Interview with Shayne Toporowski

Growing up ina a small town, Shayne Toporowski learned to skate when he was only 18 months old. Armed with a chair he pushed himself around on the ice, guided by his brothers. When he was three, he started to play in organized teams. Besides ice hockey Topper is interested in all kinds of sports, such as golf, beach volleyball, water skiing and fishing. Together with his wife he often visits movies. Toporowski is also very much interested in the culture of the countries where he is playing ice hockey at that moment, visiting art museums and taking in the culture. Toporowski about this: "I think it is important to understand the culture of the country and how people are."

Toporowski has played for many teams throughout his career. He played three matches for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the NHL, which is also his favorite team. Further more, he played for farm teams in the AHL, like the St. John Maple Leafs adn the Worcester Ice Cats. In 2000 he came to Europe, where he played so far for the Belfast Giants from Northern Ireland, Amur Tigers in Russia, Luleå HF in Sweden and ERC Ingolstadt in Germany. In Finland Topper played for Blues, Pelicans, Ilves and since last season Lukko. "I was coming to Europe to find out how the leagues were and finally settled on Finland in the south."

Shayne started to think about a professional hockey career after he was drafted as a high pick to the juniors at the age of 13. He followed his brothers around at junior camps where he was doing pretty well. From that time on he put all his efforts to his hockey career. "This is now my 11th season that I am playing hockey, it is going pretty fast. It seems like yesterday that I started to play and now when I am looking in the mirror I realize that I do not have that much time left. I hope that my body can push it outsix more years or maybe more. As long as I stay in good shape, I will keep on playing."

As for the physical part, he is still in excellent shape. "Like now after a shift I am not exhausted any more. In my younger years I was after every shift exhausted, trying to catch some breath. It is also because you are getting older and learn to read the game better and actually using your brains. When you are young, you are just skating all over the place accomplishing nothing, afterwards asking yourself what you have been doing."

How is life for you and your wife in Finland?
"People in Finland are very nice and treat us well. We have some friends here also. And we are visiting places, get to know something about the culture. It is good. At times it is lonely but we are also getting visitors in two, three times a year."

How it is to be a professional hockey player in Finland?
"Finland is one of the top leagues outsides the NHL. It really demands the best game from you. People want to see your best hockey. It is something that challenges me every day. The Finnish hockey is of very high quality. That is what I enjoy about ice hockey in Finland. I have to perform at my best."

You have been playing in a few countries in Europe. Which country made the most impression on you?
"Every country is different. The hockey is pretty good everywhere. The Russian league was a hell of a league. They play more individual there and want to show their moves. They do not pass the puck around so much, it is a different type of hockey. But Finland, Sweden, Germany and Russia, they are all of high quality and I can not really say which one is better."

You also played a few matches in Northern Ireland. How did you end up there?
"I was waiting for a contract from the NHL so at first I did not want to come to Europe. I was only 25. But than I finally decided that I had to move on to play hockey and that is how got in Europe. There were a lot of Canadians, 12 or 13 if I remembered right. The league was quite physical, a little bit like the AHL. And Belfast is a very nice city, we really liked it."

Do you hang out with your team mates outside ice hockey?
"Not a lot, because we see each other every day in the rink. But during a party or something we are together than, drink a beer or whatsoever. With the North American players we try to get together, speak within a common language."

Could you describe yourself as a player?
"I have always tried to be guy that you can put on the ice in any situation and get the job done. I had some critics on my skating but I have overcome that weakness, also because I am playing now in one of the quickest leagues. I have always played power plays and penalty killing, making a lot of minutes. Whenever the team needs help I want to get the job done. I do everything that is necessary for the team. My physics has always been a part of my game. Sometimes you just have to take a penalty. You do a few steps back to make on forward. It is to get some room on the ice. You throw a hard hit it ot throw an elbow and take the penalty. And than when you are back on the ice you just have that little bit more space to score the goal. I do not like hooking, I have never taken many of those penalties. But I think we are now taking too many penalties, on average 7 or 8 penalties a game. It is too much."

You are originally a winger but currently playing centre. How it affects on your own game?
"I am not as physical as I can be. I am now more in the middle. Normally I hit more along the board. Because I am playing centre now, I am more in the corner. There is a lot more skating, you have to be everywhere, as well in the offensive as in the defensive zone."

What is the difference in playing style between Tolvanen and Rautakorpi?
"Tolvanen wants to play more puck control, spread the game out a little bit more. Rautakorpi was really into the fitness and the body mechanics of a hockey player. He wanted to keep the game simple with minimum mistakes. Flip the puck out of the own zone and chase it, a lot more skating without the puck. We never had control of the puck. We are now changing that and we are getting better in it every game. Tolvanen is always positive. It is something he has taken from Sweden where they always changing negative things into something positive. He gives you more responsibilities, lets you do what you need. Rautakorpi did everything with the team, which was also good but at the end of the season it became sometimes tiring."

What did you think of last season? Did the NHL-players added value to the SM-league?
"It was good for the fans because they got to see all the Finnish players back in Finland. But it also hurt the development of the own young players. And now every team need players, it is like all the players have disappeared."

Do you already know what you are going to do after your ice hockey career?
Not exactly. I have always been interested in starting my own business, liek a franchise or something. My brother is a financial planner and he tried to get me into that. As a kid I wanted to be a police officer but I do not think that my wife wants me to do that. Being a hockey coach is also a serious option."

There has been a discussion on the Lukko fan board about who should take over the celebration round of Sami Torkki. You got the most votes so far (10.10.2005). Are you willing to do this?
"I will talk to Teemu (Normio) about it, and I think that I leave it to him because he has been here longer and he deserves it. I would do it but I like to see him do it. Or maybe we do it one day both at the same time..."