Robin Lehner Interview

Interview with Ottawa Senators 2009 Draft Pick (46th overall), and
Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds goaltender, Robin Lehner. (conducted by
Steve Dash, February 8th, 2010)

Steve: I would like
to first of thank Robin for giving us his time to answer all of our
questions. I would also like to thank all the members from GMhockey and
HFBoards who submitted questions. If your questions were not asked, I do
apologize, but don’t worry, there will be other opportunities to ask
them.

Robin: I’m gonna try to answer as good as I
can and I hope you guys are happy with it.

What areas of your
game do you feel requires the most work? (- Gohan)
I have to keep
working on my angles and my positioning. I’ve gotten better but still
have a long way to go. I try to stay calm when players chirp me and want
to get me off my game.

Do you consider practicing your stick
work and passing to be an essential skill, ala Marty Brodeur? (- Gohan)
I
would like to be better on my stick but its hard when they took away
the space behind the net. I will practise it alot more when I feel
everything else is in place in my game. To be good with the stick is awesome but I think stopping the puck is my first priority to practise
right now.

Have you talked to any of the current members of the Senators, or have
you done research regarding the sometimes intense level of pressure that
goes hand in hand with playing goal for a Canadian team in the NHL?
Does it intimidate you at all, or is it something as an athlete that you
thrive in? (- SpezDispenser)
I haven’t talked to anyone in
Ottawa about it but I know that it’s alot of pressure to be a goalie
here. I’ve talked to my goalie coach in the Soo about it and I
experience it in the Soo in a smaller scale. One day you are their star
the other day they will boo you from the stands  But I like that!! That
is what will make you work harder. And I’m trying to learn not to care
what anyone is thinking about me except the people I care about and my
team.

When did you decide you wanted to be a goaltender, did your
father get you into it or did you decide as a young man that was what
you wanted to be? (- SensGirl11)
I played soccer in Sweden as a
goalie and I wasn’t that good One day my father asked me if I wanted to try hockey as a
goalie because he had a friend that sold goalie equipment for Vaughn. So
I tried it one week at a hockey school the summer I was turning 11. Since then I have loved it.

Who is your favorite all time NHL
goaltender? Who would you compare yourself to style-wise? (- SensGirl11)
My
favourite all time goalie is Patrick Roy! And my favourite right now is
Miikka Kiprusoff. Stylewise it’s Henrik Lundqvist but I’m trying to
learn to be as calm and smart as Miikka.

Are you aiming to move into the AHL next season, or are you
looking to take the starter's job in Ottawa? (- hemlock)
Haha
this is a fun question… I think next year is what I make it to be. If I
don’t believe that I have the potential to be there I won’t!! But if I
believe in it I will have a greater chance to be where I want to be.

Have you been given any nicknames yet by your teammates, or do
you have any nicknames and what are they? (- Michallica)
My team
calls me Lenny. My coach said to a paper that he called me Real Estate
but they never said that to me ever. That’s a bad name, haha!! My billet
is calling me Sven because I’m from Sweden.

When you were at camp with the Senators, did Eli Wilson try to teach you
how to lose your net and over challenge the shooters ? (- RobbyJ)
No
Eli was a really good coach I think he taught you the basics and he
wanted me to be aggressive. I never heard him say to anyone to over
challenge the shooter. I think he was good.

What were the factors in your decision to play in the OHL vs.
staying in Sweden? (- marakh)
Why I left Sweden was because I
needed change. And my team in Sweden was really pissing me off. And a
big factor was that when I played in Canada with the national teams I
loved the hockey here. Ottawa and my agent wanted me to do it to, but I
really wanted to come over in the first place.

How do you deal with pressure situations in a game? (- SensGirl11)
I
try not to think about it and just keep doing what I’m good at.
Sometimes I try to get angry because I’m more focused then. A little
weird but it works.

Do you have any pre-game rituals? (- SensGirl11)
No pregame
rituals - not that kind of person. I believe that good practise make you
good in games not which skate you put on first or a specific meal to
eat before a game.

