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"I want to exhaust my possibilities"

2020-11-03T17:41:39.985Z


The Tölzer Löwen have already started planning for the season with NHL defender Korbinian Holzer. But now the 32-year-old Lenggrieser accepts an offer from the KHL faster than hoped and talks about it in an interview.


The Tölzer Löwen have already started planning for the season with NHL defender Korbinian Holzer.

But now the 32-year-old Lenggrieser accepts an offer from the KHL faster than hoped and talks about it in an interview.

Lenggries / Krefeld - That would have been a positive effect of Corona: NHL defender Korbinian Holzer (206 games for Toronto, Anaheim and Nashville) in the Tölzer Löwen team.

That he would stay the whole season would have been too good to be true.

But now he has already

 accepted an offer from the Russian professional league KHL

before the start of the season in the DEL

2: He is switching to Awtomobilist Yekaterinburg in the Continental Hockey League.

The 32-year-old Lenggries national player, whose contract with the Nashville Predators had expired, speaks in an interview about the new opportunity he wants to use, the adventure Russia during Corona times and the immediate goal, the Germany Cup.

Mr. Holzer, you trained in Tölz and even played two test matches with the lions.

Wouldn't it have tempted you to play in Tölz for the whole season?

Yes, sure, that would have been nice - at least for the time while the NHL and DEL still have a break.

It was very positive with the Lions and I had a lot of fun.

I know all the players, the environment, and have trained in Tölz a number of times in recent years.

It was always the perfect way to get through the summer.

I am very grateful to the Lions for giving me the opportunity.

But it was always clear that when something good turns out, I'll look for something else.

And what about Yekaterinburg now?

Yes, I think this is a very interesting offer.

And it was going very quickly now.

Now the lions have to do without you ...

(laughs) Yes, they can do it.

You really don't have the depth in the squad, but the quality is good enough to play up front.

I saw that in the friendlies, the team has enormous potential, there are good German players and the foreigners make a strong impression.

Is the NHL still an issue for you?

Sometime again.

But not for the time being.

I have to see if a club is interested again.

There were offers, but they were all very cautious.

Everything has to fit.

At the moment I'm happy with the new club.

I have a contract until the end of the season, and I want to fulfill that.

Now I am 100 percent Ekaterinburg.

Do you even know where the city is?

(laughs) Yes, I heard about it before, and now I've looked at it.

Looks good.

Yekaterinburg is in the Kharlamov Division as part of the Eastern Conference.

And that's where the city is pretty central, so the trips away from home won't be such a hell of a ride either.

And it is a city of millions, the fourth largest in Russia.

Still a new adventure for you - especially in times of Corona?

Yes, but everything is an adventure right now.

And they already have their measures against Corona, I think that you are very well protected there.

I'm glad that I got the chance to play there, unfortunately there is a certain risk almost everywhere at the moment because of the pandemic.

Do you already know the team a little?

A good team, second place in the Eastern Conference.

And I also know a few players: Brooks Macek from the national team, Peter Holland from the NHL.

And they also have top players, for example Pavel Dazjuk, two-time Stanley Cup winner and 2017 Russian champion with SKA Saint Petersburg.

These are good omen for a good season.

When do you get in?

I still have to clarify and do a lot for the visa.

I think it'll take two weeks.

The KHL is now on an international break, I hope I can possibly be there when it starts again on November 12th.

But now the Germany Cup is on in Krefeld from Thursday to Sunday.

Could be a bit strange tournament because of Corona, right?

Yes, even the national team will be an adventure because of the pandemic.

It's a shame that national coach Toni Söderholm, who tested positive, can't be there.

And that it will only be a three-way format with Latvia and the German U20s from the top team Beijing.

Does the tournament with a small field of participants have any significance at all?

Sure, it's the last step before the World Cup, so the Germany Cup is important to us.

If things go normally, there will be another Germany Cup next year - and then the Olympics.

So the main thing is to use the time together on the ice and to collect match practice.

We have to come together as a team, get the system and processes in.

You already arrived in Krefeld on Monday and will now meet the ex-Tölz Andreas Eder, Yasin Ehliz and Maximilian Kammerer.

Do you know the team well?

The core of the team is the same, with a few new, young players.

It's always like that.

It is important that we play together as much as possible now.

You travel around the world a lot: Düsseldorf, Toronto, San Diego and Anaheim, most recently Nashville, you lived in Bad Heilbrunn, now in Lenggries, and soon you’re going to Russia: your wife and two children Emelie (5) and Samuel ( 1) would have been happy if you had continued to play for Tölz?

For her, of course, it would have been ideal.

But I'm 32, I'm just not ready yet that there aren't other options on the ice for me.

As long as possible, I want to exhaust the possibilities.

My wife (Daniela, the editor) also understands.

You will stay at home in Lenggries for now, as was the case when I was in North America.

Now even visiting is difficult because of Corona.

The time is just like that.

And maybe the Tölzer Lions will be another possibility for you later?

Yes, maybe it will happen again that I'll play for Tölz.

This is definitely an option for the future.

Source: merkur

All sports articles on 2020-11-03

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