The 21-year-old ice hockey player Vinzenz Rohrer missed the jump to the NHL at the Montreal Canadiens camp, but remains calm and optimistic. In conversation with LAOLA1 The Vorarlberger emphasizes that although he would have liked to stay in Montreal longer, he can live well with his return to the ZSC Lions in Zurich.
“Of course I would have liked to have been in Montreal longer and gained more experience,” says Rohrer, “but I’m not overly sad to be back in Zurich. Here I have my family, my friends, my apartment – a familiar environment.”
Not a shock, but insight into the Canadiens’ plan
Rohrer was only slightly surprised by the decision to be sent back to Zurich at this point. “I didn’t think it would happen that weekend,” he says. When he was told after training that he had a meeting in 20 minutes, “I already knew it was over.”
In the subsequent conversation with Jeff Gorton (Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations) and General Manager Kent Hughes, the long-term development plan was explained to him: “They confirmed to me that I had a good camp and was able to leave a lot of positive impressions. At the same time, they are pursuing a longer-term plan with me. I’ve just turned 21, there’s no need to rush.”
For Rohrer, this feedback was crucial in order to make the decision. “After that, everything made a little more sense,” he says. Montreal is counting on him to develop further in Zurich – with the aim of being ready for North America in the coming years.
Development instead of disappointment
Specifically, no detailed weak points were given to him. What is more important is that he continues on the path he has chosen. “They know my work here in Zurich very well, they follow my development,” explains Rohrer. “Of course things like more ice time in penalty killing or physical development play a role, but basically it’s about continuing to improve and mature my overall package.”
He doesn’t see the fact that he’s still playing in Europe as a setback, but as part of a plan. “I still have a lot of development steps ahead of me here in Zurich,” he emphasizes.
Impression of Montreal: “Impressive and professional”
Despite his return, Rohrer looks back on his time in Montreal with enthusiasm. “Of course I knew that the standards are high in the NHL and in Montreal, but when you’re there and see everything – it’s impressive,” he enthuses. He was particularly impressed by the professionalism: “The food, the physios – everything is made quite easy for you. You just have to take it and develop yourself.”
A special moment was his first test match in the full Bell Centre: “When I walked in, I looked at the stands like a child and thought to myself: ‘Wow’. It was unique, the fans in Montreal are crazy.”
The fact that he was able to share the experience with his compatriot David Reinbacher was also something special for him: “We were roommates and don’t take it for granted that there would be someone else from Austria there.”
Self-confidence through World Cup success
He had already taken an important development step at the Ice Hockey World Championships in Stockholm, where Austria reached the quarter-finals for the first time in a long time. Rohrer was one of the team’s most noticeable players and says today: “It was a great experience. Playing against such good players, being able to assert myself and show how good I am gives me self-confidence.”
He is now taking this self-confidence with him into the new season: “Experiences and changes of perspective like the World Cup and the camp in Montreal are always worth a lot. It’s important for your head to be somewhere else and to compete there.”
Focused on further development
Back in Zurich, Rohrer now sees his task as continuing to mature at a high level. He doesn’t feel any disappointment – on the contrary: “I have so many beautiful things here, so I would never say: ‘Well, go, now I’m back in Zurich.’ This is a top organization and I still have so many areas in which I can improve.” A central point is the balance in his game: “I want to find the balance between playing intensively and still making plays.”
When it comes to his personal goals, Rohrer remains down-to-earth: “The fact that I want to improve even more is probably not the most exciting answer. But I try to be happy, play my game, develop it further and continue to mature. And so far I haven’t done badly with this strategy.”
Image: Gintare Karpaviciute – EC Red Bull Salzburg
