Though Alex DeBrincat would rather be competing for a Stanley Cup, the Blackhawks forward is excited to get the chance to play hockey again this month.
DeBrincat will join Patrick Kane in representing Team USA at the 2019 IIHF World Championship, which starts May 10. For the second year in a row, Kane will serve as the captain for the Americans.
DeBrincat, 21, was an obvious choice to play for the U.S. Last season, he scored 41 goals and recorded 35 assists for 76 points, which is 24 points more than the amount he recorded in his rookie season in 2017-18.
Before he heads to Slovakia for this year’s world championship, DeBrincat, who played for Team USA at the same tournament last year, joined the Sun-Times in this week’s chat room.
With preparing for World’s, have you started sharpening up your ping-pong skills?
Alex DeBrincat: “No actually, I’ll have to get back into gear when we get back there.”
Who’s the best ping-pong player on the Hawks?
AD: “On the Hawks? Oof. I think it’s gotta be me, but I don’t know.”
How about the best ping-pong player going to World’s from the Hawks?
AD: “Oh, for sure, it’s me.”
Yeah, we won’t even ask Kane what he thinks about it.
AD: “Yeah, he’s horrible. I don’t know who else is good on the Hawks, we don’t play very much so it’s hard for me to say.”
Other than playing hockey and ping pong, what are you most looking forward to with World’s?
AD: “I think you get to play against some really good competition again and just playing hockey again is exciting. Exploring another country that I’ve never been to is also fun.”
[Dylan] Strome is on Team Canada, does that make you two frenemies?
AD: [Laughs], I guess so. I think I won’t be friends with him the day that we play him.”
Planning any trash talk, you probably know what gets to him, what buttons to push?
AD: “Oh for sure, so hopefully I get him to take a penalty or something. But no, maybe we’ll get a bet going later, I’m not sure yet.”
What makes him tick on the ice?
AD: “Oh, just hit him. I think he [laughs], he’s going to get pissed at me for saying this but he’s pretty soft, so.”
Who has the best taste in music on the Hawks?
AD: “I don’t know, Wardo [Cam Ward] usually plays the music, so I’d say he has pretty good taste.”
Absolute worst taste in music?
AD: “I don’t know. I don’t think anyone has bad taste in music. Maybe me, I guess. I’m not a big music guy, so I don’t think they’d like me to have the aux chord. I like country. I listen to country a lot. A lot of the guys in the locker room wouldn’t be so happy with that.”
Do you consider “Old Town Road” country or hip-hop?
AD: “I’d say hip-hop.”
Even with Billy Rae Cyrus?
AD: “Yeah, I’d say so.”
