Accompanied by Delicious Red’s “Euphoria (The Vanek Song)” you can see a whole motherload of Vanek goals right from his first ever NHL goal against Carolina to his 4-goal-night in Ottawa this spring.

A few words regarding the video: The intro shows outtakes from the Buffalo News about the horrible plane crash in February 2009. After that you see Jason Pominville’s (originally Craig Rivet’s) equalizer against San Jose on the following night which directly leads into the Vanek highlight reel. So, why this intro? Because the plane crash and the game against San Jose are the framework for the book “The Game of my Life”.

We hope you enjoy the video. You can get your copy of “The Game of my Life” (only in German) from our online-store and from Amazon. You can download “Euphoria (The Vanek Song) by Delicious Red from Amazon and iTunes.

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Day 1 saw Tom visiting Zell/See, the town where he and his family lived most of his days as a kid. The mayor led a big reception for the town’s “lost son” and bestowed Tom with the honorary citizenship. About 2.000 fans were there to give Tom a thundering welcome and were rewarded with a long autograph session

Day 2 was dedicated to Graz, the city where Tom lived throughout the rest of his Austrian days before leaving for North America. The yearly press conference was held at the “Citypark” shopping mall in front of yet another respectable crowd. At the same time, Tom’s bio “The Game of my Life” was officially presented. Together with co-authors Thomas Mudri and Christian Schleifer passages were read from the book and questions posed to Tom. Following up was the next autograph session that lasted nearly an hour.

You can get "The Game of my Life" in our online store or at Amazon.

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However, we wish the Vanek family all the best in advance.

Further highlights throughout the month of October will be when the reigning Stanley Cup champion Chicago visits Buffalo on the 11. The Sabres will return the favor travelling to the Windy City 5 days later. Buffalo will also clash with the other Stanley Cup finalist when visiting Philadelphia on the 26.

The last home game of the Regular Season will be on April 8, again against the Flyers. One night later the Sabres will close out their portion of the Regular Season with a trip to Columbus.

Question: How will you be following the World Cup?
Vanek: ESPN carries all the games. Due to the time lag I’ll be able to grab the first game of the day at breakfast and the last game during or after lunch.

Question: How are you? Has the frustration passed by since being eliminated in the playoffs?
Vanek: There’s still a bit of frustration but all in all it’s ok by now. The hardest thing for me were all the injuries I had this season. When I broke my jaw I had a clear time-table for my comeback but this season the injuries just kept coming.

Question: It all started against Detroit in your third game in the regular season.
Vanek: That’s right, that was the shoulder injury. I wanted to get back into the line-up as soon as possible and only paused for 2 games or so. Now I know that I should have taken more time to let the shoulder heal, but as a player you always want to play. Well, hindsight is 20/20 as they say.

Question: What came next?
Vanek: Next I got a shot from Adam Mair right into my belly. I had internal bleeding but kept on playing. Only after a week the pain just got too much. The coach took me out of a line-up saying that it didn’t make sense to keep on playing like that. So I had to pause for 10 days, but it took weeks until I was completely restored.

Question: The next injury affected your groin?
Vanek. Right, that was the injury towards the end of the regular season. I kept playing through the pain, only in the game against Tampa it just got too much again. This time I took the time to let the injury heal more or less completely. I took 5 days off, doing exactly nothing. Then I started practicing on the bike and in the pool. After that I felt so good, it was just like coming fresh from training-camp at the start of the season.

Question: Everybody could see that, given your 4-goal-comeback against Ottawa.
Vanek: Exactly! I was feeling rejuvenated on the ice. It was like, wow I can skate again and such thoughts were going through my head. Just like that I was having fun playing again and that immediately translated into more confidence and goals.

Question: But that still wasn’t the end to your injury troubles.
Vanek: Sadly, no. The first game against Boston in the playoffs was a good one for me and my team. After that they took me effectively out of the series.

Question: Can you describe the attack once more?
Vanek: First there was the slash against my knee that took me down. Next I was sliding into the boards with Boychuk. When I hit the boards I twisted my ankle and then Boychuk stepped on it, cutting into the muscles.

Question: A similar injury to one Paul Gaustad already had?
Vanek: Yes, only I was lucky that Boychuk only partially tore my muscles and not the tendon. Otherwise my season would have ended right then and there.

Question: Still, you managed to return quite quickly and in shape.
Vanek: “In shape” might be a bit exaggerated. We simply tried everything to get me back on the ice. The first few days there was nothing to be done, I couldn’t even put any weight on the foot. When I was finally ready to get back on the ice we had to tape the ankle so heavily that it felt more like a cast. To be honest: I’m happy that we tried and did all that, even if it wasn’t enough to get us past Boston.

Question: There’s something to learn from every defeat. What have you learned for next season?
Vanek: As I said before, the frustration and disappointment were really big, because I’ve never been injured that often during one season. Whenever I felt that I found my touch again I was thrown back again. Now I know that it only makes sense to come back when you’re 100 percent ready. It’s better to sit out 6 or 7 games and come back fully restored instead of pausing for only 2 games and then trying to find your form over the next month. I have to listen more to my body.

Question: And what can you learn as a team?
Vanek: I think we were playing quite good towards the end of the season. We weren’t really bad against Boston, but we suddenly started to give away games going into the third we a lead. That’s something we hadn’t done all season long. We have to be aware next year that it’s not acceptable to take of a single shift, let alone a whole period in the playoffs. We can’t lean back looking back at the regular season feeling satisfied, we have to really push it in the playoffs.

Question: The Sabres were a team with relatively little playoff-experience. Were the many rookies a reason that you were eliminated in the first round?
Vanek: That would really be the worst excuse, blaming our young players. We just weren’t good enough and will have to work even harder next year.

Question: What impression did the young guys like Gerbe, Ennis and Myers make on you?
Vanek: They were great and did a spectacular job. But you’re really in trouble when a rookie is your best player in the playoffs, like it was this year. I’m sure that we’ll see a lot of good things from these guys in the future.

Question: A short outlook on next season?
Vanek: That’s way too early. We don’t even know which players will be returning. I’m just happy that Mike Grier was signed for another year. He is such an important presence on the team – on the ice as well as in the locker room. There is a reason that, for example, our penalty kill was so good this year…

You can order the official Vanek biography "The Game of My Life" (German edition) at Amazon or in our Online-Shop.

You can also get the official Vanek-song "Euphoria". Download the song from Amazon or iTunes.

What shall I say? I felt pretty good in Game Six. I had a big chance right at the beginning, but instead of scoring I shot the puck straight into Rask’s chest. Who knows how it would all have played out if I we had taken an early lead?

