In-Depth Interview
March 9, 1997
 I had a chance to catch Mikhail Saliyenko in Dubuque on March 9, 1997. We had a nice talk and I was thrilled to be able to interview him. In the beginning of the season I had been eager to interview a European player coming from Latvia, but before I had a chance to interview him he got traded to Dubuque. After the game on Sunday I was able to slip back and interview him. When I went up to him and explained what I wanted he greeted me with "But I don't play for the Buccaneers anymore!" I knew there were plenty of fans who would still love to hear his story. The former Buc had been with us too long not to be able to get interviewed.
Sarah: Where are you going when you finish playing this season?
Mikhail Saliyenko: I'm going home, first I'm going to Milwaukee to visit some friends, but then I'm going home. I don't have any offers here, I don't know why nobody likes me, but anyway. I gave all my school transcripts, grades, and everything to my coach and he will take care of it. I don't know anything about it okay?!
Sarah: How old were you when you started playing hockey?
M. Saliyenko: Four or five and I didn't want to play hockey.
Sarah: Really?
Saliyenko: No. My dad insisted that I got to play hockey, because he was a hockey player. Because he had hockey love deep inside of his heart and he told me "you know you got to play hockey, you got to play hockey...because you're a hockey players son." So that's why I started to play.
Sarah: But you ended up liking it?
Saliyenko: Yeah.
Sarah: Yeah?...
Saliyenko: Kind of.
Sarah: Not really then?
Saliyenko: Really.
Sarah: Do you have anything else you'd rather do?
Saliyenko: Study, maybe not here, but back home in Latvia I will try and study somewhere.
Sarah: What are some of your hobbies? What do you like to do?
Saliyenko: Okay first I like girls and then I like to read, I like to read books. I like to play on the computer...internet. I got a computer here at home and so I will be able to check your site, all right? I like to play basketball and soccer. Well, that about it.
Sarah: There's all these questions I always ask, but I didn't bring any of them (this interview was last minute).
Saliyenko: That's all right...how do I like playing here or in Des Moines or something?
Sarah: That's a good one!
Saliyenko: I like to play here, but the thing is that Dubuque's team does not have a lot of talent. But they have a bunch of hard working guys. But compared to Des Moines, Des Moines has a lot of talent. That's why here you have to work all the time, you have to work your butt off. I like this team too, I like it as well as I did Des Moines.
Sarah: How did you feel about getting traded? Was that a shock or did you have forewarning?
Saliyenko: Well you know what? I'll tell you what. Here I played fourteen or fifteen games and I got more points then in Des Moines for thirty games.
Sarah: Yeah.
Saliyenko: You know that?
Sarah: Yes.
Saliyenko: Well, that's the answer! Here I have the chance to be on the ice on special teams like power plays and I have a chance to score or make assists and all that.
Sarah: So it worked out better?
Saliyenko: Yeah, kind of.
Sarah: So are planning on playing hockey back home?
Saliyenko: No, I don't think so.
Sarah: So this is it?
Saliyenko: This is probably it, two more games in my life! Maybe some kind of a mature hockey [back home].
Sarah: Is that kind of depressing or?...
Saliyenko: No, it's all right, I played hockey for sixteen years, you know I'm tired...
Sarah: It's time to move on.
Saliyenko: I've had it. Yeah, time to move on.
Sarah: If you had gotten any kind of offer here, for college...
Saliyenko: I would be playing. I would. Study here in America for Latvian guy, it's perfect. American education, when you have it and you come back to your home town in Latvia you are like perfect guy, you are smart kid. If you have an American education you can go to government, you can manage people, and everything. It's a big thing.
Sarah: Really!? Interesting.
Saliyenko: That's why I want it, I want a little power.
Sarah: What would you want to study.
Saliyenko: International business, that's for me.
Sarah: I'll just finish up with one more question, this is the question I ask everybody, what would the fans be surprised to know about you?
Saliyenko: I finally got an American driver's license here. Driving test, that was an experience for me.
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