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NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: CAPITALS v RED WINGSJune 10, 1998Viacheslav FetisovDETROIT, MICHIGAN: Practice Day Q. What were the major adjustments you had to make to keep your game at such a high level as you have gotten a little older? VIACHESLAV FETISOV: You have to take care of yourself. I think you have to practice more than you practiced before, just to be in good shape, to be able to compete against young guys. You have to love the game. That is probably the main reason. I don't know, this part of the year, Playoff time; probably I would play, I would say, more game than anybody in the League the last five years probably. Q. Do you think too much of an emphasis in this League is put on speed and not enough on experience? VIACHESLAV FETISOV: It is a good combination of experienced guys and young players. If you are in good shape and you know how to play games, I think, I think it is -- fast, is doesn't matter anymore. Q. The ice gets a lot softer now this time of year. Is that helpful? VIACHESLAV FETISOV: Actually I like to play on good ice than on bad, I don't know, for some reason. Q. I saw something where Scotty Bowman says he kids you all the time that when you played in the Soviet League you only played two important games a year. Does that, in fact -- I mean, is there a little something to that? VIACHESLAV FETISOV: The only thing, is European League was kind of, you know, bad no -- it was great League, those time you only got 10 teams and you have got million hockey players in the Soviet Union. If you have no skill it is tough to break in the top-10 teams. I mean, Soviet game was pretty tough and I mean it is like -- international competition was tough also in the '70s and mid '80s. We have great Czech teams. I mean, lots of superstar players and good goaltending all the time (inaudible) looks like we got easy games because, but it was not easy to play. Q. Would you have played less games in a season than say someone in the NHL earlier in your career? VIACHESLAV FETISOV: I got (inaudible) since I was 18, played Soviet Union League, and international competition, World Championships, overall it was 90 to 100 games every year, but season was probably longer but number of games was -- but sometimes you have to practice more. Practice three or four times a day. Here, you got, you know, no time to practice, only games. It is different, but it is not easy to be hockey player in the Soviet Union. End of FastScripts... |
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