Canadian hockey player Jack Rodewald spent a significant part of his career in the leagues of North America. In the NHL he was a part of HC Ottawa, where he played 10 games. In the second most important league, the AHL, he played 255 games. After that, the center forward took a risk and moved to Europe. As a member of “Oceláří Třinec” Jack became the champion of the Czech Republic, then he drew the attention of functionaries from the KHL.
The Canadian started last season with Kunlun Red Star and finished it with Tractor, which was sensational. Now he will try his hand at Admiral.
- How are you spending your vacation?
- Now I am at home, I keep on training on the ice, so the vacation is not really relaxing. Nevertheless, I walk sometimes, play golf and enjoy the sunny weather.
- This season you sensationally reached the semifinals of the KHL playoffs. What was the main feature of your former team?
- It was a great experience. It's great that we made it this far in the playoffs. It was my first time playing in the Gagarin Cup, and it was exciting. A lot of people underestimated us, but we have a great offense, defense and goaltender. Everyone on the team contributed to such a great success. It's always surprising when a team from sixth place in the regular season’s standings makes it to the playoff semifinals. I noticed that no KHL media was taking us seriously, no one was picking us among the favorites. But even though we were considered to be underdogs, we didn't have an outsider mentality. We were acting confident in every game, thinking only about victory.
- How memorable was this playoff run for you?
- It's definitely one of the best moments in my career. It's especially memorable to score in important playoff games. Of course, it was a tough road for the team, and it's certainly as memorable for me as the playoff final in Finland, or winning the regular season in the Czech Republic, or playing in the NHL.
- How would you estimate your performance this season?
- I think I played well. Yes, there were some difficulties in threatening the opponents' goal, but I did my best in other aspects, for example, in the penalty kill and power play. We had a good pairing with Buddy Robinson, our job was to threaten the top line. It was a long year with very different stretches, but I think I had a good season. I'd say it's even better than the season before last.
- In the middle of last season you moved from Kunlun to Traktor. How difficult was it to adapt in the new club?
- Yes, adaptation at Traktor was a bit of a challenge for me, because at Kunlun there are several North Americans, everyone speaks English there. At Tractor, there's a little more pressure, it's a little more difficult to adapt. However, this is hockey, where a player has to adapt to new conditions, and I think I did a good job with it.
- What can you say about the time spent at Kunlun?
- I was really enjoying my time there, so I thank the club for everything. I spent a year and a half there, it was my first team in the KHL, and I had good partners. Yes, it was a bit stressful to be on a team that didn't have much success. Nevertheless, I had a lot of fun there and I'm grateful to the club for what they’ve done for me.
- In terms of mentality, do Chinese players differ a lot?
- I don't think the Chinese are very different from other nations. We all wanted to win as many matches together as we could. The coaching staff and players were just as determined to win as other Russian teams.
- How special is Alexei Zavarukhin as a coach in your career?
- He is a good coach. Alexei didn't speak much English, but he believed in me, even despite the language barrier. He trusted me in the penalty kill, on the power play, in the decisive minutes of the match, on face-offs. I can say that he really trusted me, I am very grateful for that. I also want to say thank you to the rest of the Tractor coaching staff for believing in me. Their contribution is greatly important for my career.
- What is Zavarukhin's main characteristic?
- Whenever he wanted to boost the morale of the team, he succeeded in it. When Zavarukhin made jokes, the whole team laughed. He is a very nice person. Even when I didn't quite understand what he was saying because of the language barrier, I could still see that the team was happy.
- You’ve transferred to Admiral recently. What are your expectations from playing for the new club?
- I expect us to be a competitive team. Admiral has a good roster, and I think we can do well this season. Admiral didn't make the playoffs last campaign, so I want us to make up for that next season. I had a great experience in the Gagarin Cup semifinals for Traktor and I'm very motivated to play in the playoffs for Admiral. I expect us to make the playoffs just like Admiral did the season before last.
- What are your goals for the next season?
