Q&A With Martin Marincin

 

 

Martin Marincin: The Last 2 years have been tough for our team. We would lose to Switzerland and go down to play in the relegation round. But before the tournament in Calgary we worked hard at the practices and everything looked good for us.

MM: It was a very bad hit, yes. This year I wanted to play better. I didn’t want to take bad penalties. I wanted to play a more simple game. I think I helped my team with the way I played.

MM: I didn’t want to kill the guy. Obviously enough, I’m very frustrated it turned out the way it did.

MM: I don’t know. I guess, it’s because most of the guys that played for Team Slovakia at this tournament played alongside each other all season long. So they had their own captain and coach wanted him to continue to be the captain. I was ok with this.

MM: It’s hard to tell. Coach wanted the other guy to be a captain, that’s all I can say. It doesn’t really matter. We played as a group. We had no leader. Everybody was equal.

MM: I practiced with them last summer. They talked to me and the other guys. But we all want to play in the NHL. It’s every player’s dream. I think it’s better for us to play here.

MM: It may be better to play against older guys but I think after you were drafted it’s better to go to play in Canada or USA.

MM: Yes. Kosice is a very good team. They were ok with that. They were excited about that.

I don’t know.

MM: It was good for me. I got more experienced. It’s a better level than junior hockey.

MM: Martin lived 30km away from Kosice in a town called Presov. When he started to play for HC Kosice I was already playing for junior Team Slovakia (which plays as a club in the same league). So we didn’t see much of each other.

As for Tomas Jurco, yes, we spent a lot of time together. It was good. Ever since we were kids we played on the same line. It was a lot of fun. We played on the same line on the junior team as well.

MM: I have always dreamed to play in the NHL. I thought, it would probably be better for me to go there so I would have a better chance to make the NHL. Besides, the Oilers organization wanted me to move to Canada too.

MM: Hockey is very different. Canadian hockey is more physical and the guys always crash the net. European hockey is all about combinations and passing the puck. Plus, European rinks are bigger, which is a huge difference.

As for comparing how different Prince George is from Kosice, it’s smaller. There are more houses while in Europe there are apartment buildings. There’s more stuff to do in Kosice. Taking a walk to the old town, for instance. It’s a different world.

MM: On my third day in Prince George I went to see a movie with the guys. After the movie we walked back home and some guys started chasing us. They looked like they were in a gang. It was just like in the movies. I was really scared.

MM: (laughter) No, I just should stay away from downtown. The coach told us not to go to scary locations, so that’s what we do.

MM: It’s horrible. At first it was really tough, but now I’ve gotten used to this more or less, so it’s a little better.

MM: I played one game against the Minnesota Wild. I was in the line-up with NHLers – the real stars! It was really big for me. I enjoyed it very much. This is my biggest memory of the training camp with the Oilers.

MM: I always follow the Oilers. I try to play the same style in the WHL as the Oilers play in the NHL. I try to do my best. Hopefully, soon I’ll be playing in the NHL.