Sit Down with Schutz: Kyle Greene
Kyle Greene grew up knowing his path was destined for hockey. Greene started skating when he was two, and never looked back. Greene said, “It was kind of everything. I grew up playing since I was two. I started playing really young, and grew up playing in Newfoundland.”
His older brother, Ryan Greene, is an example of what path Canadian-born hockey players are often meant to follow. Greene said, “My brother Ryan, he left at 15, he went away, and then when I turned 15, I did the same. It’s kind of been everything for me and my family so far.” Greene watched his older brother leave Paradise, Newfoundland, Canada, to play hockey in the United States, and now he is watching him play in the NHL. Greene said, “Him leaving kind of set a path, and seeing what he was doing, I saw his journey and everything he went through, and it just made me want to do the same and chase after him.”
Although it is not rare for Canadian-born players to choose to play junior hockey in the United States, they all have the option to play in Canada. For Greene, this choice was not difficult, as he had moved to play high school hockey in America and became used to American hockey culture. Greene said, “I’ve been playing in the U.S. for so long now. I wouldn’t say, like, countries mean anything, but I’ve kind of always wanted to play junior here.” In terms of playing here in Watertown, Greene said, “Obviously, Watertown drafted me, and I heard so many great things about the team and everything. So I thought it would be a great place to go and develop.”
Greene has been paired with a variety of linemates this season and has had success with each of them. The majority of Greene’s points this season have been assists to a variety of linemates, but he still wants people to recognize his play style. Greene said, “I think just, I’m a player that likes to play with my head up and make plays, and find my teammates. I think that’s… kind of an unselfish guy. I probably should be shooting more, but I like to make skilled plays and try to use my speed to open up lanes.”
With Greene joining the team midway through this season, he had to jump in and adapt relatively quickly. Despite this jump, his initial impressions were overwhelmingly positive. Greene said, “I was kind of blown away at first, especially the first game. The crowd and the support we got is unbelievable. It’s something I’ve never seen, so that’s super cool. And the guys are unreal, it’s a really tight group, and a lot of good guys in there, so it was an easy transition for sure.”
Greene, like other teammates of his, understands what this team, organization, and city of Watertown mean to him. Greene said, “Everything right now, I mean, I think we got a great team, and it’s a lot of fun showing up to the rink. So, I’m excited for the second half, want to win some games, more games for the fans, and hopefully make a run here.”
Thank you, Kyle, for sitting down with me!
By Lily Schutzenhofer