- My goal is to be the player the head coach trusts. I also really want to help the team solve such a big task as getting to the playoffs. I am a hockey player who can play in the penalty kill, power play, and score pucks. Last season I couldn't realize the potential I have to the full swing. I know I could score 20 goals a season, and next season I definitely want to reach that goal.
- What did surprise you about the training process in Russia?
- Absolutely nothing. I've played in Finland, the Czech Republic, North America before and I've seen a lot of different styles of training process. In Russia I like the training process, and it's not really different from where I used to play before.
- Who influenced your decision to go to Russia?
- Initially, when I made the decision to leave North America to play in Europe, I wanted to play in the KHL. It's the best league in Europe, and I always wanted to play in Russia. Before coming to the KHL, I was watching the legionnaires who have had a lot of success here and I also wanted to succeed as much as possible. For example, I know Nigel Dawes.
- Did anything scare you before coming to Russia?
- No, there was nothing to scare me. I’ve talked to players who already play in the KHL, and because of that I was convinced that it was worth coming to Russia. It's okay to talk to people you know who already play in the league before coming to another place. I just talked to the guys and trusted them.
- How easy was it for you to adapt in Russia?
- I think I adapted quite well. When I came to you, I practiced Russian a bit to understand a little better what people around me were saying. This experience of learning the language helped me a lot at Traktor, where the whole team consists of Russian players. Also I'm trying to learn more about Russian culture and language now, and I really enjoy it.
- Was there a problem with adaptation because not all Russians know English?
- Yes, but I wouldn't say it’s a problem, actually. When you play hockey, you don't really need to speak the same language. If you move to another country, you should expect a priori that not everyone will speak English. Of course, it was a bit surprising that not as many people spoke English as I expected. This motivated me to learn as much as I could about Russia so that I could communicate better with the others.
- Say something in Russian
- Меня зовут Джек. Как дела? Хорошо, отлично. (My name is Jack. How are you? I’m fine, I’m great.) I can order a dish in a restaurant: можно американо с молоком? (Can I have americano with milk, please?)
— Who is your best friend in Russia?
— Surprisingly, I have a lot of friends in Russia, for example Brooks Macek, Brendan Leipsic. I also know guys from Moscow teams. One of my best friends is Colby Williams, with whom I played together and who also was in Vladivostok. He was the one I consulted with about moving to Admiral.
— What did surprise you the most in Russia?
— What surprised me the most was the fact how good the food here is, especially when I lived in Moscow, where there are incredible restaurants. Of course, when you go to different places the food may be different, but overall I was shocked by the quality. Besides Moscow, I have been to restaurants in Vladivostok, and the quality of food there is also very good. I can't remember the names, but the places were very good.
- After well-known political events, foreign players who come to play in Russia face pressure at home. Have you experienced this yourself?
- No, not really. I heard some stories, but I wasn't under any pressure. No one stopped communicating with me after I moved to Russia.
- Where do you like to go out the most in Russia?
- I like Patriarch's Ponds, literally all the restaurants in Moscow are there. I also really like the square and park by the Pushkinskaya subway station, I used to live nearby.
- What do you dream of in your career?
- To get new cool impressions from my time in Russia. I really want to play in the playoffs, get bright emotions and experience in Vladivostok, and set new goals for myself.
- What's a dream that's not going to come true?
- I'm watching the Stanley Cup now and I realize that I probably won't achieve it in North America. I'm okay with that, because that goal is already in the past.
- Can you name the best moment in your career?
- It's my NHL debut for Ottawa and also winning the Czech championship.
- Many foreigners are being told stereotypes about Russia. Had you heard anything before you came here?
- I saw stereotypes about Russia in different movies, mostly about vodka. Of course, I had different stereotypes before coming to Russia, but in reality, everything turned out not to be as it was imagined initinally.
- What Russian movies or TV series have you watched?
