Former Pioneers defenseman Patrick Wiercioch recently returned to DU to skate with his NHL team, the Ottawa Senators, at Joy Burns Arena in advance of their game against the Colorado Avalanche. In his two seasons (2008-10) with the Pios, Wiercioch tallied 18G-44A-62A, earning WCHA All-Rookie honors as a freshman and capturing conference All-Star honors the following year.

Since turning pro in 2010, Wiercioch has won a Calder Cup championship (with Binghamton in 2011) and gone on to skate in over 100 NHL games. The 24-year-old blueliner answered a few questions for DenverPioneers.com during his brief return to the Mile High City while also lending his support to fellow rearguard Joey LaLeggia's Hobey Baker Award campaign:

Q: What was it like to come back and practice with the Senators at Joy Burns Arena?

A: "It was awesome. It was really great to get back and see the campus again. It's been a couple of years since I've been back and I definitely have a lot of good memories from my time at DU."

Q: What is your favorite memory from playing for the Pioneers?

A: "There are a lot of them. Playing against Colorado College or North Dakota at Magness Arena when we had the 'whiteout' going and the student section was packed would probably be at the top of the list though. It was a pretty neat experience."

Q: How often do you get back to DU?

A: "I don't get back too often yet unfortunately. We've been meaning to though - my wife (former Pios volleyball player Kresson Vreeman) and I were both at DU together, and I only get back when we play the Avalanche and she hasn't been back yet. It's definitely on our list of things to do in the near future."

Q: Do you keep in touch with any of your former Pioneers teammates?

A: "Yeah, I keep in touch with a few of them - especially the guys playing in the NHL at the moment. I talk to (Tyler) Bozak regularly. He plays in Toronto with the Maple Leafs but he's also made a permanent home here in Colorado which is where he spends his summers. There are a few other guys I know that stay around here in the off-season as well."

Q: Talk about your off-season training and what it takes to stay in top shape?

A: "Recently I've just been staying in Ottawa to work out with our team trainers. We're trying to build a home there and get settled in, but hopefully Colorado will be a place we can come back to more often in the future."

Q: If you weren't playing hockey what would you be doing?

A: "I wish I was a golfer but I'm not very good (laughs). Hopefully after a few more summers I'll be a little bit better."

Q: What is a typical game day like for you?

A: "After our morning skate I like to go home or to the hotel and enjoy my pre-game nap for as long as I can. I typically head back to the rink pretty early to tape my sticks, mentally prepare for the game and make sure I have a good warmup."

Q: Do you have any game day superstitions?

A: "I'm not really superstitious but I definitely like to stick to my routine. Nothing too crazy though. I think once you start playing at the professional level, there are so many games that it's tough to keep up with your superstitions or even the routine you like through so many days and so many games… In college it was a little easier to keep it up when you only played forty games or so in a season. When you start playing one o'clock games, two o'clock games and five o'clock games, it changes your day up so much that you can't really stick to your set plan as much."

Q: What do you like to do away from the rink?

A: "I love fishing. Any chance I get to go back to my hometown of Vancouver (British Columbia), my dad, brother and I always try to make a special trip to do some fly fishing or sturgeon fishing out on the river."

Q: What is your favorite type of music to listen to?

A: "I like a mix of everything. I'm not a huge music guy. I rely on everyone else to kind of download playlists and what not. If I had to pick a favorite genre though, I'd probably go with country."

Q: Do you have a favorite TV show?

A: "I actually just started watching Blacklist which is really good. I've been pretty keen on that and I can't wait for it to come back after the Super Bowl."

INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY SAMANTHA ROGAN (@SamanthaRogan)