At any given Predators practice you'll hear skates cutting across the ice, pucks thwacking off hockey sticks, shots thumping into Juuse Saros' glove...and Michael McCarron jawing with and cheering on his teammates.
"He's a fun guy to be around," Andrew Brunette said of McCarron. "He brings a lot of life. He's very vocal, which is really good for our group. He's a likable guy."
"When you have a guy that plays that hard for you, will stick up for anybody and have fun with anybody, I think is always a great guy to be around."
For a player probably best known for his physicality and willingness to drop the gloves in games, McCarron's joyful, energetic demeanor in practice and the locker room might seem surprising, but that positive, high energy guy is who McCarron really is.
"I've always been that way," McCarron said when asked where that energy comes from. "Just a high energy guy. I mean, I nap when I get home that's for sure. I definitely leave it on the ice."
"I like to have fun. I like to see other guys smile, especially when things aren't going well," McCarron said. "Some guys tend to take things a lot harder than others. Obviously I take things hard, but at the same time this game is fun and we've got to have fun here."
"As long as we're working hard, I'm all about having fun."
McCarron puts in the hard work along with having fun. When he isn't at the rink, he spends time studying the game and looking for ways to improve.
"I'm a student of the game," McCarron said. "I like to watch games. I like to see where the best centermen in the league are on the ice in different situations."
"How do the best players in the world turn pucks over in the offensive zone or create another team to turn it over and give it to them? Just see where they're at on the ice," McCarron said. "I think that really helps you."
The work McCarron has put in has made him an important depth player for the Predators this season. Although the Michigan native has been a healthy scratch for ten games this season, his performances in November and December have made him a reliable regular in the line up for Andrew Brunette. In his 28 games, McCarron has scored five goals and eight points and has been an important piece on an improving penalty kill. At this pace, McCarron is set to have a career best season in goals and points.
McCarron works hard and plays hard when it comes to hockey, but he also knows how important it is to step away and recharge physically and mentally. His off days are simple but reenergizing.
"I hydrate. I hang out on the couch with my wife and dog," McCarron said. "We like to watch shows, all different kinds of shows."
Not surprisingly, the high energy, fun loving Predator most recently watched a stand up comedy special.
"That was pretty funny," McCarron said. "I had to chill down a little bit after that. I was laughing my butt off."
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