1. Fullname: David Kennard Brown
2. Birthdate: February 1, 1985
3. Hometown: Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada
4. Major: Business
5. Hardest Class: Calculus
6. Favorite Class: Social Psychology
7. How and when did you get into playing hockey and especially goaltending? I met Patrick Roy when I was about seven, and I told my dad that I wanted to be a goalie just like him. I started playing, and I ended up being good at it and I stuck with it.
8. What is your biggest reason for coming to Notre Dame? Academics and the opportunity to play hockey were the main reasons I came here as well as an available scholarship. The coaches were also very nice to me, both head coach Dave Poulin and his assistant Andy Slaggert know what they are talking about and they made it an easy decision for me to come to Notre Dame.
9. Describe the focus and mental skill it takes to be a goaltender: Mental toughness is a huge part of playing. As a goaltender you can’t get down on yourself, and you have to stay focused. When you are not getting many shots you have to stay sharp and be ready at all times.
10. What is the best advice you have ever been given? “Leave it all on the ice.” It means to just do the best with the time that you are on the ice so that when you come off, you have no regrets and you are happy with what you did.
11.What game are you most looking forward to? I am looking forward to playing Michigan. They have a good goaltender I grew up playing against so we have kind of a rivalry going. I was really looking forward to the Boston College game (a1-0 Irish victory) because they were the number one team at the time.
12. What is your greatest personal athletic moment? Winning the bronze medal in the World Under-17 Championships for Canada. We beat the Russians in the game to get to the bronze medal game, even though we were outshot something like 45 to 25.
13. If you could choose a cartoon character to describe yourself who would it be: It would be Wile E. Coyote. He is so focused on his goal and always trying to achieve. I am the same way. In hockey through practice, lifting or training and in school by studying, or tutors and preparing for tests, I am always in pursuit of my intended goal.
14. Describe your shutout win over number one ranked Boston College: I was personally very focused on the game. I was nervous because I had not played in too many college games, but I was confident. Boston College was the number one team and everyone said we were supposed to be beaten, but the team played hard in front of me and did a good job clearing rebounds away, and they let me see shots. We wanted to show everyone what we could do, and we were able to do that by knocking them off.
15. Who is your role model? Athletically, it is Patrick Roy. I want to play in the NHL and to accomplish what he has been able to accomplish as a goaltender. I also look up to my goaltending coach John Elkin, who has helped me hone my skills for years and has made me better as a player. Personally I would say my parents. They are always there for me. Whether it is being there to help or just being there to talk, they are there for me.
16. Describe the transition to playing hockey at the college level and how you are adjusting as a freshman: As for playing hockey, it is a much faster game and the guys are a little older than I am so I see some harder shots, and I have to stay up. I have to be able to think about and see how a play will develop, and I have to read and react to what is going on in order to stay a step ahead of the shooters. Academically, I am adjusting to the workload and the time management issues I face as a student athlete. You have so much to do and I have to manage my time between being on the ice, training, study hall, classes, being on the road and catching up on work.
17. Describe how you prepare for a game: I try to stay to myself before a game. I listen to music, and I don’t talk much. I get myself into the right mind frame. I will get stretched out by the trainer and then try to face as many warm up shots as I can to get a good feel for the game. Before the game I always try to stay as positive and focused as I can.
18. What are your goals for your career at Notre Dame and this season? I came here to win a national championship with the team. I want to play as best I can and I want to show that I am able to do the job. I want to use my experience at Notre Dame to go to the next level. Eventually I want to play at the highest level I can and someday hopefully that will take me to the NHL
19. What is one thing in your life that you cannot live without? Talking to my parents before the game is very important to me. I also couldn’t go without listening to my music before the game.
20. If you were on an island and could only have one meal, only listen to one song and be with the only one person for the rest of your life who and what would you pick? For my meal I would pick hot dogs. It was my favorite food growing up and now as an athlete I am not able to eat them as much. I just love them! For my song I would listen to “Runnin” byTupac and Biggie. It gets me really pumped up before games, and I like the lyrics, and the beat not to mention it is a song from two of the greatest artists. For my person I would pick my parents. They would be able to help me out on the island and could help me find shelter and would know how to take care of everything.
Bonus: What do you attribute your early success towards this season and comment on the progression of the team so far this season and where you see the team headed for the upcoming year: I worked very hard over the summer before coming here. I have had a good attitude and when I got my chance to play, I was able to show what I can do. The team has been very helpful and supportive and things have fallen into place for me, and I am able to play at the top of my game.
As a team we came into the season unranked, but we knew we had a good team. We are staying positive and working every day to get better and better. On our team the team comes first and there is no room for individual attitudes. We go out and do what we need to do, and we get better and better each time we are on the ice.
I see the team going deep into the playoffs and getting an NCAA tournament berth. We are here to show everyone what we are made of and to bring Notre Dame a national championship.