2-17-1999

Steve: Peter, this your first interview with the Buccaneers. We'd like to know a little about your background. Where you were born, where you call home.

Peter: I was born in Slovakia. The Town is Liptotsky Mikulas, and in 1979 and I started playing hockey in my hometown from when I was seven years old and I play still in Liptotsky Mikulas from this time until I came here.

Steve: Do they have a good hockey program for the kids in Slovakia or how does that work?

Peter: In Slovakia, it's like every town what got hockey in town, got only one club, which like under every club is team from the youngest age to the senior team and there is only one team for every age. This is because Slovakia is very small when USA is much bigger. I just play in my hometown. It was just one team, I go always and play for the same club ten years or twelve years and I was always playing for older and from 5th grade we got, in Slovakia, league what we play. Before we play only tournament, it would be more like what is here—travel team—and we play only tournament. After 5th grade we got league to 8th grade then from 9th grade to 11th grade, play together in league and then from 9-10 and from 10-12 play older to 21 play the other league what is like Jr. A, like here Jr. A, and then it just Senior league. We got only one extra league the our lower Senior league, maybe two or three what is like pretty popular.

Steve: Do you play just other towns in Slovakia or do you play other cities and other countries?

Peter: We don't play the other teams from the other countries. We play only in Slovakia.

Steve: Now, the city you're from, about how many people live there?

Peter: We got 35,000 people.

Steve: Ok, that's a normal size city in Slovakia?

Peter: It's normal but maybe a little less than normal.

Steve: Little bit less, Ok. So when you're playing on your league teams, did you guys do well?

Peter: Yeah, from like Junior B is from 9-10, we were maybe 4th or 5th in league and when we were in Jr. A, we were second in Slovakia, our team.

Steve: Ok, tell me how you came to come to the United States, I mean that's Iowa. Who would ever know about Iowa, you know that's a little place in the middle of nowhere.

Peter: I don't know anything about Iowa before. I just knew USA got 52 states and Washington, Bill Clinton—lots of stuff about him everywhere. I just played for National Team for Slovakia, where play also Peter Smrek in Canada last year Christmas tournament, like during Christmas. It was the Viking Cup in Camero, one hour from Edmonton.

Steve: Who made up the Slovakia team?

Peter: Like National Team under 19. National team under 19 play against national team from Finland, Czech Republic, USA, was their national team under 18 from last year. And we play select All Star of Sasketchwan Jr. league and Alberta Jr. league and national team of Sweden. I think there was 10 teams. We play there and there were some scouts and some coaches from college, Tom Serratore from Bemidji State, he is friend of Scott Owens. First I was leased to North Iowa where I would play, but then coach of North Iowa, he change place and he probably went coaching pro. Then he send letter to Scott Owens asking if he can take us to the tryout and we were here and he took us to the final team.

Steve: Did you ever think you would come to the United States to play hockey?

Peter: I didn't think very much about it, the US. Probably I think more about Canada where more guys go from Europe.

Steve: Right

Peter: Not so many of the guys go to the USA. But I am here.

Steve: What are your plans after this year? Do you want to play Canadian hockey? The OHL? Do you want to go pro? Do you want to play college?

Peter: I don't know how it will be next year but I want to go after DM, I want to go try college for sure. I don't want to go right to the pros. I don't know about next year. I still think maybe I stay here, maybe go to the college.

Steve: So one more year with Des Moines, maybe?

Peter: Maybe.

Steve: So, is it your dream to be pro?

Peter: After college I want to try pro. If not, I will use my education from college in job.

Steve: When you go to college, do you know what you want to major in? What do you want to do for a job? Do you have any interests that way?

Peter: I got interests about like economic things more from economy with marketing and management. Stuff like that.

Steve: Do you hope to return back to Slovakia and live there someday?

Peter: Probably after college or after pro. It's too early I think now to think about it.

Steve: In Europe, do they have a similar league as the NHL?

Peter: In Europe, it's not very similar league, it's just new league I think from last year in DHL. It's in Germany where it's very similar to the NHL. They try to do the same league like NHL but it's only this one that strive to be like NHL.

Steve: I'm sure everyone from Iowa wants to know about Slovakia. What’s Slovakia like compared to Iowa?

Peter: Slovakia, it's pretty small country. It's got five million people. Its capitol city is Bratislava. It's close to Vienna, Austria.

Steve: Is it mountainous? Are there trees?

Peter: We got mountains close to my city, one hour from my city. Mountains are not really big like the biggest mountains in USA but it's average. Pretty nice country. It's different than USA. It's like European style, more historic buildings, like couple hundred years or more, not like here.

Steve: So how do you like playing for Des Moines so far?

Peter: I like to play for team what want to be first, what want to win national championship. Not one that only play every game, just win or lose, it doesn't matter. I like to play for team like Des Moines.

Steve: Are there any teams that you like to play against like, do you like to play against Lincoln or Omaha, or is there any specific team you like to play against?

Peter: I like to play pretty much against Omaha. It's pretty aggressive if we play in Omaha or DM. I like fans in Des Moines. I like people, they are very good. It's different in Slovakia, like hockey in Slovakia is number one sport, but they don't know like here, make same what here these fans. It just group of fans what are like in anything here, what is like booster club, but the other people just come to hockey to watch hockey. But not like have fun in hockey and yell.

Steve: Here they yell a lot more?

Peter: Yeah. And they know how to do light show and all this stuff. It's not very much in Europe, but here it is like normal and Des Moines does very nice. I like playing where are those good fans.

Steve: Let's talk a little about your other interests besides hockey. What else do you like to do when you're not playing hockey?

Peter: I play hockey most of my life but I join here, golf, but it is just for fun.

Steve: No hobbies?

Peter: I got some hobbies, maybe carving but it takes some time and now I don't have very much time but I like carving sometimes when I have time. I play some games, soccer, I like soccer. I played when I was young. That's it then.

Steve: Ok. What's your favorite food you like to eat in Slovakia?

Peter: In Slovakia, it's probably chicken, any style with rice.

Steve: How about here in the United States? What do you like to eat here?

Peter: I like chicken here also. But alfredo fettuccini I like here.

Steve: How about favorite desserts?

Peter: Any chocolate dessert I like.

Steve: What's the one thing about America that surprises you most, or what didn't you think would be true?

Peter: Maybe that I am here. It just surprise me that I am here.

Steve: Can your friends believe, do they still have a hard time thinking you're here, your friends and family?

Peter: I don't know. It's like hard for them that I am not there, like for my family, because I was still there always, I never played the other town or anything like that. I was at home. They always watch me. Now I play, now they don't know very much, only from internet. They don't know very much about me. They can't go on game and watch but, it's ok.

Steve: This question might be a hard one to answer but we'll see. Finish this sentence.
The fans would be surprised to know about me that ___________. What would the fans be surprised to know about you?

Peter: This is hard question. I don't know what fans be surprised to know about me.

Steve: Ok. That's fair. One last question then. Is there anything else you would like to say to the fans?

Peter: I will say just when I came here first time, I knew before like hockey is number one sport in Canada but not in the USA. Number one here is basketball, football, but when I came here and played first game here, it was big surprise for me how fans were doing. It was great!