Visnovsky at training camp
First of all, old business. I asked Lubomir Visnovsky about that infamous summer interview, in which he was quoted as saying coach Marc Crawford had a ``Communist style'' and other unflattering things. Lubo told me that he never even spoke to the person who wrote that story. He said he did an interview with a television station and, in so many words, that his comments were twisted and used improperly. When I asked Lubo to clarify what he was saying, he said that Crawford is a coach who yells a lot, and it's a different experience for him as a European player because coaches usually don't have that style over there. Anyway, who knows, but Lubo seemed genuinely perplexed about the whole thing. He said someone had e-mailed the story to him and he was concerned that Crawford had read it and got the wrong impression.
Visnovsky is still kind of a tough interview, but his English is getting a lot better. I wish he was fluent, because he's truly a funny guy with a lot of personality. But it's still a little rough, so I'll be doing some paraphrasing here.
He said that after his broken foot, he didn't skate again until August, but that he spent a lot of time working with his conditioning coach. It looks that way, because Visnovsky appears to be in great shape in training camp. He said he will be 100 percent for the start of the season.
``For the first game in the NHL, you're 100 percent. In the second game it's 99 percent and then it's less and less,'' Visnovsky joked.
He also expressed great satisfaction with the five-year contract extension he signed this summer.
``It's good,'' Visnovsky said. ``Now I can focus just on hockey and I want to help this team win.''
Visnovsky seemed most pleased with the addition of countrymen Michal Handzus and Ladislav Nagy. Visnovsky had been close with Pavol Demitra and was extremely disappointed when the Kings traded Demitra.
``It's better for me, because we speak the same language,'' Visnovsky said. ``It's good to go on the road and speak to someone in my own language. Or sometimes if we lose the game, we can discuss.''
Finally,Visnovsky was asked about the trip to Europe, and how many friends he might have joining him there. Visnovsky said the trip is being greatly anticipated in Slovakia and said that he expected a couple thousand Slovakians to attend the games in London.
``I have lots of friends asking for tickets,'' Visnovsky said. ``That's tough for me. I need tickets for family.''
As a side note, Visnovsky said his brother (two years older) is playing in Slovakia's pro league, on the same team as former Kings forward Ziggy Palffy.
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J.P. Hoornstra writes about NHL and IHL hockey for the Los Angeles Newspaper Group. He welcomes any and all dialogue on the finer points of hockey.
E-mail J.P. at jp.hoornstra@inlandnewspapers.com.
Jill Painter joined the Daily News in 2000 and during the last eight years she's covered the Dodgers, Cal State Northridge, UCLA, Kings, golf and everything in between. Even though she's from Colorado, she still freezes in the Staples Center press box but always manages to thaw her fingers in time to make deadline. E-mail Jill at jill.painter@dailynews
.com.
Vincent Bonsignore is a sports columnist for the Los Angeles Daily News. E-mail Vinny at vincent.bonsignore
@dailynews.com.
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"Crawford is a coach who yells a lot, and it's a different experience for him as a European player because coaches usually don't have that style over there."
Obviously Visnovsky never played in Russia, because Russian coaches do nothing else BUT yell and berate their players! Guess it's easier in Slovakia :) Maybe that's why the Russians have had more success in international play.
That's great to hear about Lubo's personality. I think people assumed that because he didn't speak english well in the past that he was quiet or not potential leadership material. I believe that's a common misconception of european players.
That may be an exaggeration of sorts, but when the team leader has difficulty communicating with the rest of the team due to a language barrier, that is a real problem in the locker room. Many things are said in heated argument from time to time and language differences only exacrebate misunderstanding.
Rich, any way you can get Lubo to talk to his brother to talk to Ziggy about coming back? He may be more amenable to playing for the Kings with Nagy, Handzus, Vis, Modry, maybe even Dravecky.
Actually, Visnovsky did not speak English all that well, and he shied away from the media, for the most part, until today's interview. In fact, this is only the second time I can remember interviewing the guy (I'm sure Rich has spoken to him a lot more than I have, since I generally don't cover practices). I know Visnovsky rarely spoke with the media after games. Perhaps that will change, as his English appears to have made some rather dramatic improvement since last season.
same team as ziggy palffy? Didn't Ziggy retire? Or are you referring to the old team Ziggy used to play for?
How can Lubo be here for this long and not be fluent by now! Either way, it's a godsend to have him on our team.
Ziggy is actually back playing in Slovakia now.
Ziggy is playing for his hometown team of HK 36 Skalica. After thinking he was done when he packed it in in the middle of 2005-06, his shoulder seemed to get better finally, and he's now scratching the itch to play, at least in advance of the World Championships next spring.