Who is your best friend in hockey? (-
SensGirl11)
I have a lot of good friends in hockey. It’s hard to
pick one but I got alot of new friends in the Soo.

Who is your
favorite athlete in another sport? (- SensGirl11)
Zlatan
Ibrahimovic (Swedish soccer player) and Usain Bolt.

Have you talked with the Sens about who you are going to room with when
you make the NHL? (- SensGirl11)
Haven’t talked to Sens that
much.

When you were chosen to be Sweden's 3rd goaltender at
the WJC, did you realize there was a chance that you'd lose out on
valuable practice time? Has it effected your decision to play for the
WJC next year? (- SpezDispenser)
I didn’t realize that because
they promised me I’d get good practise. But I didn’t get more than 4-5
times and on those I didn’t get anything. I was really disappointed how
they treated me there. It effected me alot back in the Soo. I dropped
down from a 92.5 save % to 91.1%. But I’m starting to climb back now.

Are
you superstitious and how would you describe your routine before game
time? (- Hobiesens)
No, not really. I come in to the game about 2
hrs before the game. I try to relax and talk to my defense a little and
then start focusing on the game. I usually listen to little bit of
music before.

Do you plan on turning pro next season, and what does it mean to you
being drafted by the Senators, especially considering the former
Frolunda players in Daniel Alfredsson and Erik Karlsson and recent
Swedish picks (Silfverberg and Petersson??) (- SensVenom)
I’m
gonna try to do my best to play on the best level but we will see how
far that will take me. To get drafted by the Sens was awesome, because I
have always liked Alfredsson and I knew Karlsson before. It’s fun that
are a couple of Swedes on the team too.

What's the best thing
about playing in Canada? (- Garblar)
The fans for sure!! I like
the country alot too. Nice people and nature too.

What's the hardest part about being in Canada instead of Sweden? (-
Garblar)
My family and girlfriend!! I have a 5 year old sister
that I miss alot!! I miss alot of my friends too.

How much of
an adjustment has it been for you moving from Sweden over to Canada? ( -
Dejong)
Not that much. The English is new for me to speak every
day but other than that not that much.

Do you have any goals
in mind for the rest of this season or for next season? (- Dejong)
This
season I want to go as far as I can in the playoffs and try to get
better at the Canadian North American hockey.

Outside of
hockey what are some things you enjoy doing during the offseason? (-
Dejong)
Being with my friends and just having fun. I like to play
paintball and play videogames.

How much of an impact has your father had on your development?
(- Manny)
Without my father I wouldn’t be here today!! He has
helped me alot with my game. Almost everything I do on the ice we have
done that together. My mom has always been in the background helping me
too.

If you're comfortable with it, would you rank these from
highest to lowest in what you feel is your best to worst attributes? (-
Xspyrit)
I dont know how to rate it but I need more work on my
glove, angles and little bit on my reflexes. But to take the step to the
next level I need to improve everything. It’s hard to rate it, sorry.

What
was your pre-season experience like playing against the
Montreal Canadiens? Was there something different about shooters at the
professional level that stood out? (- TheHMan)
To play Montreal
was awesome!! It’s sick that they had so many fans in the preseason. It
was a good experience for me. About the shooters... everything was
faster and harder.

Have you given any thought to the images and design that you will
ask
for on your first NHL helmet? If yes, can you proide us with a sneak
peak along with what those images/design mean to you? (- ElliottRules)
I
will have the logo on of course but I think I will have a good friend
that hurt himself badly in a bike accident back from home.

Who
is your favourite NHL player. (- ElliottRules)
Alexander
Ovechkin!

If you could be invloved in a shoot out with any NHL
player, who would it be and why? (- ElliottRules)
Pavel Datsyuk,
because he is one of the most skilled at shootouts and it would be a
great challenge!

