Top interviews with Jan Hejda
Fans always loved interviews with Jan Hejda. Read his best quotes in the following story.There is no Colorado Avalanche player who answered so many questions from Eurolanche like Jan Hejda. We interviewed him for 9 times (official interviews) since his arrival in Denver until today. Very last one is scheduled for the next days. Now, take a look at his most interesting answers over four years. We also published a context information prior every part.
2011/12
Very first interview with Jan Hejda was recorded on a video during the Eurolanche Invasion IV and it was focused on his first games with the Avalanche.
2012/13
First big interview with Hejda was done in the summer of 2012 - after his first season in Denver. Also Milan Hejduk visited the Eurolanche meeting. We interviewed them about their first years in the NHL and Jan revelead his hard times at the beginning of his career.
You were drafted when you were 25. At all, did you expect it in this age?
I had problems with my agent. In that time players had to sign in draft. He thought I am one year younger. So when my year was on the draft, nobody chose me because I was not there. I decided to be a little bit longer in Europe. I have started to play for the national team like Milan and we also won Czech league. I had good season.
Later Buffalo drafted me. They told me they were not going to change the team. They offered me two way contract, I should spent one year in the minors. They had good team. But I decided to go to Russia, where I had better financial conditions than in the AHL. Moreover, as an older player, I did not want to spend year in the minors. It was unnecessary. Finally, I spend 3-4 years in Russia.
Scout Franta Musil called me one time and asked me if I would like to try NHL. I was maybe alone player on the international level who had not tried it. It was enough for me in Russia yet. And when I will sometime talk to my grandchildren about my career it would be shame to do not try it in the NHL. So I tried it because of my grandchildren. (laugh)
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.
Hejda has never hesitated to share his own opinion with the Eurolanche. Check his following quote about O'Reilly's situation back in 2013.
I hope they will get him back. He was important part of this team. It would be a shame. He is good player and mainly a person.
Hundreds of the Avs fans loved Hejda's honesty. No other player could so clearly and openly talked about bad times on the team and many details that were interesting to the fans.
Why it is at the present how it is…?
I exactly knew what you were going to ask me (laugh). No surprise. Why? Well… It is a good question. If I knew it, I would say it to boys and let´s start to win. After these three games we are definitely missing confidence. It is hard to play with tied hands. Sadly, we are on the last place and of course everybody knows it. It could indicate they do not want to take it, but it is not true.
Then you are trying to avoid mistakes and play very carefully hockey. It does not work. You have to show little more on the ice. But if you have no confidence, you do only what you have to. That´s the reason why it is how it is… It has started by a game against Edmonton. Every time when you play against theoretically weaker teams like Edmonton – I say theoretically, because I do not think any game is easy to play in this league, every game is hard – you underrate them. Then we probably do not play against them on the level like with Chicago or San Jose. This was maybe the start of all it.
How captain is Gabriel Landeskog?
He is good unless he has not such a good year like last season. Of course he has more duties. I do not think his age is disadvantage. We have veterans who try to help him. It was a good choice to name him a captain.
Has he raised his voice yet?
No, but mainly after bad games he says something about it. I do not think he needs to raise his voice to get authority. He is a leading example kind of player.
How tough on all of you were words coming from Giguere? (Goalie criticized some unnamed young player who didn't work hard - Eurolanche)
We have talked about it in our dressing room. Giguere said what he said as it came to his mind. This interview was done just after the match and he was very emotional. I think we are a good team, so I am not judging him. But it shouldn´t sounded like that.
2013/14
We met Jan in the summer of 2013 for the second straight offseason. We chose to record only some answers. Most of the meeting wasn't recorded so the overall atmosphere was more relaxed than in the past and we heard many interesting facts about Colorado.
Will you miss Greg Zanon – your partner from the warm-ups?
He was a good man. They signed him before the season, he played around 40 games. It was a surprise for me that they bought out him. I thought it was going to be somebody else.
Probably, you will miss Hejduk most…
Of course. No other Czech on the team left. I hoped little bid that somebody would come… But nobody for now, unfortunately. I will maybe follow Varlamov now (laughing).
How many interviews do you give per season?
They didn´t do them often, but it changes now. Probably every third, fourth game.
Did you get a question that makes you angry?
Not so. It is hard to answer on some questions; a man does not want to talk about them. I rather don´t like what journalists write sometimes (laughing). Mostly, it doesn´t relate with my quotes.
When the Avs had a great start to the season with Patrick Roy on the bench for the first time, Eurolanche called to Hejda immediately. Phone calls between Europe and Colorado had become nothing special thanks Hejda's willingness.
Did you expect that the start of the year under Patrick would end up like this?
No. I don’t think anyone expected it. I wouldn’t trust anyone saying that we’d have a 9-1 record after 10 games. We were really looking forward to this season. I didn’t know what to expect from a former goalie (Roy). He surprised us with his knowledge of the game, how he helps the goalies, defensemen and the forwards, the kind of details that decide games.
What did you think of Roy’s conflict after the end of the season opener?
I kinda liked it, his strategy about not putting himself above others. He’s part of the team, he say’s that we’re all on the same level. The fact that there was a little conflict just shows that he cares about winning and does everything he can to win. It was a signal that things will be different than they were last year, where we were going to play a game just trying to win. We’re focusing on the next game, not next week’s game. Every game’s important, even if there are 82 of them.
