Have you ever experienced such a long goal streak?
He didn’t experience. Not even in pupils. Eleven games in a row with a goal is really quite enough. And how many times I had many more chances that I could have added more goals. But I collect them one at a time.
To what do you attribute your gaming well-being?
I was lucky enough to start with Honza Kovář from the first training session and it started working for us right away. I’m glad how it worked out for us. We have to confirm our performance in order to climb a little further in the table from sixth place.
BULL-ETIN ZUG l Daniel Vozenilek (28) is the man of the hour at EV Zug. The Czech top scorer impresses with strong performances and recently broke a 27-year-old club record – after just 16 appearances. #ICYMIhttps://t.co/Hr3vNtxjrt
— swisshockeyblogs.ch (@shblogs) November 1, 2024
Do you feel that you immediately gained the respect of not only your teammates, but especially your opponents?
Certainly. In Switzerland, the most productive player wears a jersey with the inscription “Top scorer” and a special yellow helmet, so that opponents already know what kind of player I am. Some articles about me were also published in newspapers, so wherever we go, the opponents already know who I am.
Did you get used to the new game system quickly?
As a team, we attack and skate a lot, I try to play a lot on the puck. Things are quite different compared to Třinec.
You mentioned Jan Kovář. I assume you have it handy off the ice too…
From the first day he picked me up at the airport, he has been very helpful and easy for me. He showed me everything in the city and the canton, as well as how our organization works. He has a huge name in the club, he won two titles with him, he is its captain for the fourth season. I can only thank him.
Do you live directly in Zug?
Four minutes’ walk from the winter house. I live, one might say, in the center, even though it is a small town (about 30,000 inhabitants – author’s note). They have the lowest taxes there, so wealthier people move there. There are many places to enjoy in the surroundings. You can go to Lucerne or to the beautiful mountains nearby. Our three children also like them, they have a beautiful view. We are well taken care of in Zug.
Did settling in at the new address go smoothly?
It was quite simple for me, more complicated from a family point of view. Mainly for the eldest son, who started first grade in Switzerland.
Photo: Slavomír Kubeš, CTK
Daniel Voženílek (third from the right) at the training of the Czech hockey team in Karlovy Vary
How did the son cope with entering the German school?
We had an interview with the teacher and she said she was doing great. The first day I asked him if anyone had said anything to him. He claimed he did, he just didn’t know what. (laughs) He learned to count in German quickly, and he is also good at writing and mathematics. And it’s slowly getting into everything else.
Wasn’t he sad at first when you told him you were moving from the Czech Republic?
He was a little bit. We had a great group in Třinec, we lived together, so he had a lot of friends there. But he is at an age that he will quickly get used to the new environment. It’s more difficult for my wife because she doesn’t know many people in Zug and she is at home with her two youngest children.
Just on Sunday, she posted a video on Instagram of how her sons heated the bathroom after you left for the national team…
Yeah, boys get a little angry sometimes. (laughs) In Switzerland, it’s great that the little one goes to school and training alone, which I couldn’t imagine at all in the Czech Republic. It’s normal in Zug.
How is your German?
In Zug, more than half of the city doesn’t speak German, so I don’t come into contact with it much. In addition, everyone in the cabin, including the trainers, speaks English. I don’t even have a chance to learn German.
Are you following Třinec from a distance, which is only in 12th place in the Extraliga?
I watch it regularly, and since the Swiss league is not played on Sundays, I also try to watch the Steelers. They are in a difficult situation now, but I believe that during the international break they will talk about it, train and return to where they belong.
