Media Avail (7/16): Wennberg

Media Avail (7/16): Wennberg

hello everyone good morning thanks for joining the call we have Alex wber the newest shark uh here available if you have any questions please utilize the raise hand feature and we can get started go ahead Max hey Alex Max Miller here from the hockey news uh just wanted to to welcome you to San Jose and just after you know from Seattle to New York now to San Jose what about San Jose made you want to sign here and was there any other place that you’re willing to share that you know maybe you had another option of going to I mean uh free is always a little bit crazy I mean you start the day you don’t really know what to expect and then you come out of it and you kind of just uh try to catch your breath but uh no I mean it was a good experience obviously I think s came in a little bit later but when that was an option I was really about that uh not only with the young talent coming up with the draft and all that but it felt like a good fit for me and uh uh the way I want to play my game as well so no it it it felt perfect and I mean I tried to rain in Seattle so I kind of looking forward to try a little bit more sun on the west coast this time so um obviously you mentioned Seattle and and obviously you were traded last year Mike told us that there’s some trade protection here was that part of the reason why you decided to sign here as well just a little bit more kind of you know you’re where you’re going to be for a little bit uh a little bit obviously I mean uh at the end of the day I feel like the hockey and uh I mean family is what’s most important for me it felt like a great great choice for both of them for my career and for how my family is kind of um have it in the in San Jose but uh I mean obviously trade is a part of hockey uh it was kind of a crazy situation last year with Seattle with a wife that was 37 weeks pregnant but uh of course uh you have the in the back of head but I wouldn’t say that was uh what made me sign in s of say I would say it’s about what I think is best for my career and for my family obviously you went to the playoffs and you played with with barklay goodro and he scored some some big moments for you guys um obviously a different you know different team in a different phase now what can he bring along with yourself to to a young team like this obviously a lot of prospects ma celebrini Will Smith what can veterans especially centerman who are playing um you know who have been longtime centerman can help those two guys become centerman in the future no I mean I remember when I came into League obviously coming as a centerman you have a big responsibility so uh and for me it felt uh I mean obviously Seattle was a new team we got some young players coming up as well so to be a guy that been in the league for several years you can give advice on Face Off and a little bit how to look over the eyes so I feel like that’s that’s something that both me and goody can be a big part of and I think that’s a big reason why we’re here as well to help young guys but also for oursel I mean the opportunity for us is to take this team obviously H didn’t uh have the best year last year so I think this is time with with the talent and with the uh players that we added that they they’re looking looking really good I mean for us we look forward to be a part of a team that come in and building on something new so that’s something that excites us as well for sure last one for me you experienced it a lot in Seattle but the travel of a West Coast team is so different than an Eastern Conference team played in Columbus for a little while too what what how do you keep yourself I guess rested if you will when dealing with that and and what is the best advice you can give to somebody who maybe has never played on the west coast like that and done the sort of travel like that yeah I mean obviously uh I feel like for me uh I got the big shock like in Seattle when you’re coming from the East Coast moving to the West Coast so now at least I’m a little bit more prepared for it but I mean it’s just different I mean I wouldn’t say it’s in a bad thing I mean there’s way to make it better obviously the low trip might be a little bit longer but you also stay home a little bit longer so I think it all comes a little bit about the best preparation and a little bit of experience so for for advice and all that I mean there there’s no secret to it you just got to find whatever works for you but uh for me at least I feel like I’m a little bit more prepared for the travel schedule and uh uh that that is something I mean obviously that’s different between the two uh East and Western but I wouldn’t say that the deal break it just whatever team you end up in you make the best out of it for sure awesome thank do thank you Shang Alex Shang Pang San Jose hockey now welcome to San Jose thank you very much were you surprised that the Sharks came with such a strong offer for you the Sharks obviously not good in the standings last year so maybe you don’t think of them at first as they’re going to be big players in free agency yeah I mean I wouldn’t say shocked I mean obviously you look over your options and stuff like that but uh I mean I