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Interview with Ottawa Senators 2009 Draft Pick (46th overall), and
Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds goaltender, Robin Lehner. (conducted by
Steve Dash, February 8th, 2010)
Steve: I would like
to first of thank Robin for giving us his time to answer all of our
questions. I would also like to thank all the members from GMhockey and
HFBoards who submitted questions. If your questions were not asked, I do
apologize, but don’t worry, there will be other opportunities to ask
them.
Robin: I’m gonna try to answer as good as I
can and I hope you guys are happy with it.
What areas of your
game do you feel requires the most work? (- Gohan)
I have to keep
working on my angles and my positioning. I’ve gotten better but still
have a long way to go. I try to stay calm when players chirp me and want
to get me off my game.
Do you consider practicing your stick
work and passing to be an essential skill, ala Marty Brodeur? (- Gohan)
I
would like to be better on my stick but its hard when they took away
the space behind the net. I will practise it alot more when I feel
everything else is in place in my game. To be good with the stick is awesome but I think stopping the puck is my first priority to practise
right now.
Have you talked to any of the current members of the Senators, or have
you done research regarding the sometimes intense level of pressure that
goes hand in hand with playing goal for a Canadian team in the NHL?
Does it intimidate you at all, or is it something as an athlete that you
thrive in? (- SpezDispenser)
I haven’t talked to anyone in
Ottawa about it but I know that it’s alot of pressure to be a goalie
here. I’ve talked to my goalie coach in the Soo about it and I
experience it in the Soo in a smaller scale. One day you are their star
the other day they will boo you from the stands But I like that!! That
is what will make you work harder. And I’m trying to learn not to care
what anyone is thinking about me except the people I care about and my
team.
When did you decide you wanted to be a goaltender, did your
father get you into it or did you decide as a young man that was what
you wanted to be? (- SensGirl11)
I played soccer in Sweden as a
goalie and I wasn’t that good
One day my father asked me if I wanted to try hockey as a
goalie because he had a friend that sold goalie equipment for Vaughn. So
I tried it one week at a hockey school the summer I was turning 11. Since then I have loved it.
Who is your favorite all time NHL
goaltender? Who would you compare yourself to style-wise? (- SensGirl11)
My
favourite all time goalie is Patrick Roy! And my favourite right now is
Miikka Kiprusoff. Stylewise it’s Henrik Lundqvist but I’m trying to
learn to be as calm and smart as Miikka.
Are you aiming to move into the AHL next season, or are you
looking to take the starter's job in Ottawa? (- hemlock)
Haha
this is a fun question… I think next year is what I make it to be. If I
don’t believe that I have the potential to be there I won’t!! But if I
believe in it I will have a greater chance to be where I want to be.
Have you been given any nicknames yet by your teammates, or do
you have any nicknames and what are they? (- Michallica)
My team
calls me Lenny. My coach said to a paper that he called me Real Estate
but they never said that to me ever. That’s a bad name, haha!! My billet
is calling me Sven because I’m from Sweden.
When you were at camp with the Senators, did Eli Wilson try to teach you
how to lose your net and over challenge the shooters ? (- RobbyJ)
No
Eli was a really good coach I think he taught you the basics and he
wanted me to be aggressive. I never heard him say to anyone to over
challenge the shooter. I think he was good.
What were the factors in your decision to play in the OHL vs.
staying in Sweden? (- marakh)
Why I left Sweden was because I
needed change. And my team in Sweden was really pissing me off. And a
big factor was that when I played in Canada with the national teams I
loved the hockey here. Ottawa and my agent wanted me to do it to, but I
really wanted to come over in the first place.
How do you deal with pressure situations in a game? (- SensGirl11)
I
try not to think about it and just keep doing what I’m good at.
Sometimes I try to get angry because I’m more focused then. A little
weird but it works.
Do you have any pre-game rituals? (- SensGirl11)
No pregame
rituals - not that kind of person. I believe that good practise make you
good in games not which skate you put on first or a specific meal to
eat before a game.
Who is your best friend in hockey? (-
SensGirl11)
I have a lot of good friends in hockey. It’s hard to
pick one but I got alot of new friends in the Soo.
Who is your
favorite athlete in another sport? (- SensGirl11)
Zlatan
Ibrahimovic (Swedish soccer player) and Usain Bolt.
Have you talked with the Sens about who you are going to room with when
you make the NHL? (- SensGirl11)
Haven’t talked to Sens that
much.
