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Andrej Meszároš wanted to say goodbye to his career on the ice. He wanted to play in the jersey of his native Považská Bystrica, for which he is the sports manager. The 37-year-old defender trained more intensively, but the operated shoulder again betrayed him. One of the best defenders in Slovakian history thus definitively ends his career in which he played 645 games in the NHL. He also played in the profiliga final or at three Winter Olympic Games.
WEEKEND DIALOGUE with hockey defenseman ANDREJ MESZÁROŠ not only about the end of his career
Were you planning to play at least a few more matches for your hometown Považská Bystrica, what changed in your decision?
“I wanted to try it, I also trained more. I’ve been on the ice a few times. We had a simulated training session with the juniors, because one match was missed. I shot harder and my last operated shoulder started to hurt, for which I ended the season in Trenčín early last year.
I was recovering from it for almost three weeks. I told myself it’s not worth it anymore. I only care about my health, I have a small son and I would like to continue to hold him in my arms. The body said no. I wanted to play at least one game and say goodbye to the club where I started. Unfortunately, my health did not allow it. It’s a definite end.’
You are a sports manager at your hometown club, is this a position you would like to do long-term?
“We’ll see what happens after the season, I definitely don’t want to leave hockey out of my life. I would also like to bring my son to it when he is older. I didn’t think about coaching. That’s an even harder job than playing. I still don’t have a concrete idea of what I would like to do in the long term. We’ll see what happens next season with sports and the energy crisis.”
Looking back at your career, is it possible to pick a moment that you value the most?
“There are definitely more, whether it’s the title with Dukla Trenčín in 2004, which I achieved as a junior, the draft, my first game in the NHL, three Olympics in the national team jersey. The Stanley Cup finals with the Ottawa Senators in 2007 and also silverware with the 18-man team in Yaroslavl.”
Do you have a favorite teammate or coach?
“I’m the type of person who tries to get along with everyone. I was lucky, I didn’t experience terrible players or coaches in my career. I wouldn’t even name anyone in particular. Maybe only my father, who introduced me to hockey and was my first coach.”
Photo gallery
Meszároš had his best time in the NHL at the very beginning of his career in Ottawa. He also did well in Philadelphia and ended his overseas career in 2015 in Buffalo.
Sometimes forgotten is your amazing entry into the NHL in 2005, when you had perhaps the best season of your career, scoring 39 points in 82 games for Ottawa. Why was it that you were already so prepared for the best league in the world at the age of twenty?
“When I was drafted, the lockout started in the NHL, for which the entire season was not played. I left to play Canadian junior. Players like Ryan Getzlaf, Brent Seabrook, Carey Price worked in it. They were playing in juniors, because according to the rules they couldn’t go to the farm. I tried overseas hockey and it prepared me well. We played in the former hall of the Vancouver Canucks, and since the professional league was not played, twelve, fifteen thousand people came to see us. There was an excellent atmosphere.
He also had the advantage that I had previously played men’s hockey for two years in Trenčín. Although I switched to the junior competition, it was not a typical youth competition. I found out what awaits me when I go camping. I was also lucky, because in the exchange of Marian Hossa for Dany Heatley, Ottawa added one more defenseman, which opened up a place in the team. Three of us fought for him, in the end I got him. Before the season I played all the matches I could. I took full advantage of the chance.”
In your rookie season, you played for the Senators with Zden Char, what was it like?
“It’s a shame that Marián was no longer there, but Dany came, who scored a lot of goals. Ottawa helped. In addition to Zden, there were also Dominik Hašek, Venco Varaďa and Martin Havlát. We were a Czechoslovak team, they helped me on and off the ice. Zdeno paid attention to me, showed me specific situations. It was great. I was lucky, some guys don’t like that. Take Juraj Slafkovski, who has no similar teammates in Montreal.”
In the very second season, you played in the final of the Stanley Cup, in which you lost to Anaheim 1:4 in games. Did you tell yourself at the age of 21 that you would still experience similar things?
“That’s exactly what I was saying. We were sad, but I believed that I would be able to do it again. In retrospect, when I remember how difficult it was to get there, I am pleased. Someone plays in the NHL for twenty years and never plays in the finals. I tried it right away in the second season, even though we lost. It’s so bittersweet.’
After great years in Ottawa, you signed a contract with Tampa Bay, why were the two years at the club not very successful?
“It wasn’t the best run in Tampa at the time. Coach Barry Melrose came straight from the commentary position, then Rich Tocchet took over. That was better, but we didn’t succeed. Then there was the first injury, until then I had 298 games without interruption, which may have hurt me, because I also went through pain.
I did not treat my injuries. My junior coach taught me this when I injured my shoulder at the Under-20 World Championships. I said I can play but I’ll be half, to which the coach told me that maybe I’m half, but I’m still better than some of the younger players and if I get hurt in the NHL and someone else takes my place, they don’t have to let me back in the game .
I always had that in my head, that I had to go through health problems as well. Then the injuries started to pile up. I was young, I wanted to play. That was the mentality I had. On the one hand, it’s nice, but on the other hand, when I look at how many operations I’ve had, I might have handled it differently.”
