Erik Maksimenko
Number: 8
Position: Forward
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 180
Birthday: 1-2-78
Hometown: Elk River, MN
Last team: Calgary Hitmen, WHL

Player Biography

Eric is a new addition to the Buccaneers. He joins the team after playing for the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League. Eric's hobbies include swimming and running, and he says the NHL player he admires most is Dino Ciccerelli of Tampa Bay.

Player Interview

3/11/98

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

Eric: I was born at Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids, Minnesota, and I call home Rogers, Minnesota. It is a small town in Minnesota.

Steve: Where is Rogers located? Is it near the Twin Cities?

Eric: It is probably 45 minutes from the Twin Cities.

Steve: What was it like growing up in Rogers? Did you grow up there?

Eric: Yeah, I grew up in Rogers but I played high school hockey for Elk River. That was where I went to high school at.

Steve: Didn't Erik Day play there?

Eric: Erik Day has played there. Regg Simon played here from Elk River, as well as Matt Bailey. There have been a few.

Steve: So they have quite a hockey program at Elk River?

Eric: Yeah.

Steve: How did you choose to play hockey at Elk River or go to school there?

Eric: Well, basically that is where I had to play my high school hockey cause Rogers does not have a high school in the town, so I had to go to Elk River.

Steve: Tell me a little bit about your family; your brothers, sisters, parents.

Eric: My brother is 22 and my sister is 12. My mother and father have never been divorced and that is about it.

Steve: Does your older brother work or go to college?

Eric: He is going to school at St. Cloud right now. He is going to be an accountant.

Steve: Are you the only one in the family that plays hockey?

Eric: No, he used to play hockey. He got done like two years ago. He finished up playing hockey out in Seattle.

Steve: For who?

Eric: I don't even know.

Steve: Was it a junior teamr?

Eric: Yeah, it was some junior B team.

Steve: Has your family been able to see you play as a Buc this year?

Eric: Yes, my dad comes down a lot cause it is only four hours from Des Moines to my hometown.

Steve: How about the rest of your family?

Eric: My mom has been down like three times. My dad really enjoys the games.

Steve: Why and when did you start playing hockey?

Eric: Ever since I went to open skating at the rink, I just loved to skate. Then my mom got me into hockey. My mom didn't want me to play hockey at first cause it was too expensive, but then my dad talked her into it, so then I started playing when I was about six years old.

Steve: Tell me about the past teams that you've played for.

Eric: I have never been on a winning team like this. It is kind of nice. Last year I was on a losing team.

Steve: What team was that?

Eric: The Calgary Hitmen in the WHL. We won like 18 games all year, and we played 72. Then in the years past in high school, we always made it to the section finals and never got to go to the state tournament. The teams I was on were really good in high school.

Steve: How about before that, like peewee?

Eric: In peewees and bantams I never got to go to the state tournament. We really didn't have very good teams.

Steve: How did you end up playing for the Bucs?

Eric: Owens gave me a call over the summer and I just decided to come down here. I was going to come play last year, but I made a choice to go play major junior. That didn't work out last year, so I am here.

Steve: Is major junior different from the junior that we are here?

Eric: Yeah. The Buccaneers are a tier two, and the major juniors are a tier one.

Steve: What is an example of a tier one team?

Eric: A tier one team? The Brandon B Kings. They have WHL, OHL in Quebec in the major junior hockey league.

Steve: What is the best thing about playing hockey?

Eric: Just the thrill of going on the ice and just, I don't know. Just skating up and down the ice. It is a fun game. It has everything in it. It has fighting, it has your hitting, it has scoring. It is a real fun game to play, I think.

Steve: What is one of your greatest athletic moments?

Eric: Greatest athletic moment in hockey?

Steve: Yeah, hockey or anything.

Eric: I made the National USA team when I was 16 and then went over to Fussen, Germany to play in a tournament. That was probably my greatest moment.

Steve: You were on the US National team?

Eric: Yes.

Steve: And then you played other foreign teams?

Eric: We played Germany and we beat them in three games. Bob Ferguson was the coach.

Steve: Do you have any future hockey plans?

Eric: Not at the moment. I am undecided yet what I am going to do next year.

Steve: Do you have a scholarship?

Eric: I don't have a scholarship anywhere. I can't play college hockey for 2 years because I played major junior.

Steve: So can you still come back to the Bucs another year then?

Eric: Yeah, I have one year left. I made it by one day.

Steve: Oh really?

Eric: My birthday is January 2nd and the cut-off is the 1st.

Steve: If everything went the best way it could possibly go, what would you do in hockey? Play for the Red Wings?

Eric: Yeah, that is my favorite team, the Detroit Red Wings.

Steve: I notice you have your cap here and it's got the Red Wings.

Eric: I have always been a big fan of the Red Wings. Yeah, if that could happen that is what I would love to do is play for the Red Wings.

Steve: What is the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you in hockey?

Eric: When I was in peewee and I passed it back to the goalie and he accidentally didn't catch the pass and it went in the net. That has probably been my most embarrassing moment.

Steve: So you scored a point for the other team.

Eric: Yep.

Steve: Did you get credit for it?

Eric: No.

Steve: Do you have a nickname?

Eric: They call me Maksi.

Steve: What are your hobbies?

Eric: I like go to swimming every now and then, just play beach volleyball.

Steve: If you won a million dollars, you would . . .

Eric: I don't even know. If I won a million dollars, what would I do? Probably buy nice car, you know, still live in an apartment. I don't know, I would just be happy. I would spend all my money at once and die at an early age.

Steve: My favorite toy as a child was . . .

Eric: Those little transformers.

Steve: I can't imagine living without . . .

Eric: I can't imagine living without playing hockey because I've been playing it for my whole life.

Steve: The fans probably don't know that . . .

Eric: I used to have my tongue pierced.

Steve: You used to have your tongue pierced, but no more?

Eric: I took it out.

Steve: Isn't that tough to have it pierced when you're playing hockey?

Eric: No, it wasn't at all. I got sick of it; it bugged me when I was eating.

Steve: Well, great! Thanks, Eric.