We can talk all we want and lament all the chances we didn’t capitalize on and we will still not be in the next round. All we can and should really do is take a look at what we did. Our special teams just weren’t up to the task. You can’t go 0 for 19 or 0 for 20 on the powerplay and expect to advance in the playoffs. Our penalty killing also wasn’t the same as it was in the regular season.

Anyway, we’ve already cleaned out our lockers at HSBC Arena for the summer. We’ll return in September for camp. Until then there’s a lot of time to think about what we have done wrong.

The early exit also means that I can give my injured ankle the rest it still needs. It’s really annoying because I felt really completely healed and in shape for the first time since September when I returned for the final 2 games of the regular season. Next thing you know I get whacked into the boards in our second playoff game. I had some nagging injuries all season long. It started with the shoulder, than there was something with my abdomen, then the groin and finally the ankle. I really hope that I will be left alone by injuries next season.

Last, but not least, I want to say a big thank you to all my friends who were once again just great this season. Your support and well wishes really mean a lot to me. Next season starts in the fall and I promise that we will again give our best. And maybe next year it’s time for my biggest dream to come true…

April 15th 2010
Finally it’s playoff time for us again. The last two years were not funny going on vacation already in April. There’s nobody on our team who wants that again.

I’m in a pretty good shape right now. I couldn’t have wished for a better comeback-night than against the Senators. Looks like I’m peaking right on time for the most important part of the season. Looking back, the lone goal against the Devils was at least as important for me because than I knew that it wasn’t just one night where I could score. The win in Ottawa was really important for the confidence of the whole team. We haven’t had a lot to celebrate in the Sens’ building in the last year.

The loss in New Jersey really hurt. We’d have loved to finish second in the East because of the home-ice advantage throughout the first two rounds. But that doesn’t matter now, because right now you have to beat each and every opponent. Nobody cares if you’re the no. 1 seed or the no. 3 or no. 8. Every team’s got a fighting chance and upsets are a common thing in the playoffs.

The Boston Bruins will be a tough opponent to beat. We lost 4 out of 6 games during the regular season against the Bruins. All those games were close and hard fought for. That’s what makes me think positive for our duel, because even as the so-called favorites we will definitely not be underestimating them. In such a close fight the goaltending will also be important and there we have a big advantage against every team in Ryan Miller.

Another important thing will be playoff experience and we have some of that: Miller, Guatad, Pominville, Roy – we all have fought in the playoffs in two seasons already and we know what awaits us. Add to that the veteran leadership of guys like Rivet, Griere, Montador and Torres and I’m pretty confident that our playoff-beards will grow quite some time this spring…

Yet another important thing will be patience. If we try to outgun them in the firt 10 minutes of a game there could be a rude awakening. We have to be patient and wait for our chances. When they come we have to capitalize and hold that lead to the end. Whatever this series will be it'll definitely be a close one.

April 6th 2010
Hello from Buffalo. Today I’ve only got time for a short update on my injury: I’ve been on the ice twice already and I’m feeling quite good out there. The next days the on-ice training will be intensified and we will see how good my injury has really healed. Anyway, I really want to be good to go by the weekend to get some important game-conditioning before the playoffs.

March 31st 2010
At the end of the season the injury bug finally hit our team, too. Until now we were a relatively healthy team which was certainly one of the reasons that we had such a good run. Well, we have to cope with that now. It’s a good thing that there are a lot of great young players coming up from Portland to fill in for Tim Connolly, Pat Kaleta, Raffi Torres and me.

I can’t really talk too much about my injury and how long it’s gonna take, so I have to ask for your understanding here. With only 2 weeks to go before the playoffs nobody wants to offer the opponents the exact location of an injury. That’s why I have to be vague – just like everybody else in my situation. My injury is “lower body”, but I don’t feel too bad, though I will have to sit out a few games. I’m pretty optimistic though that I’ll be fully restored for the post season. It all happened during the second period in our game against Tampa when I was on the forecheck.

That’s all for now – I’m off to get my therapy. Keep crossing your fingers, so we’ll also take the division!

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 March 1st 2010
Finally, the season is about to start again. The break has done all of us a ton of good, but now everybody’s already longing to get back into the daily groove. The Olympic hockey tournament was quite a ride. I was crossing my fingers for the US in the finals and it was a pity they had to lose the way they did in overtime. Ryan Miller was unbelievably good and the whole team did a heck of a job over those past 2 weeks. Nevertheless, the Canadians are a well deserved winner.

I spent the first days of our Olympic break on the Bahamas with my family. I think Blake had the best time of us all. There was a big waterpark in our holiday-ressort and, well, he was absolutely happy to be in the water all day.

We’ve been working out now for a few days again in Buffalo. Part of our team was missing due to the Olympics but the practice sessions were still hard, fast and good. Our assistant coaches did a great job there and now everybody’s ready for the first 2 games against Pittsburgh and Washington.

As I mentioned before, the break was important for us. Just as important as the victory over San Jose in the last game before the Olympics. Back then we saw that we could still skate with the best of them. Pesonally, it’s still my opinion that we weren’t that bad when we couldn’t grind out a win for our lives. There was a lot of bad luck involved and at least half of the games could’ve just as easily gone our way. The win over San Jose allowed us to take a kind of mental break from hockey for a short time and get back all the more motivated now. From now on we want to make sure that we secure our playoff-spot and – if somehow possible – finish first in our division. Home-ice in the first round of the playoffs would be a big advantage.

January 14th 2010
Hello from Atlanta! We’re about to start our 2 week road trip through the South and the West Coast. With temperatures as they are in Buffalo it’s nice to get away from the cold and snow for a few days. Compared to the last few seasons it‘s gonna be tougher this year, though. We have 7 games in 14 days and that’s all but easy. Usually we had time to spend a few hours in at least one city to get a break from the schedule but not so this year.

I’m happy to be back on a scoring-line with Derek Roy and Drew Stafford. Hopefully, now the chances will be coming back again and I can get on a roll. The NHL has yet again tightened up compared to the last season and you have to bury the few chances you get. That’s something I haven’t been able to do as much as I expect from myself. Hockey’s got a lot to do with confidence. 2 or 3 good games are often enough to get you going again.

The marathon shootout against Colorado was unbelievable. I’ve never before experienced a shootout like that. Pity we lost in the end, but on the other hand it was a good point for us. When I skated down the ice for my penalty shot I knew exactly what I wanted to do, that I wanted to shoot instead of trying a deke. The Avalanche goalie was standing very deep so it was nearly impossible to beat him from close in.