What is/are your favourite:
MOVIE(S): Gladiator,
Blindside, Transformers, Boondock Saints, 300
MUSICIAN(S): 50
Cent, Tupac, a couple of Swedish rappers, Eminem, Inflames, Metallica,
Akon and Biggie Smalls.
BOOKS/MAGAZINES: Don’t read But I like car magazines.
HOBBIES: I paint a
little and play alot of games. I like to scubadive.
CAR:
Bugatti Veyron

What might you spend your first NHL paycheque on?
I don’t
know probably a car

Do you expect to be in Bingo next season
or just challenge for a spot in Bingo? (- Cap’n Clutch)
I don’t
expect anything. I have to work for it.

If you could rank a skill in order of importance to your game would you put instinct or positioning higher? (- MurderonIce)
I put instinct higher than positioning, because if you have
good instinct you can be one step ahead. If you just go on positioning
the players read you and they can be one step ahead. But you have to
have a balance between both.

What have the coaching staff asked you to focus on in preparation for the next level? (- MurderonIce)
Just work on my flexibility
and try to improve everything.

Are the women in Sweden as hot as we are lead to believe? (- MurderonIce)
Swedish girls are awesome!!! But you find nice girls everywhere.

What are your s impressions of North American Hockey and has the
smaller ice surface changed your game? (- TheAvatar)
On the smaller ice you
have to be ready alot more and there is alot more traffic!! Back in
Sweden its more open hockey. Here you just try to shoot alot and run the
net so you have to really work on all the details.

Woow that was fast... is he That bored inthere ?

He was able to answer a few more questions that originally got missed, so I put them at the end there.

I Diddling love this kid.

Humble, focused, calm and hardworking. He's the real Diddling deal.

marakh wrote:Humble, focused, calm and hardworking. He's the real Diddling deal.

Borders on cocky but I love that in a goaltender. Humble in the sense he knows where he comes from and appriciates what he has. Hockey wise, no shot and I love it.

Who says his old team was pissing him off, hahaha. That might be the greatest thing Ive ever heard. Just straight out says it, again, I love it.

"Sometimes I try to get angry because I’m more focused then"

Lol. Awesome.

Very nice Dash. Thanks for that and thanks to Robin Lehner for answering all those questions. That was fantastic. I also love the answer to my question. I didn't even think about the wording I used there. Nice attitude about his chances of moving up to the next level.

Guess he just thinks about his old team. So glad The Sens drafted this kid as I was screaming out loud on draft day to take him in the 2nd round... lost it when they did! Sens got such a nice piece here that can take his time like Lundqvist did and make an impact in a big way sooner rather then later.

Frolunda should change their name to The Sens.

N4L wrote:

marakh wrote:Humble, focused, calm and hardworking. He's the real Diddling deal.

Borders on cocky but I love that in a goaltender. Humble in the sense he knows where he comes from and appriciates what he has. Hockey wise, no shot and I love it.

Who says his old team was pissing him off, hahaha. That might be the greatest thing Ive ever heard. Just straight out says it, again, I love it.

Yeah. I liked that too. surprised a little but still loved it.

N4L wrote:

marakh wrote:Humble, focused, calm and hardworking. He's the real Diddling deal.

Borders on cocky but I love that in a goaltender. Humble in the sense he knows where he comes from and appriciates what he has. Hockey wise, no shot and I love it.

Who says his old team was pissing him off, hahaha. That might be the greatest thing Ive ever heard. Just straight out says it, again, I love it.

Yeah, that's what I meant to say actually. For sure, hockey-wise he's like Karlsson, haha. So awesome.

I don’t expect anything. I have to work for it.

Diddling brilliant, I love this guy. So candid, so prepared to work hard to be an Ottawa Senator sooner rather than later.

If you're reading this: Thank you Robin! It meant a lot to us here at GMHockey to get a sneak peak at what is already one of our favourite prospects!!! I also like that he admitted he wasn't pleased with the way he was handled at the WJC. Some guys wouldn't have the guts to say anything.

Sweet. Thanks for this! He sounds confident in not only his ability, but the senators as well. Really feels like he has faith they'll do what's best for him.

One rep point doesn't do this justice.

asq2 wrote:One rep point doesn't do this justice.

