LAOLA1: Klagenfurt has also become a second home for you and your family.
Dahm: Second or first home, that's the question now. (laughs) We spend 95 percent of the year in Klagenfurt; we feel very comfortable here. It's our home. What the future holds, we don't know. But the children are fully integrated into kindergartens and schools. My wife also feels very comfortable here and speaks very good German. It's a great home for us - and I know every player who comes here says the same thing. The surroundings are very beautiful for the soul.
LAOLA1: So, if you ever decide to end your career, it's possible that you will stay in Klagenfurt?
Dahm: It's not out of the question; Klagenfurt is truly a special city. It will be difficult to leave this environment, that's for sure.
LAOLA1: You'll be celebrating your 40th birthday during the season. Did you ever think you'd play for so long?
Dahm: I've never paid attention to my age over the years.
Solange ich körperlich fit bin - und danach sieht es aktuell aus - spiele ich sicher noch mehrere Jahre.
LAOLA1: There was never a moment when you thought: I'm quitting now?
Dahm: I thought to myself: If I no longer feel physically fit and can no longer play at my best level, then I will end my career. However, in recent years – and I believe that's why KAC and I are such a good fit – we have always been optimally prepared here off the ice. In these seven years, I've been in the best shape of my career. This year, I even have the highest test scores of my entire career. I'm not thinking about playing until a certain age and then stopping. I'm hungry; I want to win another title and deliver great hockey to the KAC fans. I love ice hockey. I love working with the goalie coaches every day. As long as I am physically fit – and that's how it looks right now – I will certainly play for several more years.
LAOLA1: With Florian Vorauer, there's an up-and-coming backup goalie who has been getting more and more ice time in recent years. Is there a plan for how many games Florian and you will each get this season?
Dahm: First of all: I get along very well with Florian. I have a lot of respect for how hard he works, how he performs every day, always comes to the ice rink with a smile, and is a professional through and through. I'm truly happy with how his career has developed. In the last two or three years, he has also made great strides with the national team. I've watched his games there too. He is certainly one of the goaltenders I've gotten along with best in my career.
Im modernen Eishockey hat sich gezeigt, dass man beide Tormänner braucht. Die Zeiten sind vorbei, in denen der Backup vier Spiele im gesamten Jahr bestreitet.
LAOLA1: And to the question?
Dahm: Of course, before every season, the question arises: Is there a number 1 and a number 2? Or is there a 1A, 1B solution? Florian has proven that he deserves ice time and practice. But the same applies to all goaltenders – including me: you always have to prove yourself. Team success is the most important thing. In modern ice hockey, it has been shown that you need both goaltenders. The days are over when the backup plays four games the entire year. That's no longer possible, as was also seen last year in Graz. Wieser came in during the semifinal series there and won the championship title because he also delivered good games during the season. I can only say: It's important that both of us get game practice throughout the entire year. How many appearances each receives will automatically become clear based on performances.
LAOLA1: With 54 shutouts, you have achieved more than any other goaltender in the history of Austria's top league. Are records important to you?
Dahm: Not really. I don't set such things as a goal and then think about them every day. For me, team success is the most important thing. If we are successful, there's a good atmosphere in the locker room and on the ice. When I play my best hockey, I really enjoy it. And then the successes and records come automatically. If you count down every victory, it goes slower, I've learned from earlier times. (laughs)
LAOLA1: Do you look at your stats?
Dahm: Very rarely during a season. My overall performance is more important to me. After every game, we look at all the shots and my movements. If I look good, I'm proud of how I play. Of course, a record means a lot to me. That also means that your opponents respect you.
LAOLA1: The season start has been perfect with two wins in Salzburg and against last year's finalist, HC Pustertal. In Klagenfurt, the championship title is expected every year – do you feel it's possible again this year?
Dahm: The championship title is possible every year, but each season is also a new story. Clubs that weren't successful last year want to improve. They might have trained even harder, perhaps have a new coach. It's always difficult to be successful. We have a good foundation. We will give everything to win the championship title. I am sure that every player in this locker room will leave their best on the ice – and then we'll see how far we get.
LAOLA1: Coach Kirk Furey said in a LAOLA1 interview before the start of the season that pressure is a privilege. Does the atmosphere that prevails in Klagenfurt at every home game spur you on even more?
Dahm: There's no better feeling. That's also one reason why many foreign players, who would have other options, come to Klagenfurt. They know: Here, there's the ambition to always want to be number 1. Does that happen every year? Of course not. Like last year, unforeseen things can happen. Having this pressure and these expectations from both outside and inside is a privilege and also motivates you.
LAOLA1: Thank you for the interview!
