LAOLA1: You had to withdraw from the Ice Hockey World Championship due to knee problems. Can you briefly explain what exactly the problem was and how long you've been struggling with it?
Marco Kasper: I had knee problems throughout the entire season, actually since last summer. That's why it was time to cure it and work on alleviating the pain. After that, I had to rebuild the surrounding muscles. It was a shame to miss the World Championship, but it's good that I took a break.
LAOLA1: What prevented you from addressing these problems during the season?
Kasper: It was more of a chronic problem that really needed a lot of time. On the ice, it was still fine; otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to play. But especially off the ice, for example during exercises in the weight room, it sometimes just hurt. It took about two months for it to start getting a bit better.
Ich will nicht nach Ausreden suchen, warum es einmal nicht so gut gelaufen ist.
LAOLA1: Do you know what caused these problems?
Kasper: No, I don't. Of course, one can speculate about it, but it's not as important to know why the problems arose as it is to deal with them and be able to perform at my best.
LAOLA1: How is your knee currently?
Kasper: It feels good, I had a good summer and I'm fit for the season.
LAOLA1: Can the past season be assessed differently now, knowing that you struggled with knee problems all year?
Kasper: No, I don't want to make excuses. Last season was difficult at times, but also instructive, with many ups and downs. I don't want to look for excuses for why things didn't go so well at times. I'm focusing on my game. I was still able to be on the ice. I'm looking forward, I don't want to dwell on last season too much, and I'm focusing on the new season.
LAOLA1: Then let me phrase the next question as follows: What lessons did you take from this instructive year into the next season?
Kasper: There are always things you can improve – whether on the ice or mentally. When things aren't going so well, the mental aspect is a very important area. I was able to develop in that regard and am trying to take the best from it.
Man lernt, dass es nicht immer nur bergauf geht, sondern auch schwierige Zeiten gibt.
LAOLA1: To what extent were you able to develop mentally?
Kasper: You learn that it's not always an upward climb, but there are also difficult times when you might not play as much. You still have to focus on giving your best and always continue to work on yourself.
LAOLA1: So, there was enough time in the summer for self-reflection and working on the mental aspect of the game.
Kasper: Yes, especially then you always have a lot of time for that, but also for training. I tried to use the time, experiment a lot, build on that, and prepare myself for the coming year.
LAOLA1: During a training session this summer, I noticed you were quite self-critical. Does that stem from the pressure you put on yourself and the desire to always make things even better than they already are?
Kasper: Especially in the summer, you train specific things, so you get annoyed for a moment if it doesn't work out immediately. I think that's completely normal. When I go on the ice, I want to have fun. Of course, you also expect a lot from yourself. But I try not to put too much pressure on myself.
LAOLA1: Would you say that your training approach has changed in recent years? The summer can be quite long for an NHL player.
Kasper: No, not at all. I really enjoy training, even in the summer. I was able to train a lot with KAC and their Alps team again, where many of my friends play. You can train really hard there, compete with your friends, and that's also fun. That the summer is too long? Of course, you look forward to the season, but summer is still a great time. You train in the morning and then you can enjoy the afternoon. Relax with family and friends, maybe go golfing or to the lake. That's very pleasant.
LAOLA1: Spending the summer at home is probably also a welcome change from everyday life in the NHL. During a season, there are hardly any breaks; you're almost exclusively on the ice or sitting on a plane.
Kasper: That's why it's also important in the summer to take time off and relax, to press the reset button. You need that time with friends and family.
LAOLA1: Your summer was comparatively quiet, looking at your franchise. Steve Yzerman was removed as General Manager of the Detroit Red Wings, captain Dylan Larkin has requested a trade, and a new contract has not yet been negotiated with key defenseman Simon Edvinsson.
Kasper: Sure, you notice most of it, but as a team, we're now just focusing on ourselves. We had a good training camp, grew together closely as a group, and have fun when we go on the ice. That's all that matters.
LAOLA1: How much did you concern yourself with that from a distance?
Kasper: I tried to block it out. You can't influence these things. It's about focusing on yourself and your teammates.
LAOLA1: Dylan Larkin officially missed preseason due to an upper-body injury and will also miss the first two regular season games. Has his absence changed anything in the locker room?
Kasper: I would say that we get along very well in the locker room. We support both Dylan and Simon. Dylan has also been training with us in recent days. We have a good mix of older and younger players, generally many young players on the roster. We've got this, everything is great internally.
LAOLA1: Your entry-level contract in Detroit expires after this season. Does that change anything in your mindset?
Kasper: I don't think so. Of course, I'm aware that it's my final contract year. However, I try to block that out, not think about it too much, and take it game by game. The rest will come as it comes.
LAOLA1: Do you worry about the issue of appreciation when you see how tough Simon Edvinsson's contract negotiations are going?
Kasper: We all want him back as soon as possible. He participated in preseason (without a contract, Ed. note) – we hope he signs a contract soon. That's the only thing I'm thinking about. You can't influence the rest.
Man sollte sich als Spieler darauf fokussieren, was innerhalb des Teams passiert – und nicht darauf, was irgendwo geschrieben wird.
LAOLA1: Traditionally, there are some discussions between players and coaches or other responsible parties during preseason. What does Detroit expect from you this year?
Kasper: It's not like you imagine, where the coach or general manager comes to you and says: We have this and that role for you. We had a few conversations discussing how we should play, but not specifically where one plays. It's about executing the game and not thinking too much about other things that are not within our control.
LAOLA1: What specific role do you want to take on in the team in your third NHL year?
Kasper: I want to be a player who brings pace, wins many battles. That's how I want to play – the rest will come naturally.
LAOLA1: Regarding your role, do you feel that it's gradually being decided where your future in the NHL lies?
Kasper: No, that's not necessarily what it's about – the role can change quickly anyway. In one game, you might be on the wing in one line, in the next game as a center in another line. That's why my focus is on the present and not on the future.
LAOLA1: Especially fans and media interpret a lot into the various line combinations and partners. When you read that Marco Kasper is on the fourth line: How much significance does that have, and how much do you concern yourself with it?
Kasper: I don't concern myself with that. That's a lot of external chatter. I don't even have Twitter. I don't even notice the things written or interpreted there when I play on the second or fourth line. As a team, we know what we want to achieve and how we want to play tactically and line-wise. Most of it still stays in the locker room. As a player, you should focus on what's happening within the team – and not on what's written somewhere.
LAOLA1: What the team wants to achieve: What is the goal this season? The Atlantic Division is extremely balanced; last season, only 31 points separated the first-place team (Buffalo Sabres, Ed. note) and the last-place team (Toronto Maple Leafs, Ed. note).
Kasper: I expect us to play very good hockey. Of course, we also want to make the playoffs, but especially in the Atlantic Division, every team tries to push even harder. That's also cool. There are very high-quality games every day, which is good for the league and for ice hockey in general.
LAOLA1: How realistic are the playoffs actually?
Kasper: I believe in our team. And that brings us back to external chatter: Of course, you hear that many people claim we have no chance of making the playoffs at all. But we believe in finally reaching the playoffs.
LAOLA1: What needs to happen for you to personally consider the season a success?
Kasper: If I give my best and show what I'm capable of, and play the way I intend to, then I'll be satisfied. I'm not setting a specific number of scorer points as a goal.
LAOLA1: Good luck for this season – and thanks for the interview!