A lot of people have asked about my book and why it was written with me barely 26 years old. When I was shown the concept of the book (I don’t want to give away too much but it’s everything but a dry and boring biography) I was immediately thrilled and was heavily involved in the whole process. One of the most important things for me was to make the book accessible for everybody, not only the hockey fans. Well, I think we succeeded in that!

December 24th 2009
It’s a pity, but I still can’t play against the Capitals tonight. I’m hopeful that I will be game ready after the Christmas break. Sitting in the press box watching the games hurts more than my injury. I’d rather be on the ice and help my team than watch from up above. It’s just good to know that the team plays well and got 3 out of 4 possible points in the first 2 games of my absence.

However, I want to wish all of you Merry Christmas and a happy New Year. We already have our Christmas tree home for a few days, the parcels are wraped up and I’m relly looking forward to the reaction of Blake. He’s now at an age where he’ll start to experience Christmas in a more aware manner. I’m often asked if we have an American or European Christmas at home.  Well, we decided on a compromise. We have dinner on the 24^th and then there are some presents. The rest of the presents follows in the morning of the 25^th.

Talking about presents: I’ve been talking about a surprise a few blogs ago, which I couldn’t reveal yet. I still can’t… but I can tell you that all we be revealed on January 1^st, right here on the website. There’ll be a major announcement and you really shouldn’t miss that. Until then, have fun puzzling about that and have a great holiday!

December 21st 2009
First things first: I’m gonna miss the game against Toronto. My injury hasn’t healed as much as needed to get back in the lineup. I caught a shot from Tyler Myers in the game against the Rangers and now I’m suffering from an internal hematoma. The pain was really big everytime I tried to flex my abdominals in the beginning. I played through the pain for 3 games but my game obviously suffered so I had to sit out since Saturday. Today I was on the ice again and it’s getting better, though not good enough for today. It’s day to day for me now, we’ll see how it progresses through this week.

Rehab is the most important thing for me now. There’s a lot of ice and electricity involved. Nevertheless, I’m with my team on this road trip, cheering them on and crossing my fingers.

December 4th 2009
Back again! Thank god our losing-streak is long over by now and everything is just fine. I’m feeling really happy to be on a line with Tim Kennedy and Mike Grier. We had good chemistry right from our first shift and the results speak for themselves. I get the puck more often now and overall I think we complement each other very well. Of course, I’m also happy that Lindy Ruff said we’re not a third line but a top-line. That really gives you some confidence.

I can only say the best about Tim and Mike. The latter one is definitely one of the hardest working players in the league. He battles hard down low and makes room for me and Tim. And Tim, well… despite his youth and size he is an incredibly gifted playmaker. It’s just plain fun to play with these both guys and, regardless, the team’s spirit is soaring right now.

November 17th 2009
Hi folks, sorry to have kept you waiting, but there was a lot going on in the last month. First the injury, then… But, no, that’s still a secret. You’ll get to know soon enough.

What I can tell you already is that I’m a proud owner of a AAA-team in Minnesota now. I’ve been working on this together with my friend Bernd Brückler since the summer and now the “ITR26ers” are finally up and running. Follow this link to get to the ITR26ers website!

We want to give kids from ages 7 to 18 the opportunity to play hockey outside the hockey-times at school. We proved first class coaches and I will be acting as a coach a few days every week in the summer holidays, too. So, why only outside the school-times? Well, in the US kids are only allowed to play hockey in their district or town during school. As soon as the hockey season at school is over the kids are free to choose any club they want and we’re ready to step in. That means approximately from the end of March until September.

Our aim is to have the kids practice at the Golden  Gophers’ Mariucci Arena. In the first years we want to scout as many kids as we can, after that we want to be a great team with a shot at winning every AAA-tournament we participate in. That’s really important for the development of the youngsters. Also, there are always lots of scouts from the USHL and College watching those tournaments.

Personally, I’m feeling fine. Of course, I’m not really completely happy with my game right now. A few more goals would be better, but as long as we keep on winning it’s not that big of a disappointment. Leaving out last season I’ve always been a slow starter to a season. I already had a lot of chances, but I haven’t been able to put the puck in the net on a regular basis. It’s a good thing that I’ve become a veteran in the last years so that doesn’t bother me too much. I know that things’ll change, as long as I keep on putting in hard work in practice and every game.

October 16th 2009
Sad, but true, I won’t be playing against the Islanders. I’m doing better each day, but neither the team nor I want to put my health at risk. We’ll see how it looks like tomorrow against Atlanta. Either way, I’m certain I’ll be ready to play next Wednesday in Florida.

With all due respect for the Islanders: The way we’re playing right now the team should be fine without me, especially playing in our own barn.

Everybody in the locker room is very positive right now, everybody’s sticking to our new game plan so far. I hope we’ll do that also against the Panthers and the Thrashers. We know how much is at stake. Last season we lost some crucial points exactly against these so-called “bottom feeders”. We can't afford to take even one shift off against any team.

October 14th 2009
So, after a good night’s sleep I’d like to give my fans another short update on my injury. Thank God it didn’t turn out to be as serious as it first looked. It’s true that I couldn’t participate in today’s practice. But, as our coach today confirmed, I’ll not be out for a few weeks. I’m pretty confident that I’ll be able to return in a few days. I don’t want to lose too much time.

October 14th 2009
Right now it seems I’ve really hit a streak of bad luck what with all the injuries. First the jaw fracture against Ottawa, now this… I guess  I’ll just have to battle through this, better times will surely come.

The injury happened before my second goal of the night. I collided with Brad May trying to put a check on him. After the shift I already knew something was wrong. But I wanted to keep on playing. After the goal it didn’t work out any more. We’ll have some examinations on the injury and just go from there.

October 8th 2009
Thank god we’ve got a game again. A 5 day break between games is always hard. Especially if you didn’t play too well in the first game like I did. I was a bit frustrated, really. I know I can play better. Against Phoenix I will be better for sure.

The one point against Montreal was ok even though we should have won the game. But if you get scored on the way we got… The first goal was a clear cut foul against Miller in my eyes, the referees really gave the Canadiens every benefit of doubt there. But what can we do? All there really is to do is breath in deeply, put all the frustration behind you and keep on working.

The long break between games lead our coaching staff to putting the team in trainingscamp mode again. The units were longer and harder than usually during the season.

I’m not only a sports pro but also a fan. Now, there was really reason for me to have something to celebrate in the last few days. Having Minnesota as my second home I was pretty happy to see Brett Favre and the Vikings thrash the Green Bay Packers on Monday. The next day the Twins won an epic battle to reach the MLB playoffs. Minnesota sure was in party mode for two days.

