U-18 Bronze not enough for Sindel

McKeen’s reporter Robert Pettersson spoke with Czech captain Jakub Sindel following his bronze-medal win at the Under-18 World Championship in Minsk, Belarus.

Congratulations on the bronze medal. Is this something that you are satisfied with?

Jakub Sindel: I’m pretty happy about the bronze, but it doesn’t quite satisfy me. I went here to win the gold medal.

What do you think about the tournament?

Jakub Sindel: Pretty much as I expected. I think we had a much tougher group than the one here in Palace of Sports. We had four really good teams; here it was only two good teams. Finland is better than Sweden in my opinion.

How do you look back at your season in retrospect?

Jakub Sindel: I had a wonderful season, from the U-18 World Cup until this bronze. The medal is the proof of a good season. I didn’t expect to play regularly in Sparta Prague during the season either, but I did. I have played maybe 110 games this season, and I’m used to playing about half of that. So I feel that I’ve learned a lot from this season.

You played your final games with Sparta not long before the start of the tournament?

Jakub Sindel: Yes, I had only two days with this team before the tournament. If we had beaten Slavia in the semifinals back home, the final would have been played during this tournament.

What do you see as the best part of your game?

Jakub Sindel: The scoring.... but not here in this tournament obviously, ha-ha.

What do you need to improve mostly?

Jakub Sindel: My defensive game. But it has been better this season. And the face offs. I’m not that good at those yet.

How do you look at the NHL Draft?

Jakub Sindel: I think I could have been a top 10 pick if we had made it to the final. But now I failed as a captain and couldn’t take us longer then the semifinals. Now I just don’t know how it will pan out for me. I’m just hoping to get picked.

You started your career in Finland, rather odd for a Czech player. But your father (Jaromir, famous Czech goalie) played for Tappara when you started playing?

Jakub Sindel: Yes, that’s correct. We moved back to Czech Republic when I was 8 and then my father ended his career.

And now you have Jaromir as your coach in this national team. Does that add any pressure for you?

Jakub Sindel: Sometimes it does. But it has been working out fine, so now it isn’t really a problem.

Did you win any junior medals back home in the Czech Republic?

Jakub Sindel: I won the midget championship with Slavia 84’s. I played with Jakub Klepis (1st round pick 2002).

And you played a little bit in Canada as well during your youth?

Jakub Sindel: I was in Canada and playing for Boumouth at the AA-midget level for about four months when I was 14. I was too young to play in WHL, but I still wanted to try some North American hockey. But that league just wasn’t challenging enough for me to develop as a player. I scored 20 goals and 9 assists in 9 games, so I went home.

What are your plans for next season?

Jakub Sindel: It depends on which team will draft me and what plans they have for me.

So you are thinking of moving across the Atlantic next season?

Jakub Sindel: If the team that picks me in the draft wants me to do that, yes.