When you were chosen to be Sweden's 3rd goaltender at
the WJC, did you realize there was a chance that you'd lose out on
valuable practice time? Has it effected your decision to play for the
WJC next year? (- SpezDispenser)
I didn’t realize that because
they promised me I’d get good practise. But I didn’t get more than 4-5
times and on those I didn’t get anything. I was really disappointed how
they treated me there. It effected me alot back in the Soo. I dropped
down from a 92.5 save % to 91.1%. But I’m starting to climb back now.
Are
you superstitious and how would you describe your routine before game
time? (- Hobiesens)
No, not really. I come in to the game about 2
hrs before the game. I try to relax and talk to my defense a little and
then start focusing on the game. I usually listen to little bit of
music before.
Do you plan on turning pro next season, and what does it mean to you
being drafted by the Senators, especially considering the former
Frolunda players in Daniel Alfredsson and Erik Karlsson and recent
Swedish picks (Silfverberg and Petersson??) (- SensVenom)
I’m
gonna try to do my best to play on the best level but we will see how
far that will take me. To get drafted by the Sens was awesome, because I
have always liked Alfredsson and I knew Karlsson before. It’s fun that
are a couple of Swedes on the team too.
What's the best thing
about playing in Canada? (- Garblar)
The fans for sure!! I like
the country alot too. Nice people and nature too.
What's the hardest part about being in Canada instead of Sweden? (-
Garblar)
My family and girlfriend!! I have a 5 year old sister
that I miss alot!! I miss alot of my friends too.
How much of
an adjustment has it been for you moving from Sweden over to Canada? ( -
Dejong)
Not that much. The English is new for me to speak every
day but other than that not that much.
Do you have any goals
in mind for the rest of this season or for next season? (- Dejong)
This
season I want to go as far as I can in the playoffs and try to get
better at the Canadian North American hockey.
Outside of
hockey what are some things you enjoy doing during the offseason? (-
Dejong)
Being with my friends and just having fun. I like to play
paintball and play videogames.
How much of an impact has your father had on your development?
(- Manny)
Without my father I wouldn’t be here today!! He has
helped me alot with my game. Almost everything I do on the ice we have
done that together. My mom has always been in the background helping me
too.
If you're comfortable with it, would you rank these from
highest to lowest in what you feel is your best to worst attributes? (-
Xspyrit)
I dont know how to rate it but I need more work on my
glove, angles and little bit on my reflexes. But to take the step to the
next level I need to improve everything. It’s hard to rate it, sorry.
What
was your pre-season experience like playing against the
Montreal Canadiens? Was there something different about shooters at the
professional level that stood out? (- TheHMan)
To play Montreal
was awesome!! It’s sick that they had so many fans in the preseason. It
was a good experience for me. About the shooters... everything was
faster and harder.
Have you given any thought to the images and design that you will
ask
for on your first NHL helmet? If yes, can you proide us with a sneak
peak along with what those images/design mean to you? (- ElliottRules)
I
will have the logo on of course but I think I will have a good friend
that hurt himself badly in a bike accident back from home.
Who
is your favourite NHL player. (- ElliottRules)
Alexander
Ovechkin!
If you could be invloved in a shoot out with any NHL
player, who would it be and why? (- ElliottRules)
Pavel Datsyuk,
because he is one of the most skilled at shootouts and it would be a
great challenge!
What is/are your favourite:
MOVIE(S): Gladiator,
Blindside, Transformers, Boondock Saints, 300
MUSICIAN(S): 50
Cent, Tupac, a couple of Swedish rappers, Eminem, Inflames, Metallica,
Akon and Biggie Smalls.
BOOKS/MAGAZINES: Don’t read But I like car magazines.
HOBBIES: I paint a
little and play alot of games. I like to scubadive.
CAR:
Bugatti Veyron
What might you spend your first NHL paycheque on?
I don’t
know probably a car
Do you expect to be in Bingo next season
or just challenge for a spot in Bingo? (- Cap’n Clutch)
I don’t
expect anything. I have to work for it.
If you could rank a skill in order of importance to your game would you put instinct or positioning higher? (- MurderonIce)
I put instinct higher than positioning, because if you have
good instinct you can be one step ahead. If you just go on positioning
the players read you and they can be one step ahead. But you have to
have a balance between both.
What have the coaching staff asked you to focus on in preparation for the next level? (- MurderonIce)
Just work on my flexibility
and try to improve everything.
Are the women in Sweden as hot as we are lead to believe? (- MurderonIce)
Swedish girls are awesome!!! But you find nice girls everywhere.
What are your s impressions of North American Hockey and has the
smaller ice surface changed your game? (- TheAvatar)
On the smaller ice you
have to be ready alot more and there is alot more traffic!! Back in
Sweden its more open hockey. Here you just try to shoot alot and run the
net so you have to really work on all the details.
Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds goaltender, Robin Lehner. (conducted by
Steve Dash, February 8th, 2010)
Steve: I would like
to first of thank Robin for giving us his time to answer all of our
questions. I would also like to thank all the members from GMhockey and
HFBoards who submitted questions. If your questions were not asked, I do
apologize, but don’t worry, there will be other opportunities to ask
them.
Robin: I’m gonna try to answer as good as I
can and I hope you guys are happy with it.
What areas of your
game do you feel requires the most work? (- Gohan)
I have to keep
working on my angles and my positioning. I’ve gotten better but still
have a long way to go. I try to stay calm when players chirp me and want
to get me off my game.
Do you consider practicing your stick
work and passing to be an essential skill, ala Marty Brodeur? (- Gohan)
I
would like to be better on my stick but its hard when they took away
the space behind the net. I will practise it alot more when I feel
everything else is in place in my game. To be good with the stick is awesome but I think stopping the puck is my first priority to practise
right now.
Have you talked to any of the current members of the Senators, or have
you done research regarding the sometimes intense level of pressure that
goes hand in hand with playing goal for a Canadian team in the NHL?
Does it intimidate you at all, or is it something as an athlete that you
thrive in? (- SpezDispenser)
I haven’t talked to anyone in
Ottawa about it but I know that it’s alot of pressure to be a goalie
here. I’ve talked to my goalie coach in the Soo about it and I
experience it in the Soo in a smaller scale. One day you are their star
the other day they will boo you from the stands But I like that!! That
is what will make you work harder. And I’m trying to learn not to care
what anyone is thinking about me except the people I care about and my
team.
When did you decide you wanted to be a goaltender, did your
father get you into it or did you decide as a young man that was what
you wanted to be? (- SensGirl11)
I played soccer in Sweden as a
goalie and I wasn’t that good
One day my father asked me if I wanted to try hockey as agoalie because he had a friend that sold goalie equipment for Vaughn. So
I tried it one week at a hockey school the summer I was turning 11. Since then I have loved it.
Who is your favorite all time NHL
goaltender? Who would you compare yourself to style-wise? (- SensGirl11)
My
favourite all time goalie is Patrick Roy! And my favourite right now is
Miikka Kiprusoff. Stylewise it’s Henrik Lundqvist but I’m trying to
learn to be as calm and smart as Miikka.
Are you aiming to move into the AHL next season, or are you
looking to take the starter's job in Ottawa? (- hemlock)
Haha
this is a fun question… I think next year is what I make it to be. If I
don’t believe that I have the potential to be there I won’t!! But if I
believe in it I will have a greater chance to be where I want to be.
Have you been given any nicknames yet by your teammates, or do
you have any nicknames and what are they? (- Michallica)
My team
calls me Lenny. My coach said to a paper that he called me Real Estate
but they never said that to me ever. That’s a bad name, haha!! My billet
is calling me Sven because I’m from Sweden.
When you were at camp with the Senators, did Eli Wilson try to teach you
how to lose your net and over challenge the shooters ? (- RobbyJ)
No
Eli was a really good coach I think he taught you the basics and he
wanted me to be aggressive. I never heard him say to anyone to over
challenge the shooter. I think he was good.
What were the factors in your decision to play in the OHL vs.
staying in Sweden? (- marakh)
Why I left Sweden was because I
needed change. And my team in Sweden was really pissing me off. And a
big factor was that when I played in Canada with the national teams I
loved the hockey here. Ottawa and my agent wanted me to do it to, but I
really wanted to come over in the first place.
How do you deal with pressure situations in a game? (- SensGirl11)
I
try not to think about it and just keep doing what I’m good at.
Sometimes I try to get angry because I’m more focused then. A little
weird but it works.
Do you have any pre-game rituals? (- SensGirl11)
No pregame
rituals - not that kind of person. I believe that good practise make you
good in games not which skate you put on first or a specific meal to
eat before a game.
Who is your best friend in hockey? (-
SensGirl11)
I have a lot of good friends in hockey. It’s hard to
pick one but I got alot of new friends in the Soo.
Who is your
favorite athlete in another sport? (- SensGirl11)
Zlatan
Ibrahimovic (Swedish soccer player) and Usain Bolt.
Have you talked with the Sens about who you are going to room with when
you make the NHL? (- SensGirl11)
Haven’t talked to Sens that
much.
When you were chosen to be Sweden's 3rd goaltender at
the WJC, did you realize there was a chance that you'd lose out on
valuable practice time? Has it effected your decision to play for the
WJC next year? (- SpezDispenser)
I didn’t realize that because
they promised me I’d get good practise. But I didn’t get more than 4-5
times and on those I didn’t get anything. I was really disappointed how
they treated me there. It effected me alot back in the Soo. I dropped
down from a 92.5 save % to 91.1%. But I’m starting to climb back now.