Anyway, for me the season now really starts with the game against Phoenix. From now on there’s virtually no break until the Olympics in Vancouver. The schedule is really brutal. But that’s just the way I like it!

September 23rd 2009
The last two exhibitions against Detroit and Washington went quite well. We won both though we had to battle hard and grind it out. But that’s exactly one of the areas we wanted to be better this year. I still have a bit of that summer hockey in me, but that’ll be ok once the regular season starts.

The start of the season can be felt everywhere now in Buffalo. The media are hanging around the arena every day now and interview requests from back home in Austria are also starting to roll in. I guess there’ll not only be my parents around in Buffalo for our season opener against Montreal but also a lot of Austrian journalists. I think that’s great, it just goes to show how much interest in hockey has risen in the last few years back home.

All eyes are on our big rookie Tyler Myers at training camp. Personally, I think he’s doing great so far. Of course, he could youse a few dozen pounds to fill out his big frame and look like Zdeno Chara, but that’ll come over the years. His vision on the ice is already great. His long reach can really annoy opponents.

I’m very happy that Mike Grier is back in Buffalo. He was extremely important for me in my rookie season and his positive influence on our rookies this year already starts to show. His energy and commitment on the ice are simply adorable. If he has to, he also finds the right words in the locker room. So, he’s a great addition.

A few words about me wearing the “A”. Iwouldn’t put too much importance into it that I wore it against the Wings and Capitals. I was Assistance Captain for one game in last year’s pre-season already. Of course, it’s a big honor, but it doesn’t change a bit that everybody has to be a captain on the ice. Right now it looks like we’ve learned the hard lesson from last season’s disappointing and early end.

September 16th 2009
Finally, the summer is coming to an end. The long time without hockey was hard. Trainingscamp started last weekend, but I’ve been back to Buffalo already two weeks before, playing with some teammates in our practice-arena. The tension in the locker room is already palpable. Everybody is looking forward to our first pre-season-games. I’ll be playing against Washington in our first game, which makes me glad. The sooner you get into a rhythm of playing the better. I can’t tell you anything about the rest of the pre-season-games as the coaches tell us the game-day-rosters only a day before the game.

Settling back in in Buffalo after the long off-season in Minnesota was no problem. We’ve been living here for quite some time now and know our way around. What was new this year was the intensity with which trainings camp started right from the beginning. In the last years it was often a bit laid-back the first few days. Not so this year. There are a few good reasons for the higher intensity: after missing the playoffs 2 years in a row everybody is much more concentrated. The young guys from Portland are giving their best to make the opening day roster. And last but not least there’s a whole bunch of guys who were taken as free agents over the summer. They are all tough guys who won’t shy back.

I’m really happy that Mike Grier is back in Buffalo. Mike was one of the most important guys in the locker room during my rookie year with the Sabres. He always had the right words for us young guys and – maybe even more important – showed us what it means to be a NHL player on the ice. Steve Montador is another guy who I think will help us out tremendously this season. He’s playing hard, has a good shot and radiates calmness in his own zone.

We’ve been playing a small internal tournament over the last few days to really get in the swing. More than 50 players started training camp, so we were divided into 3 teams, playing a round robin tournament. The team with the fewest points had to work an extra shift on Wednesday while the other two teams battled it out for the tournament victory. I played on a team with (amongst others) Tim Connolly, Pat Kaleta, Nathan Gerbe, Danny Paille, Craig Rivet and Paul Gaustad. Unfortunately we lost the final to Ryan Miller’s team (amongst others consisting of Matt Ellis, Jason Pominville, Hank Tallinder and Toni Lydman) 3-1. The speed and grit were already quite high. And to be honest: I’m glad Kaleta played on my team and not against me…

One of my goals for the new season is to make more use of my body. Of course I’ll never be one to skate across the rink just looking to make the next check. But I’m working on finishing my checks on the forecheck harder and more often. I think I’m on a good way in that regard, though that’s something that’s hard to train over the summer, because you don’t want to hurt your training mates. During the scrimmages it worked quite good, as there was more speed and intensity than during the summer practices.

Coach Lindy Ruff told me that I’d be given every chance to get elite ice-time this season. But he expects me to return that ice-time with an elite-effort. I’m happy to take on that challenge and I’m confident that I improved enough over the summer to return his trust.

Some final words: It’s a pretty good feeling to finally play again with a normal helmet. I’m feeling like a different player. At last I can clearly see the puck again. It’s as different as day and night compared to the end of last season. Great to get that out of the way!

May 5th 2009
Well, that was the second big disappointment of the season for me. Just like missing the playoffs with the Sabres we could have avoided being relegated to the B-pool with the national squad.

I still think it’s a stupid decision that Germany couldn’t be relegated because they host the world championships next year, but still had to play in the relegation pool. From a sportive standpoint we’d have made the qualification for next years A-pool with two wins against Hungary and Germany. Now, after needlessly losing against Denmark, we have to fight our way back next year in the B-pool.

I don’t really have any satisfying explanations for the loss against the Danes. After starting out with an early 2 goal lead we should have had the calmness and security to play out the game. But instead we were too passive and gave control of the game to our opponent. We didn’t convert the few chances we had and then momentum was on the side of Denmark. Momentum is a very important factor in hockey, and we practically gave it to Denmark by playing to passive.

I’m very disappointed and need some time to get over this. When I get home to Minnesota I’ll spend a lot of time with my family and try not to think about hockey. Some weeks distance from hockey will do wonders, no doubt. I also need to completely recover from my jaw fracture and then, well, preparation for next season already starts. I just want to forget about last season, though…

May 2nd 2009
The victory against Hungary was extremely important for us. Not only because of the 3 points but because it definitely raised our spirits. Of course, the Hungarians were the easiest opponent up till now, but you still have to work hard and convert your chances. We were simply the better team. Still, the 3 points we earned were only the first step towards staying in the A-pool. The next two games will be a lot harder. Especially the game against Germany will be very interesting. I’m really looking forward to the match-up with our arch-rivals. Those games are always fun, no matter if we play Germany in soccer or hockey.

I’m also really happy that our whole line was playing great. Tommy Koch had a hat-trick, Oliver Setzinger scored an unbelievable powerplay goal – that was really fun to watch. And yes, of course I’m a bit relieved that I finally scored my first goal of the tournament. But I think my 2 assists were even more important for the team, because they resulted in the goals that put the game out of reach for Hungary. The whole team is now more relaxed and the spirits are high in the locker room again. Everybody is positive about reaching our goal.

