Storm profile: Rob Snowball

3/24/2006

• Position: Forward

• Jersey No.: 16

• Height/weight: 6-3, 235

• Age: 24

• Hometown: Markham, Ont.

• 2005-06 stats: The Storm s enforcer has 141 penalty minutes in 50 games this season. Has scored four goals and dished out seven assists.

• Career notes: Played two seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with the Victoriaville Tigers. Started his pro career with the ECHL s Roanoke Express in 2003-04, scoring three goals and had four assists along with 118 penalty minutes in 40 games. Joined the Storm last season.

• Favorite way to spend time away from the rink: I hang out with the guys a lot. We watch movies, we play cards. I like to get to the gym a lot.

• Hockey player you admired growing up: Mario Lemieux, Steve Yzerman.

• Favorite sport other than hockey: Lacrosse and rugby. I played both in high school. I still play rugby in the summer.

• Favorite type of music: Everything. From alternative to guitar-based stuff to metal.

• Favorite food: Steak. I can t get enough of it. I like prime rib. I get my steak at the House of Meats. That restaurant J Alexander s has really good steak.

• Do you have any superstitions? I follow the same routine before games. When I get to the rink, I take a shower to wake up. I go in and get a five-minute massage from our masseuse. I m always the last one to get dressed. I hate sitting around in my gear. I don t get dressed until the nine-minute mark. I get too stiff.

• Hobby: In the summertime, I spend a lot of time up north at a lake. I enjoy fishing.

• Favorite city in the ECHL, other than Toledo: Vegas.

• How do you approach your role as an enforcer? My job is to defend and stand up for my teammates. They all know in the dressing room that if they run into any problem they just need to say something to me or have that person come talk to me. If we re down by three and we need a spark, I ll [fight]. It s not a priority to do it every night.

• How does it feel to be one of the fans favorite players? It s great having them cheer my name at any point. I like that they stand outside the locker room waiting to talk to you. It s a good feeling. A lot of us come from far away. It s nice to know we re wanted.

• Nickname: Snowy.

• Person you most admire: My parents, Bill and Johan. They put me through hockey. Obviously, it s not a cheap sport.

• If you were commissioner of hockey for a day, what would you do? Sign me to a contract. No, I d change back some of the rules. Some of them are a bit overboard. Sometimes you can just touch a guy with your stick and they call a penalty.

• Something nobody knows about you: I play a hand drum. I ve only had it a week. In my free time, I like to practice. It s like a bongo drum. I have book and DVD that came with it. I bang on it every day.

Mark Monroe