An Interview With: Michael Grabner

By nearly every definition, Michael Grabner of the New York Islanders is having a breakout season.  He grabbed the title of Fastest Skater during the NHL All-Star Weekend.  He's on pace to score more than 30 goals.  And, he recently eclipsed the 11,000 follower mark on the popular social network Twitter.

From The Blue Seats recently had the chance to sit down with the Austrian-born forward to discuss his use of Twitter.

From The Blue Seats: How long have you been using Twitter?
Michael Grabner: I got started in training camp (Sept 13, according to CoTweet). My buddy's brother has studied social media, and he actually got me all set up with an account.

FTBS: Were you apprehensive at all to use Twitter?
@grabs40: He explained it to me pretty well.  Using it a few times per day I was able to kind of figure it out by myself.

FTBS: Has your style changed over time?
@grabs40: At the beginning, I was a lot more careful about what I would put out there.  Now I am a lot more comfortable saying more.

FTBS: How would you characterize your Tweets?  What do you like to write about?
@grabs40: Seems like I write the most about pre-game naps and meals.  Fans tend to respond well to food.  They're always recommending good places to visit on the road.

FTBS: What's been the most interesting thing you've had happen on Twitter?
@grabs40: (laughs) Probably when The Hockey News covered all of my Tweets during a losing streak

FTBS: Have any of your teammates taken your lead?
@grabs40: A few have.  Matt Moulson is probably the most active the last couple of months.

FTBS: How do you typically Tweet?
@grabs40: Usually on my iPhone or iPad.

FTBS: When are we most likely to see you Tweeting?
@grabs40: After morning skate, after a pre-game meal or after a game.

FTBS: Will you do more Tweeting in the future?
@grabs40: Probably the same amount.

FTBS: Are there any NHL players you like to follow on Twitter?

@grabs40: BizNasty is interesting.  A lot of guys I find tweet about just hockey stuff, but there’s a few who are doing some outside of hockey.  It’s good  to give those little insights for the fans.

And now, some questions from the audience:

@CoPo14: Do you have any milestones for the amount of goals you want to score this season? 30? 35? 40?
@grabs40: My goal this season was 15-20.  Now I want to get to 30 and everything after that is a bonus.

@stevezan: Do you have any pre-game superstitions/rituals?
@grabs40: Not really, nothing crazy.  I get dressed 10 minutes before warmups, but that's about it.

@bigj2377: What did you think when you first started to see Fans wearing your jersey number and name on it?
@grabs40: The fans have been great to me all season long, before the All-Star game and especially on Twitter.

@PatLehmann: Do you think the @NYIslanders can be a force to be reckoned with in the next few years?
@grabs40: I hope we can keep this core of players together.  We have a lot of good young guys.  We have grown a lot this year and gotten a lot of experience.