Red Wings top prospect Marco Kasper gave an interview to his hometown paper, Klagenfurt’s Kleine Zeitung this morning, but it’s stuck behind a paywall. He apparently discusses, “He talks about his journey, his role models and how to play with a broken knee” with Marco-William Ninaus.
Hockey-News.info posted a summary of the interview, and here’s a translation thereof:
NHL: Marco Kasper: “At some point you have to try the step abroad!”
He’s considered one of Austria’s greatest NHL prospects. Marco Kasper was drafted in the first round by Detroit, and even made his debut for the Red Wings last season. In a detailed interview, he discusses the NHL, his work as a youth, his role models, his broken kneecap, and he also gives some insight into his private life.
The 19-year-old from Klagenfurt has had a storybook career so far. He moved to Sweden early on against the wishes of EK KAC, and he was drafted 8th overall by the Detroit Red Wings last season. In the “Kleine Zeitung,” he reviews the last year in particular.
When asked about his first NHL stint with the Detroit Red Wings, against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Kasper says he was obviously very nervous, but at the same time he was trying to remind himself that it was just a hockey game. The atmosphere, especially in ice hockey crazy Toronto, is of course enormous.
However, Kasper also had tremendously bad luck in his first NHL game. He broke his kneecap, but still finished the game. How something like this is possible, you might ask yourself as a “normal mortal.” “With a lot of adrenaline,” answers Kasper. He was in a lot of pain during the game, but he thought it was just a bruise. The diagnosis afterwards was a bit of a shock, but Kasper accepted the challenge:
“I was able to train my upper body and analyze my game in detail. I didn’t stick my head in the sand. The knee is now much better and I can already go back onto the ice,” he said in his interview with the “Kleine Zeitung.”
How you make it into the best league in the world as an Austrian is of course a difficult road. Kasper says: “In Austria, you’re not challenged at the highest level, but you do a good job. KAC Klagenfurt goes to Sweden, for example, so you can compete with the top countries. But at some point you have to try the step abroad.”
Kasper is in his home state of Kartnen, and he trains there with Thomas Koch and Michael Raffl. Both are role models for the young forward. Koch helped him a lot with faceoffs, and Raffl can tell him a lot about the NHL and life in the USA. After all, the man from Villach lived in the States for 9 years, and played no less than 629 NHL games for the Philadelphia Flyers, the Washington Capitals and the Dallas Stars.
Family also plays a very important role. Marco calls his father, agent Peter Kasper, before and after every game. “Everything is analyzed, and we discuss what needs to be improved next time.” He will also have to deal with an initial geographic separation from his Swedish girlfriend, Tyra, because she will probably only come to visit North America in the winter.
