Congratulations! So you didn’t go to LA just because of moving…
Not that. Now the journey made sense to us, in an environment where we know it. Plus, I have arranged training here.
But after two years at Kings, you move to Long Island. What are your responses from Los Angeles teammates?
We all know that this business page is the worst. I wrote with some boys, I train with some of them now, so we were talking about why I wouldn’t continue, we had fun about the causes.
Kings took the place of you the same old Swedes Anton Forsberg and signed it twice as higher ($ 2.25 million) than you had a year. Didn’t they bother you?
The leadership changed here. And the new one has a different perspective than the former, and than the coaches have.
As you say: Rob Blake replaced by General Manager Ken Holland after the season. Have you already suspected that you will not continue in Los Angeles?
I don’t know if he knew, but I had the responses from the coaches I thought I’d extend. But unfortunately… Anyway, my agents have done a lot of work and now I have a new start in the new conference. That’s the most important thing for me now.
How much did you miss after opening the free market?
We had something there … Anyway, we dealt with it to make a sense for me and my family. And Icelanders came out of those possibilities.
Their goal area has been occupied for a long time by the Russians Ilja Sorokin and Semjon Varlamov, who is now cluster after the knee surgery, but should be prepared for the season. So it will probably be quite a fight for you.
The spot is always fighting, but I don’t think I should go to the farm.
In contact with the club management, I assume, you are. What do you say that the bench will lead you goalies legend Patrick Roy?
Of the interviews we had, I could feel that Icelanders showed a great interest in me. Practically every day, someone from the club calls me and is trying to do something for me, which also helped me to make decisions. I also had an interview with Patrick and told him I was quite nervous about him. Two years ago, I had a stick signed from him, so he laughed that he would sign my hockey stick, how much I wanted. But when the head coach calls you and all possible for a quarter of an hour, it’s a good sign.
Icelanders now have the number one draft (defender Schaefera) and big plans. Are you looking forward to seeing the changes in the club?
The team is still of good quality, although it did not fit last season. But the new general manager Mathieu Darche brought enough new boys (Drouin, Heineman…), so we’ll see how it will work in the season. It is never expected that everything will change from day to day, but Icelanders are a good setup and the new blood in the team will certainly want to break through quickly.
In addition to a few weeks in Toronto, Toronto will be something new and Eastern conferences. Anyway, you should not go so much.
This is a welcome change that I will be more with my family. I looked at last year’s Islanders schedule that they had only one ten -day trip. While we had four or five in Los Angeles. Especially now that we are expecting a baby, it is of course a change for the better.
What will you miss from California?
After the weather, that’s clear. But I haven’t heard a single bad thing about Icelanders. And at least the son knows the winter and maybe see snow. When we were in Winnipeg, he didn’t see much yet. But now he will experience four seasons, not only two.
But this is always more difficult for parents to explain to children that they have to move. Has it been done with you?
Not much yet. We do not know how far the son perceives it. But friends from kindergarten and hockey will probably be missing. Although their hockey class has now disintegrated. Only the daughter of Phillip Danault remained there.
When we go back to the play off, was there a big fucking after him? After two matches, it seemed that you had Edmonton on the shovel, but a turnover came.
He also stood Blakey (GM Rob Blake) instead. After those matches at home, I think we could win the third and fourth in Edmonton. In one, however, there was a poorly chosen challenge and in the other we did not throw the puck out of the band and lost in overtime. And the fifth match at 2: 2 was the only one when we were not enough for Oilers. At the same time, of the six games, I dare say that we were better in four. Damage.
Edmonton then eliminated Vegas and Dallas, did you expect it to make it to the Stanley Cup?
Rather, I wanted to defend Florida because I had friends and former teammates (Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, Nate Schmidt).
Last time you represented the Czech Republic at the 2018 World Championship, but next year the NHL season will interrupt for the Olympics. Are you attracted?
Every time I can, of course I would like to represent. But now I don’t know if I’m in the viewfinder at all, if the coaches have me in some pre -selection. But playing at the Olympics would be beautiful, it is without a doubt.
