Getting to know your Maulers
Player #21 Billy Bigham

Get to know your Maulers

Player #21: Billy Bigham

(Credit to Missoula Maulers)

Welcome back to another Meet your Maulers! In this blog you will get to briefly meet rookie defenseman #3 Billy Bigham! Billy is 5 ft 10 in, 180 lbs, is from Mankato, Minnesota, USA, and is a '94. In the 2012-2013 season, he played for the Holy Family High School hockey team. During this season, he had 0 goals in 25 games played, 3 assists, 3 TPs, 1 shot on goal, and 31 PIMs. I am very excited that Billy is on the team this year because he is a very talented and physical defenseman. He takes the game into his own hands and makes the best plays he possibly can. Being a blue liner, he has a lot to handle during shifts and he takes everything with ease. Bigham seems to flow along with the games and rolls with the punches so to speak. He carefully guards his defensive positions and helps out the forwards as much as possible. Billy is very good at moving the puck from player to player and helps creates holes in the opposing team's players to create scoring chances. His skates are quick and his stick always seems to find the puck one way or another. He has a very high hockey IQ and seems to determine plays before they are initiated. Billy was great throughout the Ogden and Totems series and really showed the Maulers' new and fresh defensive squad. I was able to chat with Billy and here is what he had to say!

1. Why did you decide to join the Maulers this year?

BB: I wanted to come out west and play and I heard the best things about Missoula

2. What skills on and off the ice do you expect to bring to the team this year?

BB: I'd like to bring a positive attitude on and off the ice and also hard work and solid defensive play on the ice

3. Favorite pregame meal?

BB: Any type of pasta

4. Favorite NHL team and player?

BB: Jared Spurgeon and the Minnesota Wild

5. What do you enjoy to do when you are not playing?

BB: I like to hangout with friends, play guitar, and rock climb

6.  What do you like most about Missoula so far?

BB: So far I like the people of Missoula the most and also all the mountains!

7. Greatest chirp you have ever said or been told?

BB: Ooo I gotta go for the classic, "Watch out for that blue line"

8. Best hockey memory?

BB: Probably going to a hockey tournament in Roseau, MN during youth hockey

9. Worst travel experience?

BB: I think that goes back to the squirty days when my buddy threw up on me on the way back from an away game haha

10. Best dressed?

BB: It's a pretty common answer but I would have to say the Swedish guys haha

11. Worst rink you have ever played in?

BB: There's a pretty bad one in North field, MN, the locker rooms were really small

12. Where do you see yourself in hockey in the next 5 years?

BB: Hopefully playing college hockey somewhere

13. Best travel partner?

BB: Max Rebholz I think

14. Xavier LaFlamme, Hanson Brothers, or Jack O'Callahan?

BB: Jack O'Callahan!

15. Which NHL player would you want to go 1 on 1 with?

BB: Umm Sidney Crosby, he would teach me a few things haha

16. Which player best embodies the junior lifestyle?

BB: Either Corey Schafer or Connor McNally

17. Is there anything you would like to tell the fans?

BB: Yeah thanks for coming out to the home opener it was great to see a lot of people there! And we'll do our best for the fans this year

18. Which NHL player would you compare yourself to?

BB: Jared Spurgeon

19. If you had to be stranded on a desert island with anyone in the world and anyone on the team who would it be?

BB: I think I would take my chances with Bear Grylls or Rehmer from the team I think they would have some good survival skills out there!

It was awesome to finally get to talk with Billy and I think his skills will pay positively to the team on as well as off the ice. For the rest of the season, I hope we can see his enormous style of play shine and produce many important shifts needed to life the Maulers up. Thanks for chatting with me Billy and good luck with the Maulers this year!