After a summer hiatus the "Ask A Thrasher" feature is back, and atlantathrashers.com is kicking off the 2009-10 edition with the Thrashers' leading scorer, Rich Peverley. The Guelph, Ontario native joined the team last January just in time for Casino Night and has been scoring at a point per game pace ever since. He has fit in so well in Atlanta that GM Don Waddell jumped at the chance to sign him to a two-year contract extension in October, locking up the 27-year-old forward through the 2011-12 season. We received hundreds of questions for the Thrashers' leading scorer and asked him some of the best. Here are his answers.

Ask A Thrasher Archives:

Bryan Little
Colby Armstrong
Toby Enstrom
Evander Kane
 

Do you have a pre-game routine?

PEVERLEY: Yeah- I think my routine is pretty similar to everyone else. You come for the morning skate, get prepared mentally, then eat your pre-game meal around 11:30 or 12. It's usually the same kind of thing spaghetti or chicken. Then you have a nap and come back to the rink.

What have you liked most about the actual city of Atlanta since moving here?

PEVERLEY: I like the overall laid back atmosphere. Even though the traffic is bad the people are laid back and there are some really nice areas. I like the restaurants. There are a lot of good areas in the city- you just have to find them.

Who are the pranksters on the team and have they ever gotten you?

PEVERLEY: Boults (Eric Boulton) has done a few pranks on some of the guys. I think Thorby (Chris Thorburn) is kind of undercover. People don't think he's doing it but he's the guy that's just quiet about it and doesn't say anything. When I got here last year a couple of guys got me just with little things- taping my pant legs and things like that. Just little jokes to make me feel welcome.

Do you have any pets?

PEVERLEY: I have a dog named Bear. He's a two-and-a-half year old yellow lab. (You can see Bear in this video promoting the Nov. 15 Pet Adoption Day at Philips Arena).

Do you have any siblings?

PEVERLEY: I have a 33 year old sister.

Do you have a favorite NFL team and favorite college football team?

PEVERLEY: Not really. I cheer for the Bills a little bit, but being in Atlanta has made me cheer for the Falcons. They're a fun team to watch. I like watching offensively explosive teams like New Orleans and Indianapolis. I'm not a big college football fan- I'm more of a college basketball. I grew up watching Syracuse and I watched a lot of Marquette games when I was in Milwaukee. And I want to make it to a few Georgia Tech games this year. They have one of the top recruits in America so I want to see him play.

NASCAR, Indy, Formula One or drag racing?

PEVERLEY:  Formula One.

Did you make any big purchases after you signed your contract extension?

PEVERLEY:  No- no big purchases. It's security. I have a family now and I have to think of the future. That's just the way it is. My wife got a new car but she had that coming anyway. It was time.

What's your favorite arena to play in other than Atlanta?

PEVERLEY:  There's a couple. I'd say in the East it's probably New York, just because of the atmosphere, and Montreal. Out West it's always fun playing in Anaheim, and I've always enjoyed playing up in Calgary.

What was your experience like playing for the Stingrays and what's your favorite ECHL memory?

PEVERLEY:  I loved playing in Charleston. It's one of the most beautiful cities I've ever seen architecture wise. I'd love to go back since we're so close. There's two beaches near it, and it's so historical. It's a great city. My best ECHL memories were just enjoying being in such a beautiful area my first year as a pro.

In the game against Montreal did you shoot the puck off of Bryan Little's skate on purpose?

PEVERLEY:  Absolutely not. I saw Zach Bogosian back on the other side of the net and I tried to hit him, but it went off of Bryan's skate. Sometimes when you're behind the net you try to throw it off the goalie's leg, but when you throw it off your own guy's leg it's definitely not on purpose.

For the best results do you like to do cardio and weight workouts on the same day or do you alternate? And what's your favorite cardio exercise?

PEVERLEY: My favorite cardio workout is playing hockey. I'm not a big cardio guy. I don't like long distance stuff. I'd rather do sprints to break it up. I'd suggest doing cardio and weights on different days. You have to give your body time to recover.

At what point in your career did you start to really believe that you could play in the NHL?

PEVERLEY: I'd say it was my first year in Milwaukee. I got called up from the ECHL and I realized that I could be a good player at the American League level and I saw that there guys going up to the NHL that I thought I could be just as good as or better. That stuck in my mind and that's where I got the motivation to strive to be an NHL hockey player.

Bonus Video
Colby Armstrong (Rich Peverley's roommate) asks Rich a few more questions: