Interview: Hejda and Hejduk (2.)
Fanclub Eurolanche brings you an exclusive interview with two players of Colorado Avalanche.Eurolanche members met with Jan Hejda and Milan Hejduk
in Czech Republic. They were talking about both starts of their careers, the
biggest successes and also about the present and the future. The interview has
three parts. The last one will be published on Thursday. Here is the first part.
Milan,
what has higher value for you: Nagano 1998 or Stanley Cup 2001?
They have the same. It is hard to compare. You are
playing all year and two months of the playoffs for Stanley Cup. Olympics are
about your national team, but takes 14 days. I think they have the same value
for me.
How
looked the celebration after game 7 in 2001 and your day with the Cup in
Pardubice, Czech Republic?
We spent next minutes on the ice and in the locker
room. Great atmosphere. It was good we won it at home. Fans were in euphoria.
We had Stanley Cup in the locker room after the game. Families and friends
could come there. We enjoyed it with them. Then we went to the restaurant,
where they were with us. Great party was in Denver on the roofs of fire trucks.
There were 400 000 people. It was great. We were in the city hall. They introduced
every player with the cup above his head. It was an experience on which I will
never forget.
Shjon
Podein took off only his
helmet and gloves after the game. We went to the restaurant later. He was
everywhere in the gear. He broke some record. He was going in the skates everywhere.
(laugh)
I had the Cup with me in Pardubice in the summer. We
had a celebration with the local team. There was the band Olympic (famous Czech music band – David). At
the end I took the cup on the stage. It was whole-day event.
Why
did you refuse an invitation to the national team many times?
Mostly it was due our playoffs. Then I had health
problems. My knee is bad. I chose relax and did not go there (world championships).
When
your healthy problems have started?
It is long time. I had the first knee surgery when I
was 17. I had seven surgeries on one knee. When I start to skate, it hurts, but
later it is good. I take some pills, it is good.
Paul
Kariya and Teemu Selanne came to the team in 2003. Did not you all think you
were going to win the Cup? Why did you failed?
When I found out they signed with Colorado, I thought
we had the best team on the paper. It does not mean there will be good results
if you have good team on the paper. Paul
Kariya suffered injury and was out for the long time and Teemu Selänne had alone bad season of
his career then.
How
it was for veteran players and you when the winning franchise has started to
fall down?
It is not a fun when you are used to win and suddenly
you do not have results. It is not popular. It is better vice versa – when you
have worse results and get better and better. I came to the team when was at
the top. I would like to experience one more success at the end of my career.
What
is Colorado missing to be back on the winning line?
Hejduk: I think it is all about money. I do not know if the
low-salary team could win the Cup. It is very hard. You can play with young
players like we. I think the team will be good in the next seasons.
Hejda: If they keep them (young
players). If they want them, they will have to get them money. It is very
lucky to get cheap and good players. You can spend 10 million on two great
players.
Hejduk: Or three and it is one line. Then it is about
something else.
Do
not you want Dominik Hasek?
Hejduk: I think we have solid goalies. They are great pair.
Hejdu: Giguere is very good for Varlamov. They know which
role they have. So, no Hasek. (laugh)
Hejduk: We do not need Hasek. (laugh)
And Jaromir Jagr?
Hejduk: He would help us. He is good player.
Milan, what do you think about
the signings of defensemen in Colorado? The team has now many of them.
I think they will trade somebody or the staff would build on older
players if they will not be satisfied with young players. Rather I think
somebody will go away.
Do you have some information
about new contract for Ryan O´Reilly?
Hejduk: I do not know. He probably wants long-time contract after good season.
Hejda: It would big shame and mistake to do not re-sign him. He was a big part
of the success.
Milan, you said after the season
that you lost confidence of the coach and that you are not going to be
re-signed. Why did you think it?
I played last 25 games in the fourth line. I did not have big ice-time.
It looked like they would not have interest in me. Finally they had. It is
coach´s decision. I was not sure about their interest.
Would you go to other team if
they did not re-sign you?
I was thinking about it what would happen if they did not re-sign me. I
would wait on offers and from where it would. Not really I wanted… But if
Colorado did not want me and the offer would be interest, I would say yes.
Will
you be captain in the next season?
Hejduk: I do not know. We will see.
Hejda: I think yes.
Do
players select their captain?
Hejduk:
No, the staff does
it. We started the season without captain and then they chose me.
Hejda: Usually the captaincy is not changing if he
does not retire or they trade him. There is no reason to change it.
Hejduk
to Hejda: Do not you want to
try for a while? (laugh)
Jan,
what do you like on the organization most?
The history. It will be here forever. The success what
they did when Milan was young. They had best players in the league. There are
framed photos in the locker room. It is good for young players. It reminds the
history. They look on it and realize where they are. If they will keep main
core of the team, I think they team will be back on the position where was.
David Puchovsky, Slovakia, eurolanche@eurolanche.com
21/08/2012 - 18:00