So, why did things finally start to click? As I said before, Hungary simply is not on the same level as Latvia, for example. They gave us more time and space to skate and pass and they couldn’t even put on some pressure when they were on the powerplay. It’s easier to shine in a game like that.

On Saturday we’ll try to regenerate a bit, recharge our batteries. It’ll be awfully hard on Sunday and Monday when it’s all or nothing. Keep your fingers crossed, we’ll fight till the end!

April 27th 2009
To be honest, my mood could be better after  the 6-1 loss against the US. I’m really dissapointed. We played well for 40 minutes, exactly like I imagined we’d have to play against them. The Americans were really frustrated then. In the final period we still had some good chances but really fell apart. We also took too many penalties. That’s something we still have to work on. You simply can’t do that at this level.

It won’t get any easier against Latvia. We’re the underdogs again. The Balts have been in the elite-pool for 10 years now I think. The only way we’ll be successful on Wednesday will be if we play 60 minutes like we played the first 2 periods today. We can’t let our heads hang down, have to stay positive and try to get a good practice tomorrow.

Andi Nödl will surely help us there. He joined the team this afternoon coming directly from the US. I talked to him a bit over dinner and I’ve got the feeling he’s really happy to be here and doesn’t see the championships as an annoying commitment. He is highly motivated and that’s exactly the attitude we need right now. A player like him is always welcome in our team and will certainly make us better. Every player who has played a few dozen games in the NHL can really help us out and make a difference.

Personally, I try to keep a positive atmosphere in the locker room. I’m here to help the younger players. So I try to be vocal and lead by example.

My style of play differs a bit from the role I play in Buffalo. It took only a few shifts against Sweden in the first game to see that the opponents concentrate on me when I’m on the ice. That’s why I try to break into their zone with the puck, hold it along the boards and set up my line mates. As I’m always surrounded by 2 or 3 opponents that leaves some room open for the rest of my team. This is getting better from period to period, though it’s far from perfect. My helmet also bothers me a bit. Especially when I try to stickhandle I tend to lose the puck more easily because my vision is hampered.

April 23rd 2009
Back in Europe, back with the national team – you could say that’s a quantum of solace for missing the playoffs. Of course I’d rather be battling the Bruins now, but there’s no use in regretting missed chances.

I’m now fully concentrating on the worlds and avoiding the relegation-round. But I can’t say it often enough: It’s not gonna be a one-man-show. Hockey is a team sport and all the pieces have to fit. That goes also and especially for our goalies. But I’m not really concerned there, I think we have quite a capable duo in net.

Speaking of which: Here in Bern I’m sharing a room with my good friend Bernd Brückler. We go back a long way and have a lot to talk about.

The first on ice practices were rather encouraging. I’m starting to getting used to the bigger ice-sheet. There shouldn’t be any problems when the puck drops against Sweden on Saturday.

April 13th 2009
Well, this early end to our season was definitely not what we had in mind. We held a playoff spot for 55 or 60 games, then we fell out and failed to climb back up again. I’m really dissapointed because until the very last game I didn’t believe that we would really fail to make the postseason.

The win against Boton was nice and primarily a thank you for our fans who stood behind us through all ups and downs throughout the season and often sold out our arena. Yes, I hit the 40 goals mark for the second time in three seasons, but that doesn’t really mean anything to me right now. Before the season started I wanted to help the team make the playoffs with my goals. We missed again and so I can’t be satisfied with my output. If you look at our season, it’s average. Nobody wants to be average, but at the same time, we’ve got to be realistic, not find any excuses and try to get better.

From my point of view it’s difficult to propose any changes to the team. We’re a very close group of players and the core has been together for a few years now. We came up together through the minors and I’d really like to have everybody back next season to redeem ourselves. But management will have their own thoughts about how to fix our problems and I’m sure they’ll do everything so we have a stronger team on the ice next year.

Nevertheless: A big thank you to all our fans for sticking with us and I promise we’ll try to get the job done next season.

March 13th 2009
The win over the Panthers was very important for us to keep in touch with the playoff-spots. And that leads me directly to what I have to say today. I’ve been told that people at home in Austria are starting to wonder if I’ll play for Team Austria at the world championships.

To be honest: I haven’t thought about that until now. My whole focus is on my club and reaching the playoffs.

On the other hand it’s like any other year: If we should fail to make the playoffs, something I plainly refuse to accept or even think of, I’d be happy to help the national squad. Always assuming that I stay healthy and the team needs me, I’m always happy to help out.

Nevertheless, I have to make this clear one more time: I haven’t really given this a thought. I am a player of the Buffalo Sabres and want to make the playoffs. I’m sure we can do that and if we do we can certainly surprise a few teams in the playoffs.

March 5th 2009
My comeback turned out better than even I had hoped for. There were no problems for me physically, my special helmet fit perfectly and the result was simply perfect. The first few shifts were a bit fast for me – I just wasn’t used to that kind of speed anymore. When you watch the game from the pressbox it all seems way slower. That’s why I tried to keep the first shifts short. With every minute played I felt more sure of myself and in the end there weren’t any problems at all.

I’m quite satisfied with the 13.5 minutes of ice-time I got. That’s ok for the first game after my injury. I had some chances, but Price robbed me of my best chance with a sensational glove-save. I also got some time on the penalty kill, so that’s alright, too. I think that my team was quite satisfied with my effort.

The 5-1 victory was unbelievably important for our team. But now we have to put the same effort into the next games. And we also have to win on the road.

I was really surprised how much attention I got from the media for my comeback. Even Austrian TV sent a team for a short feature – you can’t help but feel a little bit honored.

Just a few words regarding the trade deadline. I think we’ll be very happy about the acquisition of Moore. He is a creative center and defenisvely very responsible. I’m just a bit dissapointed that Ales Kotalik was traded to Edmonton. Ales was one of my best friends on the team. Wie also shared a room on road-trips for the last 3 years. I just hope that we won’t miss his shot on the powerplay and his moves in the shootout too much. But that’s the business. You have to give a good player to get a good player.

March 2nd 2009
The last weeks were hard for me, because I wasn’t able to help my team. Just to sit helplessly in the pressbox, watch from the outside as your team struggles – I guess that’s hard for every player. No matter if he sits out because of an injury or because he’s a healthy scratch. So I’m all the more happy to be expected to be back in the line-up on Wednesday.

On the other hand you get a different view on the game from up in the press box. You see where there is open ice and you think about how to apply that knowledge once you get back into the game.

