Peter Draisaitl: “I am Leon’s biggest fan”

In an interview with s+, Peter Draisaitl talks about the quarter-final series against HCB, his escape from the Czech Republic, his great playing career, his 20-year coaching career and his son Leon Draisaitl, who is causing a sensation with the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL.

Were you surprised when HCB Südtirol chose your team as their quarter-final opponent on Sunday? Peter Draisaitl: “A little bit. But only because of the great distance. If you look at the results so far, I can definitely understand the decision.”

How do you rate your team's chances against the South Tyroleans? Draisaitl: “We will not go to Bolzano without a chance. I firmly believe that we will have a chance. The only question is how we can win 4 games. We are definitely a different team than we were 3 or 4 months ago.”

What sets the HCB apart? Draisaitl: “There is a lot of quality in the South Tyrolean squad, across all four lines. There are also 4 defenders who have a lot of potential. It is hardly possible to identify a weak point. On paper it is the strongest team in the league and it is not for nothing that they won the regular round and the pick round.”

When you were last in Bolzano on January 24th, you raved about the city. Could you imagine coaching HCB Südtirol one day? Draisaitl: “I can imagine many things and can never rule out working in Bolzano at some point. At the moment it doesn't look like there is a need for a change in the coaching position at HCB. The country of South Tyrol is a very beautiful place. Three years ago I was there with the Kölner Haien at the Vinschgau Cup in Laces and met a lot of great people there. I don't know what I'll do next year yet. In any case, I don’t have a contract yet.” “Getting into the playoffs was one of our goals. But we’re not there yet.” Peter Draisaitl So the future is still open. The present is called Bratislava. How do you like it in the Slovak capital? Draisaitl: “I've been in Bratislava for a little over 3 months now and - also due to corona - I haven't seen anything of the city yet. So far I have practically only moved from the apartment to the stadium and back to the apartment again. As far as the club is concerned, it has to be said that everything fits very well. The Capitals are a very young club. It is probably the youngest club in Europe at professional level. Those responsible had to put a team together in a short space of time. They succeeded very well. We have established ourselves in the league and also gained respect. Making the playoffs was one of our goals. But we’re not there yet.”

Peter Draisaitl has been in charge on the Bratislava Capitals bench since December 6, 2020. © Max Pattis

Until 1993, Slovakia was part of your native Czechoslovakia. What memories do you have of your birthplace, Karvina? Draisaitl: “The origin of my last name is not entirely clear. But it suggests that my father came from a German minority in Czechoslovakia. I was just born in Karvina. I spent my childhood in Havirov and later in Opava. It was a fantastic childhood. I didn’t miss anything.”

How and when did you come to Germany? Draisaitl: “That was in 1978. I was 13 years old. My parents used a vacation to escape to Germany via Yugoslavia and Austria. That was the common escape route at the time. It was incredible how our parents pulled me and my sister out of there. We stayed with my aunt, my father's sister, who was married to a German in Peine near Hanover. We didn't speak any German and initially didn't understand where we actually ended up. That was a hard time. Especially for my parents.”

When and where did you start playing ice hockey? Draisaitl: “I learned to play ice hockey in Czechoslovakia at the age of 5. I played there until I escaped. When we were in Germany, the topic of ice hockey became topical again after a while. Mannheim showed interest, which is why I moved there with my parents. The association even organized an apartment for us and work for the parents.”

You spent most of your playing career in Mannheim and Cologne. What memories do you have of this time? Draisaitl: “I have great memories of my playing career. The years in Mannheim and Cologne were indescribably beautiful. I don’t want to miss a day.”

You became famous, among other things, for a penalty at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville. How many times did you have to watch the scene to believe that the puck actually remained on the goal line in the quarterfinals against Canada? Draisaitl: “I haven’t watched this scene that much. It's definitely not like I open my laptop and watch the video every day. After all, I don't live in the past. I've long since gotten used to the scene being taken out of the archive by journalists every four years before the Olympic Games. Of course it was a very bitter moment at the time – pure disappointment. After all, we could have achieved something historic.”

