Marty Biron told me to ask you about hitting posts all the time in practice. Is that true or false?
Low blocker? I always went low blocker on him.
He also said you were one of the first wingers he remembered taking faceoffs on your strong side regularly. And that seems pretty common these days. How did that kind of come about?
Growning up in Germany, playing professionally in Germany, I was always a centerman, so it was only when I came to the U.S. that they put me on the wing. So, I was used to taking faceoffs earlier. When Daniel Briere didn’t want to take a faceoff on his weakside, there was no problem with me going in. So, kind of came about about that way.
What are your thoughts on how hockey in Germany has grown, even going back to the time when you were drafted?
Yeah, it’s gotten way bigger. Obviously with Leon Draisaitl, we have somebody who’s one of the best players in the NHL and there’s a lot of him in the media and news, on web pages that report on how he’s doing. There is a TV station that broadcasts, actually after the football season ends after the Super Bowl, they start broadcasting hockey games, NHL games. And so, there’s always a game on Sunday night. I’m the color guy sometimes for those games, so bringing that to the people here if they’re interested. Success has been coming along with a silver medal during the world championship (in 2023), so hopefully we can build more, set even more of a foundation of hockey players because we had those two guys, Tim Stützle and Moritz Seider, that were high draft picks. But then there are years again where we don’t have anybody drafted, so we still have to be more consistent in bringing out good players.
How familiar are you with JJ Peterka?
I watched him a few times. We have the same agent, and I sent him a text message once. But, yeah, it’s nice to see that he developed into such a good player, and it looks like he’s going to be getting the most goals for Germany in Buffalo if he keeps going like he did the last few years.
What advice do you have for anyone from Buffalo who’s taking the trip to Munich?
Enjoy it. Take in the sites in Munich, don’t spend too much time in the hotel, get around, enjoy the food and a good beer.
Are there any fun hockey fan traditions that are maybe different than they are here?
I think the fans are totally different in Germany. They’re singing for 60 minutes or close to that. People are in the arena an hour before the game. It’s a different fan atmosphere here.
You didn’t get to play when you guys made the Sabres to Mannheim (Hecht’s hometown) in 2011 because of an injury, but still received a nice ovation. What do you remember most about that trip when you look back?
Well, I took warmup in Mannheim. I wasn’t able to play but I was able to take warmup, and I enjoyed the fans singing my name and enjoyed bringing my Sabres to my hometown and the guys put on a really good show for the fans in Mannheim.
Are there benefits for a team starting the season with a long trip?
Yeah, it’s pretty good. I don’t remember the travel being that hard, so it gets the guys together, they get to go and experience something new. JJ is going to show them something in Munich and take them to probably a special restaurant or something. But it’s a great way to bond and spend time with the guys away from the usual range in the cities.