- I watched "The Word of a Boy" and I liked it very much. I remembered Vova Adidas and Coat from that show. When my girlfriend was getting her nails done, the manicurist said that everyone in Russia was talking about this TV series. I wanted to learn more about Russia, so I found this series with English subtitles, and I really enjoyed it. I talked to people from the Tractor staff, and they told me that this show is about hard times in Russian history.
- What is your favorite dish in Russia?
- I have three favorite dishes in Russia. Borscht is an incredible soup, and I also love pancakes and khinkali.
- Have you been to a Russian banya?
- Yes, I love Russian banya. Definitely, a Russian bathhouse is better than a classic sauna.
- What thing in Russia do you miss the most?
- I miss the banya most of all. Yes, there are saunas in Canada, but they are not like a Russian banya. Now when I come home, I try to find something similar. Banya helps me to recover after exertion sometimes.
- Who is the strongest hockey player you have played against? What was it like?
- I’ve played against Alexander Ovechkin. I was really surprised by how big he was. Yes, I knew he was big when I watched hockey on TV but on the ice, he looks even bigger. He's a great hockey player, and it's a pleasure to play against him.
- How would you assess the level of the KHL?
- The level of the KHL is very good. I think it's the best league I've ever played in, except for the NHL. A lot of people say that the KHL is the second league in the world, and I would agree with that. I think the KHL is something between the NHL and the AHL.
- How would Metallurg and Lokomotiv perform in the NHL?
- It's hard to say here. I think they would have fought pretty well, but they would have been at the bottom of the table. I haven't played that much with Lokomotiv or Metallurg, so it's hard to compare.
- How would you assess the performance of the Canadian national team at the World Championship?
- Of course, it is surprising when the Canadian team leaves the World Championship without medals, because we are used to being among the medalists. I was also very pleased to see the Czech Republic become world champions in their home country, because the guys I know play there. Canada is a strong hockey country, and fourth place at the World Championship is surprising. In general, the World Championship was unexpected in every sense, because in addition to Canada, Finland and the United States were left without medals. If Russia had played, it could have gotten into the same situation.
- Do you think Ovechkin will break Gretzky's all-time record?
- Yeah, I believe he will. I think Ovechkin will break Gretzky's record in one season (if everything goes well for him).
- Who's the best hockey player of all time?
- It's McDavid. I don't think he can break all of Gretzky's records and Ovechkin's record for goals, but regardless, he's an incredible player. Every player has their upside. For example, McDavid is much better in terms of goal assists and Ovechkin is better at finishing attacks.
- Who is your idol in hockey?
- When I was growing up, my idol was Joe Sakic. I watched him play on TV, analyzed his actions. I can't say that I have an idol now, but I get a lot of pleasure from McDavid's game.
- There are many good goalies in Russia, in particular Bobrovsky, Shestyorkin, Vasilevsky, Fedotov. Can the Russian goalie school be called the strongest one in the whole world?
- Bobrovsky and Shestyorkin are the main argument in favor of Russia having a good goalie school. You have enough good goalies who contribute to wins for NHL teams. Bobrovsky is the player who is the reason Florida is still in the Stanley Cup. He literally brought the team a win in Game 1 of the final series. Sergei does a good job even in those games when the team loses.
- Which goalkeeper was the hardest to play against?
- I think it was Fedotov, despite the fact that I scored against him last year. He is two meters tall, so it's hard to play against him.
- Does he deserve to play in Philadelphia?
- Yes, he deserves it. Philadelphia will be a good challenge for Fedotov. I wish him good luck.
- Which defenseman is the hardest to play against in the KHL?
- Nikishin from SKA is a very impressive player. He was the hardest one to play against. He's not only defensively good, but he's also great at giving goal assists and scoring.
- Can you name the player in the KHL who is the most unpleasant to play against?
- Maybe it's Radulov. Honestly, I've never really thought about it, so it's hard to say. But Radulov is a very competitive and uncompromising player on the ice, and it's hard to play against him.
- Have you had any fights or thrash-talks with him?
- No, we just played hockey.