However, after Tampa came a successful period in Philadelphia, in the 2010/11 season you played 81 games and scored 32 points. How do you remember your years at the Flyers?
“A change of environment helped me. Philadelphia is a top organization, then so was Tampa when Steve Yzerman started managing it, even after he traded me. But he did a great job, when I was there, Steven Stamkos played in the fourth five, they changed the coach, they started putting him on power plays, they saw his potential. Today he is a Stanley Cup winner and a 500-goal scorer. They didn’t use it like that before. It was not set up well. But Philadelphia suited me better. It gave me a kick. There was a team that I fit into. The season went well for me, even though injuries came again after that…”
Photo gallery
Andrej Meszároš played for the national team at three Olympics and four World Championships.
Source: TASR
Injuries plagued you until the end of the season, how many operations did you undergo?
“I had five operations on my shoulders, four times in America, then one in Europe. I had surgery for a ruptured disc, achilles and wrist. I still got pucked in the mouth, my jaw was broken and they stitched it up with 52 stitches, but I was playing the next day. It was enough for one career.”
Do you regret that you could have done something differently?
“Like I said, I didn’t need to rush things like that. I probably wouldn’t have let myself be pressured into playing when I wasn’t remedied. At least in Tampa or Philadelphia when I was older. The NHL cost me a lot of pain, but I have no regrets and I would do it again.”
You have had an excellent career, we will not exaggerate when we say that you are among the ten best defenders of Slovak hockey in history. Don’t you feel underappreciated?
“Rather, it’s a question for someone else, where I belong. I myself am the type who does not push forward. I did not have a career like Marián Hossa, Zdeno Chára, Marián Gáborík or Ľubomír Višňovský. I always tried to be in the background, I didn’t seek out the media too much, although of course I never had a problem giving interviews.
I tried to be more out of the way, I didn’t like to be the center of attention. That’s also why someone might perceive me as underappreciated. I would also do the farewell match quietly at home in Považská Bystrica. I’ve never been to big celebrations because I didn’t have a career like the biggest personalities in Slovak hockey history.”
Do you think injuries prevented you from having a similar career to theirs, since you’ve been playing steadily in the NHL since you were in your twenties?
“Yes, that’s clear, when the second, third serious injury came, a block started to form in my head. The clubs also looked at me differently than before. I also experienced this after my last NHL stop in Buffalo. After the season, I went to try out in Colorado, but unfortunately I got injured again. Had that not happened, I think I would have made the Avalanche’s season opener. Then I said to myself that I’m going to try it in Europe. First to Novosibirsk and then there was an opportunity to play in the KHL for Slovan Bratislava. After years of traveling, I was glad to be in Slovakia, playing at home in the second best league in the world.”
Do you belong to a small group of Slovak hockey players who played more than 500 games in the NHL, but did not win a medal with the national team, how do you perceive it?
“At least I have junior silver (smile). They regret the Olympics the most, in Turin in 2006 we clearly won the group and lost in the quarter-finals to the Czechs, and four years later in Vancouver we missed a medal. I still regret it. It was an amazing tournament, we were a third away from a medal.”
You experienced the end of the former golden era of Slovak hockey around Miroslav Šatan, Žigmund Pálffy and Petr Bondra, now we had a number one, a number two in the NHL draft and other talents. Do you think that a new similarly successful era awaits us?
“The guys showed that they are the best, they won a medal from the Olympics, even if there will be an argument that without players from the NHL. The national team has a perspective and a future. It’s up and running fine.’
ADMIRATION TO HÁLAK
In 2003, Andrej Meszároš was in the team with Jaroslav Halák, who won silver for the under-18 national team at the world championship. Both started successful careers there, while Halákova continues in the NHL.
“Hats off to Jarom. I hear he’s been thinking about the end, but he wants to break the three-hundred-win career mark. As I know him, he will catch until he reaches his dream goal. I admire how he always has something to prove and manages to do it. Maybe they will have such a good season in the Rangers that they end their career with the Stanley Cup.” said the veteran defender.
THANKS TO ANDREJ MESZÁROŠ
“I would like to thank the whole family. To his wife, son, father, mother and sister. Then I would like to thank the agents in America, as well as Slovakia’s Peter Kadleček, physiotherapist Zuzana Rochová, fitness coach Roman Švantner, all coaches, teammates and friends. Without them, I wouldn’t have such a nice career. Last but not least, I would like to thank the fans and people who kept their fingers crossed for me.”
WHO IS ANDREJ MESZÁROŠ
A native of Považská Bystrica, he was born on October 13, 1985. In his junior year, he won the title in 2004 with the A team of Dukla Trenčín.
The year before, he was a member of the silver 18 at the World Championships.
He was drafted into the NHL in the first round from the 23rd place. He played in 645 games for Ottawa, Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, Boston and Buffalo, in which he scored 63 goals and scored 238 points. In 2007, he reached the finals with the Senators.
He also worked in the KHL for Novosibirsk and later Slovan Bratislava, of which he was also the captain.
He represented the national team at four world championships and three Olympics.
