Zach Laduke, a senior forward for Latrobe, is a standout member of what has been the PIHL's most dominant Class AA team in recent years. Latrobe has won the past three Penguins Cups and Pennsylvania Cups. With the departure of several key players from last year's team, Laduke is the top returning scorer. He had 51 points (20 goals, 31 assists) in the regular season last year.
Q: With the Penguins' season starting last week and the PIHL's opening day coming up Oct. 18, how does it feel to have hockey back?
A: "I feel like it's been a while. It's been since April since I last played. Going the whole summer without hockey, it feels good to able to flip on the TV and watch a game whenever."
Q: What has been the secret behind the Latrobe dynasty?
A: "I guess it's just building good teamwork. We've had a motto: 'Band of Brothers' is what we call it. It really brings the whole team together. Plus, we play defense first and have a defensive mindset going into each game. It helps us take care of our goalie first, and it gets our offense going, too."
Q: What would it mean to get a four-peat and win championships every years of your career?
A: "It'd be pretty unbelievable I don't know if it's ever been done before or not. If it hasn't, it'd be pretty amazing to do it. If that did happen, I probably couldn't put it into words."
Q: If you could share this ice with any NHL player, past or present, which would it be?
A: "Probably Sidney Crosby. I grew up in (Detroit), but for the past four years I've been watching Crosby. Just to see the way he plays, I try to model my play after him."
Q: As a Detroit native, what was it like when the Penguins and Red Wings played in back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals?
A: (Laughs) "It was pretty rough for me. I had guys from back home in my face because I was rooting for the Pens. I just wanted a good series."
