restaurants whatever it was it was you know just you know he was asking he wanted to know all about it and that was uh awesome for myself to see how excited he was about it and uh finally I’m not sure if this something that you discussed with Ryan but uh is the intention or has he told you that you’re going to be alternate Captain next year or is that kind of you guys didn’t discussed that could be up in the air or do you know you know anything about that I don’t know anything about that that’s you know not on my mind I’m just working on what I need to do to uh be ready for the season um you know and I’m not thinking about any of that stuff so all right thanks Luke enjoy the summer I’ll see you soon thanks we’ll go back to Christian yeah Luke I just wanted to ask you you know I know your coach came out and said we want more you know like you what is it like to hear that you know from your coach and you know how do you like you said sort of try to embody that you know with all these young guys and what you guys are trying to build into this year yeah obviously it means a lot um you know something I try to do every day and how I approach um you know coming to the rink every day how I approach just life just do do the right things try to work hard and and be a good person first and foremost and um good teammate and yeah I think it’ll be huge especially with the young guys that we have and just trying to be the the best pro possible but you know really good example for these guys and help them in any ways that I can and um you know yeah it’s it was definitely a very very cool compliment to hear your coach say something like that and you know just makes you you know want to give him you know that much more absolutely thank

Luke Kunin speaks to the media for the first time since signing his one-year extension with the Sharks.

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