After a Q&A session for the Cornell Club of Long Island with former hockey player Matt Moulson ’06, the Sun Sports Department had a chance to talk with the current left winger who plays for the New York Islanders.

The Sun: So first off, talk about playing under coach Schafer and what that experience was like.

Matt Moulson’ 06: He ran a tight ship, a strict ship. We were probably one of the most disciplined teams in all my four years there. You matured quickly as a person when you were there.

Sun: Do you think that sort of prepared you for life in the NHL?

Moulson: Maybe a little bit, I think. You learn so much when you get to pro from college that it’s such a different lifestyle than college. In college you had to be in practice at this time, you had class at this time — everything was kind of set for you. In the pros, you’re pretty much on your own except for practice and games, doing your own thing and trying to make sure that you’re being successful. It’s more up to yourself and I think the only way to go through it is when you get to pro hockey. 

Sun: Now you as a freshman played 30 games and did throughout your four years at Cornell, so talk about what it was like to be on that Frozen Four team from 2002-03 and what it was like to have that experience at such a young age?

Moulson: It was a big moment getting to the Frozen Four. Buffalo is near my home from just right outside Toronto so it was big. I think when you get there your freshman year on so much success you expect it to come easy and we lost. We lost my junior year in overtime on the way to the Frozen Four and my senior year in triple overtime before the Frozen Four, so it just shows how big of an accomplishment it was for a freshman. 

Sun: You’ve got a lot of Cornell guys from your four years, guys like Doug Murray ’03 and Byron Bitz ’07, here in the NHL now. What’s it like to see them on the other end of the ice when you play those teams? 

Moulson: [laughs] Keeping my head up when I play Dougie. He’s still a force to be reckoned with back there and Byron I keep in touch with, one of my great friends. It’s good to see guys here from the school.

Sun: Talk about the experience of getting called up to L.A. finally and having a goal in the first game.

Moulson: That was a big moment, I had a big smile after that one. I was kind of in shock when they said I was going to get called up and after scoring in the second period. I don’t think I was ever happier in a hockey moment than I was in that game. 

Sun: And then since coming to the Islanders you have obviously been very consistent, playing in all 82 games for the first two years here.

Moulson: Knock on wood.

Sun: And two consecutive 30-goal seasons well on your way now. Is there something about this atmosphere here with the Islanders that has made you a consistent player? 

Moulson: It doesn’t hurt playing with the line mates that I do, they’ve been tremendous in my two years. John [Tavares] has kind of been the staple on that line, sort of the yang to my yin I guess. He’s been tremendous and just getting better and better and how the Islanders truly believe to be. I feel a lot different than L.A.; [the Islanders] really gave me a shot and put me in situations to succeed and they’ve been great. 

Sun: You now have a three-year contract here and got quite a bit of security that you signed last January. As you mention the commitment from the Islanders, how great is it to see that as you play on the ice to know that you’re really wanted here?

Moulson: It was my first time I’ve ever signed a three-year deal, so I think still in my mind I feel like I have a one-year deal. Sometimes I catch myself; I realize, ‘actually you have three years here’. It feels good for my family. My wife and I have kind of started our lives and having that does give us a little more security, but you always have to remember in pro sports … to not get complacent and still work hard to achieve the goals that you want to, and that’s what I try to keep in mind even though it’s a three-year deal.

Sun: One last thing — reading over your 10 Questions with The Sun from when you were an undergrad, we read that your dream was always to win the Stanley Cup with Sidney Crosby, so how does it feel to finally be on the ice and play against him, your long-time idol?

Moulson: You’re going to have to cross off Sidney Crosby; that was when I was property of Pittsburgh Penguins [laughs] … insert John Tavares in there. But yes, I’ve played against so many great players that I used to watch and admire. You catch yourself sometimes, watching them on the ice and remembering you’re playing against them.