Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider spoke with NHL.com/de in an exclusive interview this morning, and here’s a rough translation of Stefan Herget’s work:
Politeness and intelligence are Seider’s trademarks
The Red Wings’ German defender is very popular with the media and press due to his sociable manner
Moritz Seider: “I just try to be myself with the press,” he explains in an exclusive interview with NHL.com/de last week in Detroit. “If I’m authentically myself, that’s the best way to come across, because I don’t have to pretend. That suits me.”
In fact, it seems authentic when you speak to Seider, and despite his maturity, which he already has at age 20, it’s fun to talk to and interview him. That was also the case during his time in the AHL two years ago, when he took his first steps in North America far away from home and the familiarity of his family. He freshly answers all questions openly and honestly.
Not every athlete is so revealing, but instead, often builds a wall to prevent journalists and the public from getting too close to them. Often, standard phrases are then put together. Not so much with Seider, from whom one could get the impression that he’s enjoyed higher education.
“It started very positively with the sports school in [my hometown of] Erfurt,” he explains. “It was a great system back then with the ice training in an integrated timetable. That was of course unbelievable at the time. Then I went to Mannheim and graduated from secondary school there.”
Of course, sports was his favorite subject, but he was also fond of numbers and arithmetic. “To be honest, I’ve always been a big fan of math, I don’t even know why,” he says. “It was always very easy for me. I was also very fond of [my] English classes.”
But there were also subjects that Seider didn’t like. “Things like chemistry and biology,” he admits. “Those were too complicated for me. I’m still not really good at them today (laughs). Somehow I fudged my way through it and brought it to an end. I think everyone knows that.”
Seider was born on April 6, 2001 in Zell an der Mosel, and when he was three years old, his parents moved to Erfurt because his father had an offer to take over the management of an old folks’ home there. Both parents work in geriatric care. “It was a great fit and we felt very comfortable there,” says Seider, looking back. “We lived in Erfurt for 10 years, and I would say that I grew up there.”
He also started ice skating in the state of Thuringia’s capital, and discovered ice hockey was his sport. His talent wasn’t hidden from the big teams in Germany, either. The young Mannheim Eagles lured him with an offer when he was 14 years old.
But a host family or even boarding school were out of the question for Seider, as he frankly admits. “I felt like the prince at home and I wasn’t ready to go into the big, wide world on my own,” he says. “We drove home from a travel tournament from Mannheim and talked about moving. We all made the decision to do it together. We packed our things and moved into the vicinity of Mannheim.”
Seider was able to spend four years in his familiar family circle before he was drafted 6th overall in the 2019 draft by the Red Wings, surprisingly early to many experts.
He then went to North America, but was initially playing for the AHL farm team, the Grand Rapids Griffins. He had an easy time with some difficult phases personally; when established coaches and teammates tested the young European far away from home to see if he had what it took for an NHL career, Seider only got stronger. And in the following year in Sweden, he was voted the best defenseman of the season by the Swedish Ice Hockey League with Rogle BK, and just barely missed winning a championship as the team got to the SHL final.
Everyone knows now why Detroit’s GM Steve Yzerman wanted the rights to Seider so badly. His start in the NHL could not have been better this season, and he was named the NHL’s Rookie of the Month for October.
Accordingly, Seider is already getting a lot more attention from the media and reporters than is usually so, more like with top stars, among rookies. But Seider was undoubtedly on his way to becoming a star in the NHL, which was his big goal from an early age.
“I have two to four interviews per week,” he suggests. “Mostly when we are at home a little more, then one has the duty to speak, and trips to other cities a little less, if one or the other is talking. Not everything is put through to us. It’s already been clarified that they’re authorized media. It also has to be official channels when we talk to them. But in general, I really enjoy doing it.”
It remains to be hoped that Seider retains the freshness that he’s displayed three years ago and retained to this day. When I recently had contact with a colleague from Canada who interviewed Seider, he raved about Seider. I wrote: “He’s a very intelligent guy!” and he replied, “And also extremely polite.”