News Summary by Patrick

The article that I chose is about a young NHL player named Matt Lashoff.  He plays for the Toronto Maple Leafs as a defenseman.  When Lashoff was a young hockey fan he grew up around a family that loved music.  Lashoff's dad played in many bands throughout his childhood.  Matt recalls going with his dad to bars to watch him play.  Lashoff's dad used to practice music in the garage with his band so Matt could bang around on any instruments he wanted.  This made Lashoff grow a love for music.

     When Matt was 16 years old he joined the USA Hockey National Team Development Program.  He was so busy with hockey, all the time, that sometimes he needed to do something else to recharge.  This is when he started to write songs.  He said music had always taken away some of the stress he would have from hockey.  If he was stressed out with songwriting, he would go shoot pucks in the backyard.  In 2011' Lashoff released his first album called Living On Heart.

     The reason that I chose this article, is because my brother, Andrew, is a lot like Matt Lashoff.  He plays hockey and has a passion for music as well.  Andrew has been playing guitar since he was 9 years old.  He also sings and has written many songs about his life and family.  Andrew has been playing hockey since he was 6 years old and like Lashoff, he is very passionate about hockey.  My brother uses his music as an opportunity to recharge.  When I read this article, the first person I thought of was my brother.  Maybe some day my brother, Andy, will play in the NHL like Lashoff.