In the last few days we practiced to get more shots on net. We didn’t get those ugly goals in the last games and that’s what we had to work on.

Physically I feel really good, surprisingly. I’ve been back on the ice for more than a week now and there shouldn’t really be any problems physically whatsoever. I’ll have to wear my braces for another 3 weeks and that’s how long I’ll be playing with a full visor helmet at least.

February 17th 2009
So, here I am back again. It’s about time to get you up to date on my recovery and tell you what exactly happened in the last week.

When we came back from Ottawa I had an X-ray in Buffalo on Sunday morning. It was immediately clear that I had to have surgery because it was a very complicated fracture. Then everything went really quick. I had the surgery on Sunday evening under general anaesthesia and had to stay over night. I got back home on Monday. The rest of the week I stayed at home and was finally able to spend some time with my sone Blake and my wife Ashley. Of course we went to the games in the evening. The wound hurt quite some bit in the beginning but it was nothing you couldn’t bear. If there was one positive thing about the injury it was that I got to spend some quality time with my family.

Since the beginning of this week I’m back in the arena. Just trying to sweat a bit on the bike. The sutures have already been removed – don’t even start to ask me how many, but there were quite a lot. Next week the jaw-braces will be loosened a bit so that I can start eating again. Once that’s done I’ll get back on the ice again. Of course I won’t be able to skate with the team right from the beginning but it’ll be great to just be back on the ice again.

I hope that I haven’t lost too much of my fitness, but we’ll see about that once I start skating again. It’ll be at least 2 weeks after I get back on the ice till I can get back into the line-up.

I haven’t set myself a deadline when I want to play again. The doctors said that I would miss at least 4 weeks altogether. But it could also be 5 to 6 weeks. We’ll just have to wait and see. The only thing certain is that I’ll be wearing a full visor helmet when I get back. That’s because the jaw-braces will stay put for another month from now. Otherwise the risk would be to big.

A few words regarding the plane-crash. It was a shock for all of us living in that area – it could have struck anybody. My compassion and condolences go out to everybody who has lost a loved one in that terrible crash.

Last, but not least: A big thank you to everybody who wrote get well wishes in the online guestbook here or just left a few encouraging words!

January 27th 2009
The All-Star weekend has come and gone and it was really something special. To get on the ice with all the stars of the league – that’s something you dream about as a kid. But I never ever thought it would really ever happen.

It was unbelievable how excited the fans in Montreal were. Even the morning skate at the Bell Center was sold out! I just tried to follow Ryan Miller’s advice. Ryan already took part in an All Star Game and he told me just to relax and enjoy the experience.

It was nice to have my wife Ashley with me and spend some quality time together over the weekend. I also hung out a bit with Zach Parise, who I still know from our time in the college league. We had some pretty good duels back then.

Nevertheless, I’m happy that we’re back in “league mode” again. Our west coast swing could show which way we’re going – postseason or not? If we play well against Edmonton, Calgary, Phoenix and Anaheim I think that would take us a big step closer to the play-offs.

January 14th 2009
Well, the hardest stretch of this season’s schedule is here. Until the end of January we’re playing on the road, except for one single home-game. The majority of this road trips will also be to the Western Conference, which means a lot of hard and long travelling. On the other hand it’s a good opportunity to grow together as a team. You don’t really have any other chance but to spend some time with your teammates, go out for dinner and such things. There’s also nothing to distract you from the actual goal: winning games. It’s also a positive thing that we play quite well on the road this year. Especially our powerplay and the penalty kill is one level abouve what we show at home. Maybe because we don’t feel the commitment to playing for the crowd on the road.

One word about the All-Star-Game: Of course it’s a big honour to be nominated. Getting to the playoffs is much more important to me. Then again, maybe this motivates the kids back home to become hockey players. Now they see that they can get to the NHL as Austrians, too. They just have to have the will and work hard for it.

Question: How do you prepare for a game and what’s going through your head during a game?
Answer: We have to be at the rink two hours before puck-drop. The first thing I do is tape my sticks and next there’s a 20 minute team-meeting. After that I ride the bike a bit to get warm, then we play a bit soccer or table tennis. After that we have to get dressed. During the games I talk a lot to my line-mates. After a shift we’re talking about what we could have done better and try to eliminate mistakes for the next shift.

Question: At which rink are the most Buffalo fans on the road?
Answer: Florida! Maybe because it’s cold during that time in Buffalo and a lot of fans like to make a trip to the warm south.

Question: Who’s your best buddy on the Sabres‘ team after the trade of Ales Kotalik? With whom do you share a room on road trips?
Answer: I get along well with everybody, but of course you hang out more with certain players. I was a bit sad when Ales was traded because he really was one of my best friends and we shared a room on road trips. Now I share a room with Andrej Sekera.

Question: As a German fan I wanted to know how you get along with Jochen Hecht? Especially in soccer there’s a great rivalry.
Answer: Ah, I like Jochen a lot. We talk a lot about sports in Germany and Austria – hockey, soccer, everything. That’s a good change to American sports once in a while.

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This was part 12

Question: Are you trying new moves in practice? Are we ever gonna see you do a spin-o-rama?
Answer: A spin-o-rama most certainly not. That’s something for smaller players. But of course, I’m always trying some new moves and when I perfect them I use those in a game.

 Question: Who’s your favorite to take the Cup this year?
Answer: I think Detroit has the best shot again. They’re defending their title and only got better over the summer with the addition of Hossa. From the East right now I’d have to say Boston.

Question: Can you give me some advice on how to better my skating skills?
Answer: When you get older it’s tough to get faster only with practicing on the ice. You have to do a lot in the gym. Everything that strenghtens your legs is good. Try things like rope-jumping for example.

Question: What’s your favorite memory of playing in Sioux Falls?
Answer: That was a great city and I still have friends there. Being a smaller city we were THE sports-team there. We always played in front of 4000 to 5000 people and that’s something every young player will always fondly remember.

Question: What kind of music is played in the locker-room?
Answer: All kinds of music, from HipHop to Rock n’ Roll. Every day a different iPod gets plugged in.

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This was part 11

Question: Who’s your best friend on the Austrian national squad?
Answer: Bernd Brückler. But I get along fine with all the guys, it’s just that I don’t see the rest that often.

Question: Isn’t it hard to be a public person like you? There were hundreds of fans who wanted to shake your hand when you were in Innsbruck and you let it happen without any complaints.
Answer: I don’t find it hard. It’s important for me to treat the fans correctly. Without them our sport wouldn’t be the same. Of course, it can be hard to satisfy everybody sometimes, but I’m doning my best.

