Preflight Briefing- Gabe Yeung

Joining the Brooklyn Aces right after the new year to compensate for the plethora of injuries on the team’s blue line, 6′5 defenseman Gabe Yeung has been a solid addition, scoring seven points in 12 games and providing the team with the added toughness needed to play against the rest of the league.

Chatting with Aces Over Brooklyn during the team’s last homestand, Yeung talks about his game and what it feels like to play in Brooklyn after starting the season in Hudson Valley.

Aces Over Brooklyn- When you were in Hudson Valley, many teams thought of you as more of a shutdown defenseman, but in Brooklyn so far, you’ve been producing offensively as well. What’s that about?

Gabe Yeung- It feels pretty good, especially because I know these guys can really play. Not to take anything away from the guys in Hudson Valley, but it’s pretty hard to get going when you have so many different players coming and going as we did. With the lineup this team has now, my job is so much easier and I already feel comfortable around them.

AOB- You were an Ace in the beginning of the season, but were let go in the expansion draft when the Bears joined the league. What do you think of the way Karma worked out?

Yeung- I’m really appreciative of coach Firriolo, who I think wanted me along. Now, I feel happy that I can give something back to him and the fans in Brooklyn and show them what they could have had from the beginning.

AOB- You’ve been playing a bit of forward as well. That’s a lot of responsibility. How have you been handling it?

Yeung- I’m an older guy, so the more responsibility, the better. I want to be a leader on this team and I want the guys to go out there and work hard. Anyway that I can do that and help the team, I’m all for.

AOB- In Hudson Valley, you and Tommy Westfall were the two key veterans and because of that, you both were flooded with responsibility. You come here and while you have a duty to do on the ice, the team has options and you aren’t forced to play perfect hockey. In spite of less responsibility and ice-time here though, you’re a much better player. Why?

Yeung- Every time we played in Hudson Valley, we knew we were going to be shorthanded and it wasn’t a good feeling. Knowing you have to play 110 percent and you will lose isn’t a great feeling as a player. The situation here, like I said, is so much different and I feel like I’m really feeding off of it.

AOB- You’ve been on a ton of teams and in a bunch of leagues over the years. You’ve kind of gotten the smörgåsbord of pro hockey sampling by playing with all these different players as well. What is different about the EPHL?

Yeung- The EPHL is brand new and I think in a few years, it’ll be as powerful as the Southern Professional Hockey League. I think the thing that sets it apart is the amount of young players and lack of veterans. Once these guys start getting noticed for how talented they are, the league is going to take off. It’s up to me and the other older guys out there though to make sure that happens out there.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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