PowerPlay Magazin

Today we proudly present a special interview. He is a manager here on PPM, but in real life, hockey is his job as well. We are talking about the Slovenian hockey player Marcel Rodman, who is not only playing on PPM, but is alsoe the Slovenian godfather of PPM hockey together with his brother David. 

This season they both joined the Bietigheim Steelers and are playing together in the 2nd German league (ESBG) now. This is for both the seventh season they play together for one club (prior to this they played together at HK Jesenice and Vienna Capitals) and they also play for the Slovenian national team. Marcel Rodman also played for Krefeld in 2003/2004. Austrian users will remember them playing for Vienna Capitals (Marcel 07/08 and 09-12; David 07/08 and 09-11).

A summary of their career can be found here.

The season opening weekend for Bietigheim could have been better. Even though Marcel scored three goals and David one assist in the first two games, they lost to Kaufbeuren and Crimmitschau 2:4. David also got injured in the second game and broke his hand in three places. The following games were more successful in general and now they occupy 2nd place in the league having played 13 games. They are just 2 points behind the leaders, but they have a game in hand. Marcel Rodman is lighting it up with 20 points in those 13 games.

For this article Marcel answered our questions in the following interview:

Please introduce yourself and tell us about your spare time interests (music taste for example).

My name is Marcel Rodman. I am 31 years old and I am a professional hockey player. I have been married since 2010 and have an 18 month old son. Currently I live in Bietigheim, Germany because I play for the Bietigheim Steelers this year. In my free time I usually do various things with my wife and son, they are the main priority in my life, besides hockey of course. In my spare time I really enjoy going to the cinema, but it has been a while since I went. In the summer I love playing golf.

How did you start playing PPM? Did you find the game by coincidence?

A few years ago I was injured so I had a lot of free time. I was just surfing on the internet and I came accross the PPM. So I tried it and I loved it right away.

Marcel, you played in Germany before. Is your former club Krefeld comparable to the new one?

When I played in Krefeld I was a young player just hoping for as much ice time as possible. Now I am older and one of the go-to guys on the team, so it's obviously a little different. The other different thing is also the fact that I am playing in the second league. I hope I can fight my way back to the first league, maybe with Bietigheim, because I really enjoy it here.

And how did you settle in at Bietigheim?

Like I said, I enjoy it here. Since I have a family now, it is very important that the family feels good. They feel good and so do I.

In your career you have played together with your brother David in the same club in seven seasons so far, now another season at Bietigheim. Is that a coincidence or are you trying to play in the same club if possible?

At the start we didn't plan to play together as much as we do now. But we are really good friends and we like playing together on the same line, so in the last few seasons, our wish has been that we would like to stay together. But it doesnt always work, we are two individuals after all.

What would you like to see in PPM in future?

I am not sure. I like the game as it is, so I dont really expect too much more.

What are your goals this season and after that?

My goals this season:
in PPM make the playoffs, and later in two seasons or so, make it to the first league.
in real life. Have a good season individually, which means playing good consistantly, and make the playoffs with the team, try to lead the team to go all the way in the playoffs.

What do you think about the wave of NHL players playing for ESBG clubs now as long as there is a lockout?

It's good for the level of hockey, because all these guys coming in are really good hockey players. But it could be a little bit of a problem for the harmony in the team, because no one knows when the lockout will end and when these guys will go back to the NHL. And when it happens, the teams will have to start all over again.

Did you learn German so far while playing in Austria or Germany, or is English as universal language enough?

In every team that I played for in Germany or Austria, the language that is used in the dressing room is English. So yes, English is universal enough. But on the other hand, I have learned "Deutsch", but sometimes I am almost mad at myself, because I don't speak more, because I don't try enough. But like I said, if I need to, I can speak "Deutsch" too, and people understand what I am saying, haha.

Thank you for the interview! We wish you a lot of success with Bietigheim and here on PPM.