22. june 2010 / PATRIK ELIAS SAYS DEVILS NEED TO REGAIN SWAGGER

Patrik Elias recently sat down with EliasPatrik.com/en to discuss how his offseason is going and weigh in on the Devils’ recent personnel changes.

Q: How has your offseason been treating you so far?

Patrik: It has been great. My wife and I decided to stay in New Jersey this time around and I’ve been able to train with some of my teammates. Between training and watching the World Cup I’ve been staying busy.

Q: Are you training differently than previous seasons due to your surgeries last year?

Patrik: No, actually I feel as though I can handle any part of the training and that’s what’s great. I’m back doing all the things I could do in the offseasons before the surgeries. It’s really nice to be out there with the guys and working hard after being away from it last summer.

Q: What is your training schedule like?

Patrik: We work out as a team every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. On my own I have been taking a spin class and playing a lot of tennis, so I’m staying active every day.

Q: Did you watch any of the later rounds of the playoffs after the Devils were eliminated?

Patrik: I watched games here and there but it’s obviously very difficult to watch after your team is out. I watched a bit of the finals and was happy to see Marian Hossa finally win after being so close the last two years.

Q: Between the injuries, reaching and surpassing the 300th goal milestone and your Olympic experience, the 2009-2010 season was a bit of a rollercoaster for you. Now that you have had some time to reflect, what are your thoughts on last season as a whole?

Patrik: There were some special moments but overall it was a pretty frustrating year. I felt as though with both the Devils and the Czech Olympic team we wasted some great opportunities, but you learn from every experience and you just have to move forward and focus on what comes next.

Q: Speaking of what comes next, how do you feel about John MacLean being named the Devil’s new head coach?

Patrik: I think it’s the right fit. He has been with the Devils through the good times and the struggling times and knows what the organization is all about. We know him well and he knows the players well so there won’t be too much of the usual transition process that comes with getting a new coach. When Lou took over a little while back he stepped up and handled a lot of the workload, plus he proved himself in the minors last year.

Q: Another familiar face in Larry Robinson will be behind the bench as an assistant. What will he add to the coaching staff?

Patrik: He’s obviously a great coach and knows the game well. Beyond that, he is really good to have in the locker room. Although I thought we had a solid team last season I think one of the things we were lacking was the swagger and looseness when things got tough. Larry is the type of coach who keeps things loose but also knows when to step in when we get away from our game.

Q: Your old linemate Jason Arnott is back as well. Are you excited to hit the ice with a player you had so much chemistry with?

Patrik: Absolutely. He called me as soon as he heard. Him being at center means I’ll probably move back to the wing which I’m fine with although I did enjoy playing center. He adds a lot of size and strength up the middle and will be a big asset on the powerplay. And of course has that great big shot. It has been about 10 years since we played together but hopefully that chemistry will still be there.

(Dan Altano)