Question: How would you rate the level of college hockey in the US?
Answer: I think the level is very high. The NCAA brought out a lot of very good players in the last few years.

Question: Do you play streethockey?
Answer: Actually I do, but just for fun. I don’t use it as a preparation for the next season. I’ve been playing streethockey since I was a kid.

Question: What’s the stiffness of your stick?
Answer: 100

Question: Are you aware that you are a role model for a lot of young players, especially in Austria?
Answer: Well, I’m aware of my success, but I’m not one who reads the newspapers just to find something about me. It’s good for kids to have somebody to look up to. I always admired Jaromir Jagr and it was unbelivably cool to play against him.

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This was part 10

Question: What do you usually do to prepare yourself before a game? Is there a certain ritual?
Answer: Not really, no. Usually I prepare two sticks for the game, then there are team-meetings and after that I play soccer with some of my teammates for a quarter of an hour. Some rope skipping and that’s that.

Question: Are there any sports besides hockey for you?
Answer: I play golf, some tennis and love to go fishing.

Question: What about Thomas Pöck on the Sabres roster?
Answer: He would be a good fit in my opinion, especially after losing Campbell. Tommy could be perfect in that role. All he needs is a fair chance. Sadly, I can’t help him, because the players don’t have any influence on the management. But if anybody would come up to me and ask about my opinion on Tommy I’d say exactly that.

Question: Did playing in the world championships help keep you sharp for next season?
Answer: I don’t think so. All I wanted was to help the team, and that worked out nicely.

Question: Are you planing to work with kids in the future?
Answer: I’d love to. I’m planing on relocating my father’s summer camps from the Czech Republic to Graz. Maybe we can put that into effect next summer.

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This was part 9

Question: Why do, for example, Jochen Hecht and Derek Roy get so much more ice-time than you?
Answer: Well, contrary to me those two guys also play on the penalty-kill. That makes a big difference.

Question: Are you in contact with the other Austrians in the NHL or the respective farm-teams?
Answer: I quite often call Thomas Pöck and have contact with Matthias Lange (college) and Bernd Brückler (Finland). Other than that... I haven’t met Michael Grabner yet, for example.

Question: Are you still in contact with Chris Drury and Daniel Briere?
Answer: There is some loose contact, but mostly before and after the games. We call each other from time to time just to see how the families are.

Question: What about the young Austrians playing in the minors, college and farm-teams in the US and Canada?
Answer: I try to follow the careers of Andi Nödl, Michael Grabner and so on as much as possible. I think each of these young Austrians has a good shot at making it to the NHL.

Question: What’s the best practiacal joke you played on another teammate or they played on you?
Answer: Nobody’s ever played a practiacal joke on me and neither have I. But the best I witnessed was when somebody stitched up Drew Stafford’s trousers. After practice he directly went to have lunch and couldn’t pay because he couldn’t get to his wallet. We still don’t know who did that...

Question: What do your teammates call you?
Answer: That’s a simple one: “Van”.

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This was part 8

Question: How does it feel to come into an arena where everybody screams your name?
Answer: Well, didn’t happen to me (laughs). To be serious: It’s always great to play in front of a sell-out-crowd. You’re always especially motivated.

Question: Will your son step into your foot-steps? What do you see for him in the future?
Answer: That’s completely up to him. Of course, I’ll introduce him to hockey, but he’ll also get to know other sports. We’ll see what’s the most fun for him.

Question: How often do you change your stick tape. Do you use white or black?
Answer: I always use black tape and usually I change it between every period.

Question: Do you go out with your teammates after a game?
Answer: Since the birth of Blake I’m mostly off for home after the games and practices. But from time to time we still have dinner together.

Question: Ar you naturally gifted playing in front of the net deflecting pucks? What about the referees’ tendencies to be more lenient this year on the new rules?
Answer: I really started playing in front of the net in the juniors, when I was 17, 18. My hand-eye-coordination was quite good, right from the beginning. The referees, well, they do tend to allow more cross-checks now, which obviously doesn’t make it easier for me now.

Question: What’s your favorite piece of memorabilia from your hockey career?

Answer: That’s an easy one: the ring for winning the college-championship, the puck I scored my first NHL-goal with, and the signed stick of Mario Lemieux.

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This was part 7

Question: Did you notice the two Austrian fans with the Austrian flag sitting near the players entrance at the AMP Winter Classic?
Answer: Sorry, I didn’t. There were such an awful lot of people there. But I appreciate it very much that some fans from home made the trip to Buffalo.

Question: Is it harder for an European to make it to the NHL? Do Europeans have to show more effort to make it?
Answer: Not really. The NHL is the best league in the world. It doesn’t matter where you come from as long as your effort and your skills are there.

Question: Can you imagine playing in the Austrian league? For which team would you like to play?
Answer: Not right now. I hope to have some more years in the NHL. But maybe at the end of my career. Yeah, I could imagine to play my last year in Austria. I haven’t given it much thought for which team, but probably for Graz or Zell/See.

Question: How often do you practice in the NHL?
Answer: Nearly every day. On game-days there’s also a short practice in the morning.

Question: How do you and your family like Buffalo?
Answer: We like it a lot! Buffalo may not be Manhattan or Chicago but it’s a great sportstown with the Sabres and the Bills. We live in a beautiful neighbourhood and I don’t mind the tough winters – I’m used to it from Minnesota.

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This was part 6

Question: Who is your favorite teammate?
Answer: I spend a lot of time with Ales Kotalik, as he’s also my roommate on road-games. Otherwise I get along perfectly well with all the other guys.

Question: Why has your game changend so much? During your college and AHL times you were a lot more aggressive. Now you’re mostly screening the goalie. Are those your instructions from Lindy Ruff or has it something to do with a certain kind of lack of confidence right now?
Answer: Well, your role on the team is different from coach to coach. In Rochester my role was different, I was skating more with the puck, for example. With the Sabres the puck is more with the defenders and two forwards try to get in front of the net. But I was always good on rebounds.

Question: Have you ever considered making public appearances like some of your teammates? Would you consider private visits?
Answer: I don’t do a lot of public appearances. But in March I’m at a car-store. Privat visits? I’ve never been asked that until now...

Question: Now that you are making a lot more money then last season, people are starting to complain that you aren’t worth that much. How do you deal with everyones criticism?
Answer: There’ll always be critics, that’s for sure and I knew that before. But I’m my own biggest critic. I know that I have to play better and put the puck in the net more often. I don’t care what the media says. Maybe I have to have this slump to battle through and come out stronger than before.

