This month's Q&A features Bakersfield Condors' Head Coach Marty Raymond.

After 10 years as a professional player in Europe and North America, Raymond began his coaching career with Tucson of the WCHL. Arizona hockey fans will remember Marty Raymond's remarkable time with the Phoenix Mustangs.

Q. Can you tell us where you grew up and how you got into playing hockey?
A. Well, I grew up in a little city called Drummondville [Quebec], but we moved to Montreal to a kind of a blue collar neighborhood. My mother brought me to a skating rink and put me on skates there and she said "go". I cried, I'm sure, for about an hour, then I liked it. That's they Canadian way where you just put people on skates and you abandon them. You come back later and you've learned your first lesson. That's how I started to play. We later moved to a suburb of Montreal and then I got involved in minor hockey

Q. Did you play junior or collegiate hockey?
A. I played junior hockey, but I wanted to go to school. I went to the University of Wisconsin at River Falls and played there. 

Q. You played several seasons in Europe later becoming a  coach there. How did the transition from playing to coachingcome about?
A. I was interested in the game and watched and paid attention. When I went to Sweden, I got the chance to meet some wonderful coaches and very good technical people. I always liked to teach and had been involved with Junior kids and hockey schools, so this was kind of a profound calling

Q. American hockey fans will always ask; how would you compare European hockey to North American hockey?
A. I think in Europe it�s much more of a skating game, with less contact. You have more time to prepare and fewer games. It's more like a week of practice for two big games. It's lot more tactical that way. I think in America we've learned to be a little tougher because of all the games we play, where in Europe they're better prepared to play one special game that's on a Friday or a Saturday.

Q. Many of the fans in Phoenix remember the short lived Tucson Gila Monsters of WCHL. You coached the team through their first season as well as the 20 or so games the team played before folding during their second year. How did you hear about the opportunity? What was the experience like in Tucson?
A. It was through a mutual friend who knew the owner. I was in Paris, but I was looking for a job in North America, so I could be closer to my son. Truth be told, it wasn't the greatest situation, but I took it because of my family. In retrospect, it certainly wasn't the first good job to get started coaching in North America, but I went through it and I did it and I learned a lot more in the defeat of that organization and what not to do than I would have learned in a more successful organization.

Q. Tucson has had at least five minor league teams including one that never even played their first game. Now, the city is looking into building a new 80 million dollar arena. Do you think Tucson will ever be ready to host a professional hockey team?
A. Well, to me it's going to be difficult because the college is so ingrained there. But they'll need to have a good building and do some marketing to get those fans involved. Whoever's going to be in Tucson has to have deep pockets and has to know that is a two, three, four year commitment before you start making your profit. I don�t see that many people in minor hockey that want to do that at this point, but you never know.

Q. After Tucson folded, you stepped in as head coach for last place Mustangs. In an amazing turnaround, the team went on to win the league championship. How did you do it?
A. Well, I think we had no discipline, so we had to turn the discipline around and we had to get better players. We were lucky in those days, 'cause you could still bring in players from Europe. We changed a few things and the rest is history.

Q. Remind the fans how the blond hair gimmick started as the Mustangs moved higher up in the playoffs.
A. I opened my big mouth and I said if we won three games in a row against San Diego, I'd bleach my hair. I knew that it was almost impossible against the powerhouse San Diego was, so I said there's no problem; I'm in business! We won three games, and I had to do it. Then, it kind of started the whole thing and every player started to do that during the playoffs Right now I have little hair left, so I don�t think that I would have to do it again.

Q. We know its like asking a parent to choose their favorite child but who were some of your favorite Mustang players?
A. That's a tough question because whatever I say, the other 17 guys will be mad. I think John Shockey really helped our team when he came in that trade. I think that Lenny Hachborn really helped our team as well with experience and leadership in the locker room. But, you know, there were so many good guys out there that really stepped it up.

Q. Since the Mustangs, you've been involved with Bakersfield. What were your duties with the Condors before becoming head coach?
A. I first came in as a consultant during the 2002 season. The next year they asked me to stay as assistant coach and we had a great year. We had 42 wins the next year, then we entered the East Coast Hockey League. Coach Kelly decided to leave for family reasons, so I took over at the end of that year

Q. The NHL has made several rule changes, which were adopted by the ECHL. From your prospective, how has play been affected?
A. Well, it's a much better game. I think in the NHL is a lot more fun to watch, now. You got the shoot out, you got the goalie rules, there's less obstruction; it's much more fun to watch. I mean, I don't fall asleep anymore. We have to adopt all of the rules eventually. I know the level's not the same but if you want to prepare the kids to go to the next level, we have to have the same rules.