Are
you superstitious and how would you describe your routine before game
time? (- Hobiesens)
No, not really. I come in to the game about 2
hrs before the game. I try to relax and talk to my defense a little and
then start focusing on the game. I usually listen to little bit of
music before.
Do you plan on turning pro next season, and what does it mean to you
being drafted by the Senators, especially considering the former
Frolunda players in Daniel Alfredsson and Erik Karlsson and recent
Swedish picks (Silfverberg and Petersson??) (- SensVenom)
I’m
gonna try to do my best to play on the best level but we will see how
far that will take me. To get drafted by the Sens was awesome, because I
have always liked Alfredsson and I knew Karlsson before. It’s fun that
are a couple of Swedes on the team too.
What's the best thing
about playing in Canada? (- Garblar)
The fans for sure!! I like
the country alot too. Nice people and nature too.
What's the hardest part about being in Canada instead of Sweden? (-
Garblar)
My family and girlfriend!! I have a 5 year old sister
that I miss alot!! I miss alot of my friends too.
How much of
an adjustment has it been for you moving from Sweden over to Canada? ( -
Dejong)
Not that much. The English is new for me to speak every
day but other than that not that much.
Do you have any goals
in mind for the rest of this season or for next season? (- Dejong)
This
season I want to go as far as I can in the playoffs and try to get
better at the Canadian North American hockey.
Outside of
hockey what are some things you enjoy doing during the offseason? (-
Dejong)
Being with my friends and just having fun. I like to play
paintball and play videogames.
How much of an impact has your father had on your development?
(- Manny)
Without my father I wouldn’t be here today!! He has
helped me alot with my game. Almost everything I do on the ice we have
done that together. My mom has always been in the background helping me
too.
If you're comfortable with it, would you rank these from
highest to lowest in what you feel is your best to worst attributes? (-
Xspyrit)
I dont know how to rate it but I need more work on my
glove, angles and little bit on my reflexes. But to take the step to the
next level I need to improve everything. It’s hard to rate it, sorry.
What
was your pre-season experience like playing against the
Montreal Canadiens? Was there something different about shooters at the
professional level that stood out? (- TheHMan)
To play Montreal
was awesome!! It’s sick that they had so many fans in the preseason. It
was a good experience for me. About the shooters... everything was
faster and harder.
Have you given any thought to the images and design that you will
ask
for on your first NHL helmet? If yes, can you proide us with a sneak
peak along with what those images/design mean to you? (- ElliottRules)
I
will have the logo on of course but I think I will have a good friend
that hurt himself badly in a bike accident back from home.
Who
is your favourite NHL player. (- ElliottRules)
Alexander
Ovechkin!
If you could be invloved in a shoot out with any NHL
player, who would it be and why? (- ElliottRules)
Pavel Datsyuk,
because he is one of the most skilled at shootouts and it would be a
great challenge!
What is/are your favourite:
MOVIE(S): Gladiator,
Blindside, Transformers, Boondock Saints, 300
MUSICIAN(S): 50
Cent, Tupac, a couple of Swedish rappers, Eminem, Inflames, Metallica,
Akon and Biggie Smalls.
BOOKS/MAGAZINES: Don’t read
But I like car magazines.HOBBIES: I paint a
little and play alot of games. I like to scubadive.
CAR:
Bugatti Veyron
What might you spend your first NHL paycheque on?
I don’t
know probably a car
Do you expect to be in Bingo next season
or just challenge for a spot in Bingo? (- Cap’n Clutch)
I don’t
expect anything. I have to work for it.
If you could rank a skill in order of importance to your game would you put instinct or positioning higher? (- MurderonIce)
I put instinct higher than positioning, because if you have
good instinct you can be one step ahead. If you just go on positioning
the players read you and they can be one step ahead. But you have to
have a balance between both.
What have the coaching staff asked you to focus on in preparation for the next level? (- MurderonIce)
Just work on my flexibility
and try to improve everything.
Are the women in Sweden as hot as we are lead to believe? (- MurderonIce)
Swedish girls are awesome!!! But you find nice girls everywhere.
What are your s impressions of North American Hockey and has the
smaller ice surface changed your game? (- TheAvatar)
On the smaller ice you
have to be ready alot more and there is alot more traffic!! Back in
Sweden its more open hockey. Here you just try to shoot alot and run the
net so you have to really work on all the details.
Last edited by Dash on Tue Feb 09, 2010 6:16 pm; edited 3 times in total
