A 23-year-old majoring in economics, Grotting took a moment to chat after practice Tuesday. An edited transcript follows.
Q: I heard you say the Camp Randall Hockey Classic was one of the three best moments in your life. How so?
A: "You just had to look around for a second. We get 17,000 (actually 15,237 fans) on a sellout night at the Kohl (Center) and you just have no idea how many followers you actually have in this city. To have 55,000 people come out and watch you play hockey, there's no better feeling than that.''
Q: You said the outdoor game was one of the top three moments in your life. What are the other two?
A: "My brother (Jimmy) lives in Hanoi, Vietnam and works for a non-profit called Operation Smile. He oversees all the missions that come over to Southeast Asia and does logistical stuff, organizes the missions. My family (parents Ann and Jim) had an opportunity to go visit him two summers ago. It was an awesome experience just to see such a completely different culture. It made you realize people interact way differently than they do in the U.S. It's hard to (know) that without an opportunity like that.
"And I was an Olympian. I was part of the red ring of the Olympic rings in the opening ceremony for the 1996 (Summer) Olympics (in Atlanta).''
Q: How did that opportunity come to a 10-year-old?
A: "They were looking for kids just to be in the ceremony. My mom, I think, signed me up. I'm real glad she did now. Looking back it was quite the experience. I also got to see a lot of the events in Atlanta -- I saw soccer, field hockey, track -- and that was a cool experience.''
Q: You have a very specific role on this team. What's the best part of it?
A: "There's a lot of downs. Your body gets beat up trying to finish every hit. But someone's got to fill that role. Someone's got to be a leader in the sense of making sure they finish every hit, are vocal on the bench and have a voice in the locker room. You gain some respect by playing that role. Every team needs a guy like me. You just have to be willing. It's rewarding in that sense. It's a quiet role, but when you look at the big picture, it's a big part.''
Q: If you could trade places with anyone on the team, who would it be and why?
A: "I would take the complete opposite of myself, (senior right winger and offensive wizard) Mike Davies, just to see what it would be like to be a player like him. ... The good hands. The good vision.''
Q: Should student-athletes be paid?
A: "I don't think so, no. We get paid in scholarship money. That's plenty.''
Q: You were the dressing room DJ. How did you come across that role?
A: "Kulby (former defenseman Kyle Klubertanz) used to make a bunch of CDs for the locker room. When he moved on, I just kind of took the responsibility. I've always really been into music. I play the guitar. I had a band at Shattuck for four years. Music's just always been a huge part of my life. ... I have a lot of songs on my iPod. Just a ridiculous amount. I'd say like 15,000. I get it from my brother. He's really into music, too.''
Q: What are your tastes?
A: "A lot of classic rock. A lot of -- believe it or not -- heavy metal to rap to country.''
Q: If you could see one live act that you haven't seen before, what concert would it be?
A: "Red Hot Chili Peppers.''
Q: I heard you handed over the DJ reins to John Ramage. What did you see in a freshman defenseman from St. Louis to trust him with such a job?
A: "Rammer's got it going on. He put a little pregame mix together that seems to get the guys going. So I'm going to let him do his thing.''
), but try to keep your nose clean. There's an awful lot of talent around these guys.
I tell as many students as I can to like college hockey.