After 17 years in the top German league, you ended your playing career with Revier Löwen Oberhausen in the 2000/01 season and moved straight to the coaching bench. What motivated you to do this? Draisaitl: “I didn't really have time to think about it and went from being a player to being a coach overnight. After we lost the first quarter-final game against Munich, Gunnar Leidborg was fired as coach and the then owner of Revier Löwen called me in the evening and told me that I was his successor. It was crazy back then. I was 35 years old and would have ended my career either way because I needed shoulder surgery.”

How would you describe yourself as a trainer? Draisaitl: “I'm always fully focused and can sometimes get loud. This job requires daily training. You never finish learning. I became a trainer overnight and had to do everything myself. I've never been an assistant coach before and didn't have an assistant at my side. I definitely made a lot of mistakes back then. Over time I learned a lot.”

Her son Leon went to North America at the age of 16, where he was the top scorer in the NHL last season and was named the most valuable player in the best league in the world. How proud are you of that? Draisaitl: “Leon actually left home at the age of 13. He played in Cologne back then, but didn't feel well. He had offers from Salzburg and Mannheim and finally decided on the Adler. 3 years later he moved to Canada. Of course I'm proud of Leon. As well as my daughter Kim, who is 2 years older than Leon. They are both unique people. I'm really pleased that Leon is successful. He should win everything he can win. I’m his biggest fan.”

What has Leon learned from you? Draisaitl: “It is an advantage for a young player if his father played ice hockey himself. I introduced him to the sport and gave him one or two tips. I also showed him a few tricks every now and then or explained how the forehand or backhand works. But ultimately Leon had to search and find his own way. As parents, we supported him wherever we could.”

Leon once said that without you he would never have become an ice hockey player. Does he have anything that you would have liked to have had as an athlete? Draisaitl: "Everything! He plays at a completely different level than I did back then. I was never the father who linked his own career with that of his son. Leon has to do what he thinks is right. I never pushed him into hockey. On the contrary: I sometimes had to slow him down. One of the best decisions in my life was that I understood early on that you should let the children do what they want.”

When was the last time you saw or heard from Leon? Draisaitl: “Last summer we went on holiday together. Afterwards I saw him at home in Cologne. Otherwise we are in regular contact. Either we hear each other by phone or we write to each other. Leon is always very interested in the teams I am currently coaching. He knows a lot and often helps me find players. I also found out from him on Sunday that we have to play against HCB Südtirol in the quarter-finals.”

Interview: Kurt Platter Peter Draisaitl in portrait Peter Draisaitl was born on December 7, 1965 in Karvina, Czechoslovakia (in German: Karwin), but played his entire career as an ice hockey player in Germany. In his most successful years he commuted between Mannheim and Cologne. He became German runner-up four times. In 4/1994 he led the Kölner Haie to the title in the first year of the DEL and set a record of 95 games in a row with at least one scorer point, which is still valid today.

The former center forward played 146 official international matches for the German national team. He represented the German colors at the 1988, 1992 and 1998 Winter Olympics and at 7 World Championships. Draisaitl, who played in the German upper house for 17 years and amassed 780 points in 807 games, spent his last years as an active player with the Moskitos Essen and Revier Löwen Oberhausen. He also began his coaching career there in the 2001/02 season. Bremerhaven, Straubing, Regensburg, Duisburg, Ravensburg and Nuremberg were further stops before he worked in the Czech Republic for 5 years. In the 2017/18 and 2018/19 seasons, Draisaitl helped out twice as a “firefighter” for the DEL club in his hometown of Cologne. After a season at HC Kosice in Slovakia, the 2-year-old replaced Rostislav Cada at the Bratislava Capitals on December 55, 7.

Football

Italy

International leagues

International

Winter sports

Tennis

Other sports

Motorsport

Cycling

Watersports

Events

Favorites

Peter Draisaitl: “I am Leon’s biggest fan”

Suggestions

Comments (0)