About your goal against Winnipeg, did you aim for your spot or did you just close your eyes and let it rip? It was a beauty of a shot to say the least.
Their goalie had a couple of great saves during the game. He was bailing them out, making open net saves. You weren’t going to beat him with placed, technical shots. You don’t have a lot of time to think in hockey, but in a situation like this you kinda think a little faster. I was like „if you can’t place a shot, then you just have to fire a hard shot.“ I just took a hard slapper and it worked.
The Avs traded Steve Downie a couple of days ago. Was it a shock or was it expected?
It wasn’t expected at all. I was really surprised. Steve’s a great guy, fits in well. I think that he was traded because you can’t really predict what he does on the ice. He’s a fan of the occasional not clean play. He brought a lot of energy, but he took too many penalties. We had a meeting in the morning, trained afterwards. I was told that he was traded after I came off the ice. I said that the team’s been playing well and working, it just doesn’t happen this way, but it still happened.
Avs clinched the playoffs spot after years. Of course we had to talk with Jan about that.
When you talked with teammates and coaches what else you should improve?
We played a lot of games, so we probably won´t change any tactical issues. We have to focus on details that are missing in our play like for example the fact we didn´t score a goal against Boston – stop in front of a net, don´t skate to a corner, be in front of a goalie. It is about details that create a result. We have to work on it to make them perfect in the playoffs..
If you were reading news during the trade deadline, did you have some expectations or did you worry to be traded?
A player isn´t sure during the trade deadline. But I wasn´t so nervous than one year ago. A man can´t be sure anytime. I believe Patrick Roy creates a team the way to make it the strongest. If he has a chance to get a player who fits on the team, he would make a trade. I am not saying I wasn´t worry, but it wasn´t like in previous years.
What do you think about Reto Berra?
We have three goalies. I don´t know why this movement happened. Probably to spread the power. I think Varlamov will be number one goalie; I would bet on him a lot. For Berra it is perfect he can work with our goalie coach, because Varlamov and Giguere praise his work. He will make Berra great goalie too.
What Giguere thinks about it as the management probably showed him there is no interest in his service for the future?
I am not a right person who should talk about it.
What do you think how Czech media reported about the problems between you and a head coach Hadamczik?
I guess there is nothing to say. I already said it irritated me. It was exaggerated. I talked about it in one-two interviews. Many, many people commented on it. Then it was a story for the weeks. From two stories there were 30. I wasn´t happy. I am sorry it sounded like I would disparage the quality of the players on the team. It is not true. If I was a coach, I would take almost all of the them to the Olympics. The problem wasn´t in the players. I was angry when the coach told that the media and I are responsible for the Czech national team´s failure on the Olympics. I have the feeling I told my opinion and I don´t know why the coach blamed me – a player who wasn´t play – and the media for their failure. It is alibistic and unacceptable. At the end he started to lie and blamed me for something than I even haven´t never said. That was the worst.
2014/15
Last regular season interview with Hejda was did during the Eurolanche Invasion VII. It became so popular amongst the fans that we are re-publishing it full.
Why is this season worse than the past? There were no big changes on the roster.
I think something has changed. New players came here. We had a bad start to this season. The last one was very good. That is the reason why all people believed it would be the same this year. But we lost some games and it didn't work. Maybe we didn't play with our hearts and didn't work hard. We worked really hard last year. Our oponnents underrated us. This current season is a new experience for us. If you are loosing games, it has an influence on your psyche.
You won some straight games too this year. Why you started to win at that time?
Firstly, we need to win more and more games of coure. But it is also about being lucky. For example, take a look at January away game in Chicago. We scored two goals in the first two minutes and then we defended for 58 minutes. For us, a goalie is very important. Varlamov had some light injuries, it wasn't the same like one year ago. Pickard was awesome. We could win games with him in the net. I hope it will get better. It is mainly about your psyche.
What are Patrick Roy's reactions when you lost games?
He is one of the most intelligent coaches in the League and he tries to find different ways for the solution. Lossing games is a new situaiton for him too. It was simple last year as we won many games. Like he says, we had no fear. We had so many points that one lost game did mean nothing. It is different now. When we are leading by one goal, we fear it could end with a loss for us. Patrick tries to be a positive and negative; he is trying to be good and strict too. He has many experiences at the junior coach level, but it is a different with adult players. I think he could do something different at some situations.
What do you think about your future in this organization?
I don't know nothing. I am trying to do the best work what I can do. Unfortunately, it is not good with gaining points. Speaking about the played minutes, it is good. I didn't think I would get so confidence from the coaches. If there are no talks in February, I would ask my agent to start them.
Would you play in some different NHL team, if you didn't stay in Denver?
It is opened to me. I would have no problem to play two more years. But if it didn't happen, it would be ok to me.
Links to all published interviews:
2012/13
- Three parts of the interview with Hejda and Hejduk (1, 2 a 3)
- Preseason interview with Jan Hejda
- Interview with Hejda about the problems
- Hejda: Season was horrible!
2013/14
- Meeting with Hejda: Photos and interview
- Interview with Hejda: About wins & Varly
- Big exclusive interview with Hejda
2014/15
- Hejda to Eurolanche: Why we lose games
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06/07/2015 - 10:30
