Mark Krueger
Number: 7
Position: Forward
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 179
Birthday: 9-5-78
Hometown: Des Moines, Iowa
Last team: Des Moines Buccaneers

Player Biography

This is Mark's second year with the Buccaneer's; he is a Des Moines native who attended Dowling High School and played for the Des Moines Capitals hockey team. Mark enjoys skiing, weightlifting, and baseball, and says that if he weren't playing for the Buc's, he would probably be playing baseball or going to college.

Player Interview

2/25/98

Steve: Mark, where were you born and where do you call home?

Mark: I was born right here in Des Moines, Iowa, and I have lived in the same house all my life.

Steve: So obviously this is where you call home?

Mark: Yeah.

Steve: What was it like growing up in Des Moines?

Mark: It is a pretty big city. It was a good time. I spend a lot of time on the weekends playing hockey and baseball. So it was always a fun time hanging out with friends and doing that stuff.

Steve: Now quite a few of your family have played hockey and for the Bucs, too. So could you tell me a little bit about your family and their hockey ties here?

Mark: My oldest brother Scott, I think he is 29 years old now. He played for the Bucs for three years. That was a long time ago. My second oldest brother, Brian, played for just one year. My third oldest brother, Nick, played for three years and when they won the Anderson Cup, the Clark Cup, and the Gold Cup. I guess I am the next one in line, and I have got a little brother, too. He plays peewee hockey, travel.

Steve: So obviously your family is here. You didn't say anything about your parents, but they are here also, correct?

Mark: Yeah, I live with my parents.

Steve: Okay, so they are able to see you play as a Buc every game, I am sure.

Mark: Yeah, all home games.

Steve: How did you start playing hockey?

Mark: Well, I guess just because my older brothers played. I guess I was just kind of attached to it. I liked it and just started playing.

Steve: When did you know or decide that you wanted to play hockey full time?

Mark: Probably high school, cause that is a big commitment. You are there every day, rather than with travel hockey which is maybe every other day or a couple times a week. So I guess that would be a big commitment there.

Steve: Have you always played your current position?

Mark: Yeah, right wing and just forward; right wing, left wing, and center, all of them.

Steve: Going back, what are some of the teams that you've played for?

Mark: Well, I played for the Junior Bucs and all the way up through high school. My freshman year I played for the high school team called Valley/Dowling. Then my sophomore and junior years I played for the Capitals. My senior year I played for the Bucs.

Steve: Did you ever have any other ideas of where to play besides the Bucs, or was it just kind of like this is where you wanted to play and there was no doubt about it?

Mark: This is where I wanted to play. I watched my brothers play and thought it would be a pretty cool thing to do. I guess when I was senior I was going to maybe go out and play for the Soo Hawks but I never did that.

Steve: What are some of the things that you like about playing for the Bucs, now that you are actually doing it?

Mark: Well, it is a lot different perspective from watching, I guess. You see a whole different thing out there.

Steve: How so?

Mark: Well, I have been watching the games for a long time. I watched my brothers play. It is just a lot different from on the ice and in the stands watching all the time. It is great. It is really fun. The fans are probably the best in the league, and everyone treats you really well around here.

Steve: What are the differences between playing a road game and a home game?

Mark: I guess it depends where you play. Road games are always tough because you are on the road. So it is usually a close game, unless the team is pretty bad, and it is a blow out.

Steve: Are there certain teams you would rather play or not play?

Mark: Probably just the long road trips. I don't like going all the way to Thunder Bay. It is fun when you get there, but riding on the bus that long is not that fun. Dubuque's ice isn't too good. I don't like playing there at all.

Steve: Their ice is choppy or...?

Mark: It is slow.

Steve: Soft maybe?

Mark: Yeah.

Steve: Do you have a favorite college or pro team?

Mark: I don't have a favorite college team, but I like the New York Rangers.

Steve: Do you have any future hockey plans?

Mark: Just try to move on to the next level, hopefully.

Steve: How many more years do you have with the Bucs?

Mark: I can play one more.

Steve: Do you have any embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you during hockey ever?

Mark: Yeah, last year in pre-season I pretty much had a break away and put myself offside. That was pretty embarrassing.

Steve: What is your favorite food and dessert?

Mark: I love Mexican food, just about anything that is Mexican. I love tacos and burritos and enchiladas. It is not too good for you but I love it.

Steve: Any special place here in Des Moines that you like?

Mark: I like El Rodeo and Tasty Tacos. I love those places. They have good food.

Steve: How about dessert?

Mark: Probably just chocolate, I guess.

Steve: Do you have any kind of favorite music or movie?

Mark: I like alternative music. There's a lot of good movies. I like "The Rock" a lot. For a hockey movie, I like "Slapshot" the best.

Steve: Do people consider you shy or out going?

Mark: I guess it just depends on how well I know someone. I guess if I don't really know someone that well, I guess I would be considered shy. But I guess it just depends on how comfortable I feel around some people.

Steve: What type of girl do you like?

Mark: Let me see here. Well, I guess I like a girl with a good personality. Someone that is not going to be gone the next day, I guess. Yeah, just a good personality. It doesn't have to be someone that just looks great and is just kind of a jerk, you know. So someone that is pretty cool and that you can talk to.

Steve: What do you do in the summer?

Mark: I work for National Car Rental and I like to play golf in the summer, so that is pretty much all I do, and work out.

Steve: Do you have any other hobbies or interests then that you like to do?

Mark: I have got a pool at my house. I like to swim a lot. Golfing is fun. I do that a lot, probably once or twice a week in the summer. That is probably about it for hobbies. Just play hockey pretty much year round.

Steve: The fans would be surprised to know that I . . .

Mark: I was going to say that I was the fourth Krueger to play for the Bucs, but I guess that has already been said.

Steve: Well, that is a good one though; the fourth Krueger. The fourth and the best, right?

Mark: Yep, I hope so.