Yeah, I feel the same. This is 'gush' worthy.

awesome stuff. what a great prospect to have in the system. he should be a joy to watch if he continues to progress. amazing that he understands he needs to work on everything to be an NHLer, not just rest on his prospect status and hope for the best.

Dash wrote:Here are the videos. Good chance to check out his moves from directly behind his net. Check out the 2:40 mark of the first video, it is my favourite part. This one is actually from the end of the game, so it is after the second video took place.

i sent these 2 videos to my old goalie coach who is now pro goalie scout in colorado.
this is what he had to say about lehner from these 2 videos that dash posted:

Biggest thing I take from those two videos is that Lehner is ALL legs. He has powerful, strong leg work. He's not the fastest, but really strong and very well balanced.

Similar to other videos I've seen, his upper body positioning needs work. He is really hunched over in some situations in the second video (the longer of the two). He has the "palm out" or "fingers up" glove hand positioning and his hands are pretty far in front of him, so he tends to look hunched over. The more he evolves, the more straight up and down his back will be, which will make him that much bigger in the net and down in the butterfly.

You can tell Lehner is VERY well coached, as his demeanor (from behind) was excellent in these videos. If you watch his positioning when the puck is on or below his goal line (behind the net), his foot is anchored to either post like a steel bolt. It's not going anywhere. For a goalie of his age and raw skill, he's extremely systematic. His movement is very precise and sharp, even when challenging shooters. It shows he has learned everything from his father as you know, Lehner's dad coached and molded Henrik Lundqvist as well. Robin and Henrik have some similarities.

It's actually pretty scary to think about. He could be like a super-sized Lundqvist that actually plays ABOVE his crease, not on his goal line. That's scary good.

All in all I would say these videos prove why Lehner deserves to be in Top-10 of prospects out there. They are impressive. The little jump on the goal is a pretty revealing trait. He's got some strong legs. He's all legs just by looking at him he has wide torso but very small upper body. Has definitely improved from the start of the season though...or at least playing with a lot more confidence...that's the last video I saw of him.

Thanks for showing me these, I appreciate it.

just thought you guys would like to know. cant wait to see him in against pros (AHL) next year.

That's really neat stuff Clover.

Huge props to Dash for this, and a big thanks to Robin!

I particularly enjoy how candid he was. Nice to see someone who isn't just going to spout cliches.

Dash wrote:Do you expect to be in Bingo next season
or just challenge for a spot in Bingo? (- Cap’n Clutch)
I don’t
expect anything. I have to work for it.

Just when I thought I couldn't possibly like the guy more...

Great responses to the questions. He is defintely down to earth. With an attitude like that how can you not like him. Robin, if u r reading this, thanks for taking the time to respond. To Dash, thanks very much for this.

asq2 wrote:One rep point doesn't do this justice.

He got 11

Really good, unfiltered intrview, no agenda from either side. Great all around. Thanks Dash.

BTW I knew Sweedish women were hotties. He just confirmed it.

A big thank you to Dash and Robin for doing this.

BTW, I've been to Sweden twice, believe me, the women are hot.

El Bumperino?

Oh yeah. This brings back good memories.

SeawaySensFan wrote:Oh yeah. This brings back good memories.

I immediately thought of this:

Where's Dash to take his bows on this?

marakh wrote:

asq2 wrote:One rep point doesn't do this justice.

He got 11

I didn't even realize that multiple people could vote to + a post.

So he's at least got 12 now.

SensGirl11 wrote:Is there any chance at all that the Greyhounds are going to make the playoffs this year?

How long is the drive to the Soo?

VERY Long. approximately 800 KM.

SensGirl11 wrote:Is there any chance at all that the Greyhounds are going to make the playoffs this year?

How long is the drive to the Soo?

THey probably will. Currently sitting at 5th, like the Sens, in the conference; 8th overall in the entire league.

What? Really? Where?

I posted this link in HF because someone was asking about Lehner, so you should get some more traffic on this.

Wow, that's crazy. I don't follow the site, but I have heard of Dobber.

Here it is: