Established 1826 — Oldest College Newspaper West of the Alleghenies

Two-minute drill: Josh Melnick

Position: Center

Year: Freshman

Hometown: Annandale, N.J.

How long have you been playing hockey?

I have been skating since I was about 3 or 4 and I played on my first organized team when I was 5. My step-dad got me into hockey at a really young age. Until that point, I had never heard of hockey. My family had no affiliation with hockey. Just growing up, having him support me and showing me how to play was awesome.

What's your favorite or funniest Miami memory?

I don't know if I can think of one off the top of my head. I have a lot of classes with the guys and we all have fun at the rink. It's just been great here so far.

If you were stranded on a deserted island, which teammate/coach would you want to have with you?

For teammate, I'd have to say Zach LaValle. That guy is just so funny. Definitely funniest guy in our class. He's always making me smile. For coach, I love all of them. It's hard to pick. I have a great relationship with all of them, but I'd pick Coach Blasi.

Do you have any weird pregame rituals?

Yea I would say so. I just try to stick to a routine that I set for myself. I always keep all of my stuff in the same spot on game day - sticks, water bottles and stuff like that. One little ritual I have is that I always put the left equipment piece on first. I'd like to think that I'm not a superstitious person, but if you ask any of the other guys, they will say that I am. I just think that it's a routine for me and it's been working, so I try to stick to it.

If you could spend the day with anyone dead or alive, who would it be?

Patrice Bergeron. He's my favorite player in the NHL. I have his number so I think it would be cool to spend a day with him.

What superpower would you want?

I think I'd want to be able to control time. Either freeze time or go into the future or past. Maybe correct something that went wrong or just see what's coming up in the future.

Do you have a non-sports related talent?

I'm pretty good at card tricks. I like to amaze some of the guys in the locker room. I like to have someone pick a card and being able to know which card they picked. I learned from watching YouTube videos, and some older friends have taught me through the years.