Veteran Voice: James Henry, Adirondack Thunder

Veteran Voice gives ECHL fans the chance to get to know a veteran in the League ahead of the 2018-19 season.  For its first installment, the ECHL spoke with James Henry of the Adirondack Thunder, who had 54 points in 72 games last season, was an ECHL All-Star and added an additional 15 points in 17 postseason contests.

Name: James Henry

Age: 27

Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba

Seasons in the ECHL: Five (2013-2018)

ECHL: Does it make you feel old when you say it out loud that 2018-19 will be your sixth season in the ECHL?

James Henry: A little bit, especially with you get guys coming out of junior and college and they're 22 or 21 or however old.  They ask me how long I've been in the League and it really sets in that I've been with, especially with the same organization, for the whole time. So, I do, sometimes feel a little bit old.

ECHL: So what made you re-sign with Adirondack?

JH: Just kind of, keeping things how they are. I don’t need to change it up if it's not broken. I like the area, working with all the people from the staff and the office, it's a great group of people, and they treat us really well. Every year we get a good competitive group put together and we are always competing come April.

ECHL: You’re the all-time leading scorer for the Adirondack Thunder- what does the organization and the Glens Falls area mean to you?

JH: I try to give back as much as the community has given to us with all the support when the team switched over to the ECHL. I just try to give the fans as much as I can - whether it's on the ice or off the ice. I've enjoyed my time in Adirondack and I'll always continue to.

ECHL: What do you think has been key to being able to perform so consistently for so many seasons?

JH: Just the group of players that I've played with. I've been very fortunate, and the coaching staff has always put me in a situation where I can help the team as much as possible.  Going forward I hope that trend continues.

ECHL: After the loss to the Florida Everblades in the Eastern Conference Finals last season, what takeaways do you have that you'll use heading into the 2018-19 Season?

JH: It's important that our entire team is contributing as much as they can. The depth players can play a huge role. Those are the guys that can win you those tight games, especially in the playoffs, and that's kind of what we’re looking forward to this Season.

ECHL: How are you spending your summer?

JH: I spend a lot of time with my dog, Loki, she's an Alaskan Klee Klai, so she's a mini husky. My fiancé Ashley and I are planning our wedding coming up in August, so it's been pretty busy trying to get everything sorted. Her dad has property here, so we’ll do something outside, something small, but it will be a fun time for sure. We’ve got a wedding back in Winnipeg to attend in September, so we’ll be busy traveling with that, so I’m not sure if we’ll get to honeymoon right away or at a later date.

ECHL: The Thunder have a new coach heading into the season in Alex Loh, but obviously he is someone that you're familiar with. With that, and with starting off a new season, what are you most looking forward to for 2018-19?

JH: Just kind of getting the whole group together.  In the off-season there's a lot of moving parts as far as guys retiring, moving on to Europe or college guys and junior guys moving in, so it's always exciting to see all the new faces and kind of get a new band together I guess.

ECHL: Any last words for the Thunder fans as you head into the new season?

JH: We're excited to get things going and looking forward to October!