Slovakia set for good start in Salt Lake

Originally published on IIHF.com in 2002

By Lucas Aykroyd

Almost nobody knows the world of international hockey like Peter Stastny. And with a little luck, that knowledge could put medals around some necks at these Games.

Today, the 45-year-old Bratislava native serves as the General Manager of Slovakia’s Olympic team, but he first made his mark at the Games in Lake Placid, scoring 14 points in six games with the 1980 fifth-place Czechoslovakian squad. After defecting from his Communist homeland to play in the NHL with the Quebec Nordiques, the tough and talented center not only scored more points than any NHLer besides Wayne Gretzky in the 1980’s but also suited up in Canadian colors in the 1984 Canada Cup.

Stastny’s return to the Olympics as a player came in Lillehammer in 1994, where he finished second in tournament scoring with eight points for Slovakia. He retired after helping the Slovaks advance to the A Pool at the IIHF B Pool Championships in 1995, but never got too far away from the game he loves. Whether scouting for the St. Louis Blues, providing color commentary for Slovak TV, or performing a tricky juggling act with his roster at these 2002 Winter Games, Stastny demonstrates the same passion as he showed in the classic Quebec-Montreal rivalry of the 1980’s. Lucas Aykroyd caught up with Stastny for a look ahead at the tournament a few hours before Slovakia’s Preliminary Round opener against Germany February 9.

IIHF.com: Are there any lessons that Slovakia has learned from its silver medal at the 2000 World Championships that can help you to be successful here in Salt Lake?

Peter Stastny: Yes. I think it was a turning point in our new history. So far, it is the biggest success for Slovakia, and it was kind of a signal of a new generation, a new leadership coming in. We are so pleased today that we are going to have some of the top leaders from that strong new generation playing today in our first game of the Olympics. In Russia, that leadership came from players like [Miroslav] Satan and [Michal] Handzus. They sacrificed everything toward the team’s goals, and they played unbelievably as individuals. I think the result of that leadership on the ice and off the ice, in the dressing room, was tremendous. I saw it. I felt it. Those two will be playing this afternoon. Some others will only be able to play one game. But again, for our next game, we’ll have [Zigmund] Palffy and [Marian] Hossa and Pavol Demitra and Josef Stumpel. It’ll be another example of Slovakian offensive power that’s been there in the past, and it’s still there on this team. In the past, our defense wasn’t up to par in terms of the highest levels of international hockey. But now, we can compete with just about anybody.

IIHF.com: Today, how do you intend to use Satan and Handzus against Germany?

Stastny: They’ll play together as they did most of the time in the 2000 tournament with [Lubos] Bartecko. They’ll be our top line, and then we have some other very strong lines. The good thing is that we don’t have to worry about what they do, or what one other player will do. We really believe in our team, offensively and defensively. The responsibility will be spread over everybody. But as I said, the leadership of these players is unquestionable. They will add to our spirit and they are respected and admired.

IIHF.com: The Germans are known for playing a very chippy and defensive game. How do you plan to counter their tactics?

Stastny: Well, we have to take care of our defensive zone and watch for their quick breakouts, because that’s what they’ll be looking for. They’ll be playing defensive and looking for their opportunities with outnumbered situations. But we have players who are experienced and can do well in one-on-one plays. They may get through or draw some fouls, and then we plan to execute to take advantage of our power play opportunities. Hopefully, by being a better and more productive team, we will win. But these things are not guaranteed.

IIHF.com: Obviously it’s still early in the Games, but so far, how does the atmosphere compare to your previous two Olympic experiences?

Stastny: It is different. It’s the first time for me in this position [as General Manager], and I have different worries, different challenges. And it’s a different world. We thought there was high security in Lake Placid in 1980. This is nothing compared to what was happening then. But the true thing is that there are masses of people here, and everyone is very patient. All these organizers are fabulous. They all help you to keep your mood up. They’re all smiling and courteous. And we have team goals, as normal, as planned. All we worry about is our preparations and at the moment of the faceoff, we want to be the best team, ready on the bench to jump in whenever needed.

IIHF.com: For the long-term future of Slovak hockey, what do you see as the keys to developing a consistently successful program?

Stastny: We have some worries because the situation in Slovakia is not the best. The economic situation has to improve. But we are on the right track as a society. We’re getting ready soon, we hope, to join NATO and the European Union, which should provide some stability and the room to build more ice rinks and get more kids involved. Hockey is the number one sport, but we need to make sure it will stay that way. We are very happy that we have young players like [Marian] Gaborik, very promising, and others, but we have to work hard to keep it coming.