Derek Stepan
 

Last week we spoke with Boston College freshman Chris Kreider and this week we'll chat with his fellow Rangers prospect, USA WJC teammate but Frozen Four opponent... Derek Stepan.

If you have a question for Derek, send it to us at: pipeup@theteam1260.com

The show can be heard from 9-11 PM Eastern time (Stepan set for 9:45) and you can listen online at www.thepipelineshow.com

Stepan on the radio now!

****! Stepan just said he values getting his degree. Both of his parents didnt have a chance to go to college so he doesn't want to rush the pros and wants to go the "Geoffrion" route. We wont be seeing Stepan for 2 more years.

*sigh* You gotta respect the man though. There is more to life than hockey, and there will be a life after his NHL career.

Unfortunate, but such as it is. At least it seems he has a good head on his shoulders.

I wouldn't be so sure about that. You can get a degree anytime...you can only be in the NHL when that window opens up for you. He'd be a fool to turn down starting an NHL career if he and the team thought he was ready.

You can't ever fault a guy for wanting his degree. You gotta take care of yourself and not the fans and demands. A college teacher once told me of a degree; it may not be much, but it's your sheep skin.

Not everyone is going to be like Ernie Banks and actually go back to school years later. The older you get, the harder it is.

I like that a lot of these Ranger prospects are also smart guys. Kreider knows Russian, and Werek is taking all kinda of classes up in Ontario. Good stuff.

I guess "the Geoffrion route" implies all four years, but it should be pointed out that a lot of athletes - especially those that leave after their junior years - wind up getting their degrees by taking summer classes for a year or two...

Also, this is him saying the right thing to a radio broadcaster. Lots can happen in another year. Heck, lots can happen when he and his parents talk to his agent, talk to the Rangers, etc.

Regardess, I think the majority opinion was that it would probably be beneficial for him to stay an extra year, especially if the other option is the WHL (as opposed to the AHL). So the only thing really in question is whether or not he stays for his senior year - we're talking about one year, a year away from now. Let's see what he says come 2011.

Can anyone post a summary or a transcript of the interview?

I posted a longer summary in the prospects thread. Basically he said he had a mild concussion from the championship game and it was tough to be around T.V.'s and computer screens for about a week. His shoulder is still bothering him, it sounded like a mild shoulder separation. He says everything is going fine now. Besides that just talking about random things.

I hope he's just lying. :crossfing

Here is the archived interview

And yes, the "Geoffrion route" was my way of asking him to clarify that he's leaning towards four year at Wisconsin. I said the "Geoffrion Route" as opposed to the "Kyle Turris route"... staying to get the degree vs leaving early.

You can take it any way you'd like but I agree with the others in this thread that suggest it sounds like Rangers fans will have to be patient.

Thanks for the email questions, he was late calling in so we didn't get to all of them... but I hope I got to the stuff you wanted addressed.

BTW... Chris Kreider from last week: HERE

archive link above

a college degree is overrated (imho)

ive got degrees in computer engineering, electrical engineering, and economics. the business i own has absolutely nothing to do with any of these fields. i honestly wish i had just started my company without going to college, i would have had a head start on my competition. oh well.

I dont want to discourage people from going to college... i just dont think it should be the be all end all. Not unless youre going to harvard or something.

Harvard is vastly overrated. All of the Ivy Leagues are, for undergraduate (science) study.

But let the kid get his degree if he wants, it's his life. We can't force him to leave college.

Harvard is hardly overrated. If a Harvard grad is up against another prospect for a job, he has an edge, and any edge is useful.

I don't think it's "overrated". Not if you're the average person.

If you're an entertainer (athlete, singer, actor,...) and you know you are good enough in those fields to make a career/money, then college is pretty useless. Or you're a smart business man/woman.
So unless you're really talented, college is not overrated imo.

It's overrated in the sense that stupid people say "if you don't go to college you'll never get a job and will die homeless!" and things like that.

But education itself should never be considered overrated.

Now, the cost of college on the other hand...

As for Stepan, I have doubts he'll go all 4 years, but we'll see.

Good for him.... It shows what kind of man he is becoming. We can wait two years. I think this is a good thing.

That said, I never went to college.... and definitely do very well in the business world. It all depends on the type of person you are and one's intelligence level.

In today's world you won't find a good paying job without a college degree. Heck, you can't even become a police officer anymore without one.

Unless you start your own business then making it without a degree is extremely tough.

There's some truth to this given the current job market, but in general I don't think it matters.

College is merely a way to get your foot in the door. Once you're in the door, no matter how you got there, a college education doesn't mean much. In some jobs it may earn you a little more money. That extra money can go to paying off your student loans lol.

If you know what you want to do and there's a trade school for it, I would suggest that over college. You'll learn more of what you need to know, you'll learn it faster and it will cost less.

I have to disagree with you. I certainly wouldn't have the job I do now without a college degree.

At least in my field you MUST have at least four year degree to even be considered. No college or trade school and sorry, but your resume is in the trash.

1 out of 4 adults under the age of 25 are not employed. Stepan could make more in 1 NHL season than he could make in 10 years of working a white collar job. Derek is a consumer science major. What is he going to do with that? Geoffrion stayed in school because Wisconsin had a good team. Wisconsin is going to blow chunks next season. Derek suffers another concussion and is going to need that degree because he won't see a NHL contract. If he plays his cards,his agent could negotiate a signing bonus which will pay his college expenses. College will always be there.

Yeah, but most people go to Harvard accumulate massive debt that they have to pay back for many years. Although, Harvard might be a bad example since most of the people who go there are already insanely wealthy anyway.

Ivy League schools are superior probably in every way to non-Ivy league, but for the most part they are an awful value for undergraduates unless a scholarship of some sort helps pay for most of it. This is especially true if you're majoring in something like psychology or philosophy.

I agree. Apparently Stepan has never taken an Economics course and learned about opportunity cost. If anything happens, he can always go back to get his degree. I don't see why he needs it now if it's irrelevant to his expected career

College matters now more than ever I think. Because of the recession, many people who had menial jobs got laid off, and because companies are still suffering, most of these people probably won't get their jobs back.

Jobs are becoming more and more specialized and require degrees. Of course that lowers the value of having a degree, but you'll still be screwed if you don't have one

In the end though, if you work hard enough and a have a legitimate goal in mind you'll still be able to get by either way.

Incorrect. It's all about intelligence, your ability to sell yourself, networking, and building a resume. Who you know also plays a major role. If you have a strategy after high school to build a resume, and gain important work experience, then you'll be in the driver's seat. My ability to control an interview has helped me immensely throughout my career. Most people don't know how to find jobs and get interviews. They just send a resume through Monster and wait. Most resumes don't even get read via job boards. You have to call into the companies, get the names of the people you want to speak with, and follow up. Make them give you an interview. I should teach a freakin' class on this. haha

I know a lot of college graduates that are complete non compus mentus's.