On leaving home at 15 to pursue his dream: "I reached my goals in Slovenia, so I knew I had to go somewhere else and step forward. It was a big challenge, because I had to leave home and live on my own. I really missed my mom's cooking."
On the advantage of his father being a hockey coach: "It was really helpful to have a dad who knew so much about hockey. He gave me great advice. I remember we spent a lot of time watching old tapes. We'd watch different NHL players, (Sergei) Fedorov was one of my favorites. I'd watch his stride, his skills, his discipline among others. Then my dad and I would try to work on certain parts of my game and use the tapes as a learning tool."
On being named an All-Star for the first time: "Dean Lombardi called me and told me the news. I was having dinner and the phone call was a pleasant surprise for sure. Once I got the call, the first person I wanted to tell was my dad and I wanted to do that right away. Obviously, he, too, was very excited. I'm sure that when the news hits over in Slovenia, it will be covered very well."
|