Question: Will you play for Austria at the upcoming Divison I world-championship in Innsbruck if the Sabres don’t make the playoffs?
Answer: Of course! If I stay healthy and the team needs me I’ll be glad to help out. First priority are of course the playoffs.

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This was part 5
Question: Is there any possibilty to watch the team-training? How can fans get your autograph?
Answer: Most of the morning skates on game-days are open to the public. Of course, fans may not get into our locker room. A lot of fans wait at the parking lot outside of HSBC arena and get their autographs there.

Question: Before you were drafted by the Sabres was there a team in your head that you would really love to play for?
Answer: Not really. I still enjoy everyday here. I always just wanted to play in the NHL. No matter for which team.

Question: It seems the Sabres have a very irregular schedule this year. Isn’t it hard to get intho a playing rhythm like this? Is it the same for all the teams or just a bad year for Buffalo?
Answer: At the end of the year everybody has the same problems. There are a lot of back to back games for us this year, then we’re off for four days in a row. Of course we’d like more ryhthm, but over time it’s even for everybody.

Question: Is there a goalie whom you couldn’t beat yet? Do you have a goalie you like to play against most?
Answer: Well, what I don’t like at all are goalies who catch with their right hand. The Islanders’ diPietro comes to mind, though I have some goals against him. There’s not really a goalie I like most, because they’re all so good. In the NHL only the best goalies play.

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This was part 4
Question: What’s got to happen that we may for once see you in a fight?
Answer: I don’t know, I’m no fighter. Maybe if one of my comrades gets hurt by an unfair attack and I’m on the ice. Yeah, I’ll certainly be right in the middle of the fight then.

Question: Who’s your favorite player?
Answer: That’s an easy one: Jaromir Jagr and Mario Lemieux!

Question: If you could put together your favorite line-mates: who would be your center and right wing?
Answer: Of course Lemieux and Jagr.

Question: How long have you been using „Warrior“-products and how comfortable are you with those products? Which helmet-brand do you wear?
Answer: I’ve been using “Warrior” since the start of last season and I’m very happy with this choice. I like the stick and the gloves just fit perfectly. The helmet and the rest of my gear is CCM/Reebok.

Question: When did you start skating?
Answer: That’s a question my parents could answer better. As long as I can think back, I’ve always been skating. I must have started right after having learned to walk.

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This was part 3
Question: Do you collect hockey cards?
Answer: Yes, I did when I was younger. I think I must have had at least three complete albums. But I quit collecting a few years ago.

Question: It seems as if you wear different gloves each game. Is that true? I noticed they are almost always “Warriors” this year, but they all seem to be different. What happens to your gloves when you are done with them?
Answer: Basically it’s always the same gloves. I change them every second month or so and “Warrior” changes the style from time to time. Once I’m done with the gloves I give them to our equipment manager. I really don’t know what happens with them from that time on.

Question: Do you miss your home country? Especially Zell/See where you used to play hockey when you were a kid.
Answer: Of course I miss Austria. That’s why I always come home for a few weeks in the summer. I really enjoy my holidays in Graz where my parents live. I haven’t been to Zell for quite a while now but I’m really planing to take a trip there in the future.

Question: Why did you choose the number 26?
Answer: Honestly, I wanted the number 20 when I started to play at college in Minnesota. But that number was already taken, so the Gophers gave me the next best thing – number 26. Obviously that was a good choice as I had quite some success there. After that I simply kept the number.

Question: Do you have any tips how to find a junior team in North America as a young Austrian?
Answer: There are try-outs every summer. Everybody can sign up for those on the internet. Of course, it’s easier if you have some contacts, but you can do it this way, too – you just have to believe and really want it.

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This was part 2
Question: Is there any goal you’re especially proud of?
Thomas: Absolutely! That would be my first NHL-goal against Carolina. I always wanted to play in the NHL and so that one will always hold a special place in my heart.

Question: You went to North America when you were only 14 and played in the NHL only a few years later. How did you do that?
Thomas: That’s right, I was very young. But I always knew that I had to leave Austria to get to the next level. I got my chance in Canada. My parents were very important in that respect. They always supported me and had a very positive attitude towards me leaving home.

Question: What’s the meaning of your tattoo?
Thomas: Well, the signs stand for the zodiac sign of the capricorn. I’m a capricorn, so that’s that. The rest is just a design I liked. I’ve got the tattoo now since 2003, I think.

Question: How much do you care for the fans criticism? Do you ever read online forums and the like?
Thomas: To be honest: I don’t read such forums. I concentrate on playing hockey and on my family when I’m at home.

Question: What’s your shoe-size?
Thomas:10.5 – 11.5, depending on the shoe.

Question: You’re using a CCM Vector skates. How happy are you with that? Are those skates specially manufactured for you?
Thomas: I wouldn’t know about especially manufactured, but I’ve benn using CCM skates for 10 years now and I’m very happy with them. They fit perfectly.

Question: Do you follow Austrian soccer? Especially now that the European championships are drawing nearer.
Thomas: Yes, I do, mostly over the internet. I also try to follow what’s going on in hockey, tennis, skiing and formula 1 back home. If we don’t make it to the finals this year I’m planing a trip to Austria to watch at least a few games live.

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This was part 1
Question: Getting on the plane, getting off the plane, every day another city – how do you cope with all that stress?
Thomas: That’s easier than when I was in the AHL. Back then we had to ride the bus for hours without end. Now we have our own plane. For example: After the game against Columbus we drove directly to the airport and got to Montreal at around one in the morning. We also get delicious food on the plane. I’m really quite happy and don’t feel stressed at all.

Question: Do you still have contact with your old buddies from Zell/See and Graz?
Thomas: Mostly when I’m with the national squad. I do have a bit of contact with Patrick Machreich vom Zell and Harry and Mathias Lange from Graz. From time to time I also hear from Florian Iberer.

Question: Did your parents raise you bilingual? Are you able to talk Czech to your czeck teammates?
Thomas: Of course! With Spacek, Kotalik et al I often talk Czech, though English is the “official” language in the locker room. I’m very glad and grateful that my parents raised me bilingual.

Your question for Thomas
Do you have any questions for Thomas? In the menu-bar abouve you’ll find the tab “Dear Thomas”. Just go there and fill in the mail-form. Together with Thomas we’ll choose the most interesting questions and publish his answers in regular intervals on the website. Just keep looking back if your question is not published this time, as this is not a one-time-campaign. Maybe yours will be answered the next time.

Attention: Please do not expect Thomas to answer personally per e-mail or answer each and every question.