also feel like uh there’s uh obviously you can look at it that way but I still look at it where where do I feel like I fit in the best where do I feel like I can make an impact where do I feel like the team really wants me and I felt like San Jose was a great option and uh I mean I’m looking really forward to come over there and play and see see the guys and see where I’m going to end up and I hope that you do the same so uh obviously uh like I said BR is a roller coaster but I’m really happy where we end up so a part of the the deal with San Jose of course is last year they weren’t as good a team and they’re rebuilding and so it’s a mentorship role to some degree right and obviously you have mlin celebrini and Will Smith coming in so anyway what is your thought about taking on that mentorship role for these younger players I mean I look forward to it I mean I feel like I mean there’s a two-way as well I feel like for me as well to be I want to say an older player right now I’m still 29 but uh for me to see those young guys committed to have such a skill and like their their talent so I feel like you can teach them a few things or so but I feel like it could be the same the other way around so that’s something I look forward to and I mean obviously U came to Seattle we started a new organization from scratch and it was kind of like a similar uh situation in many ways that the young team coming in so uh I just feel like it’s a good fit and uh I mean I’ve been in teams where you start from a rebuild and you build on something and it’s something that really excited to be a part of the journey and that’s why I feel like this could be something really good and why I’m so excited about it as well so when you in Columbus who were the guys who kind of took you under their wing and what did you learn from them uh this few I mean there were so many good guys uh cam ainson Matt calber Bina was a really good Captain as well and H Bo Jen took me took me in and helped me out as well I mean obviously there’s few advice Ryan Johansson have some few things that help me kind of like evolve my game a little bit and uh there’s so many players and uh I mean from Columbus and and other teams as well so I think for me right now I’m going into year 11 there’s through those years there’s been so many advice and so many guys that had influence so if there just someone you can uh help out a little bit or just give some piece of advice to help them improve I feel like that’s that’s something you’re looking forward to so I mean you try to pay it forward a little bit for what other guys did to me uh who do you know well on the Sharks I mean play with goody and uh and Rangers here uh I met grandland a few times uh and I mean obviously the sweds are run into a few times uh I mean uh so I mean it’s a pretty new team for me but uh I also feel like that’s exciting looking forward to as well so uh I mean obviously I’m expecting that in every team you come to everyone so welcome in and all that but I think it’s fun for me to come in beginning of the Season instead of a trade like that and you start preseason you build something there and then you get into the season you fight for one another so uh have you got in touch with any of the the sweds on the Sharks over this summer guys like William eckan or Fabian zedin a lot of sweds in the organization yeah a lot of swed which is a good thing so uh but no I mean uh I haven’t reached out to anyone yet uh I me I see them every summer we skate together so that usually starts in August I feel like we’re going to run into a few of them uh but yeah I mean uh it’s been right now you kind of signed a deal and right now you try to find place to live and for your kids and all that so it’s for sure there’s a lot of uh happenings right now but I feel like now when everything kind of like calms down a little bit and you kind of like can take it all in that’s where you start uh reaching out to suweet and see what’s going on with them as well uh so you’ll skate with eckan and zerin over the summer though is that or in August you said yeah exactly e and I mean it I know uh e a little bit see him every summer I also played with his dad back in Drew Garden for what is it 12 years ago or something so I reached out to him as well kind of having a good laugh about it but uh no he’s he’s a great kid great player so looking forward to get to know him a little bit better as well all right congratulations again thank you Alex thank you Curtis hi Alex this is Curtis Pasa from the San Jose Mercury News um you mentioned all the new faces that just you’re excited to sort of get going but um how challenging can that be for a team for to get everyone on the same page right away I mean obviously the new players a new head coach couple new assistant coaches me you mentioned the kids kind of coming in here uh you’re part of that in Seattle where everybody was new everybody was trying to get used to each other yeah uh how challenging can that be for a team to try to get on the same page and and uh and you know sort of you know be a team I guess right away yeah I mean obviously there there are some sense I wouldn’t say everything’s going to click from the getg go but I mean at the end of the day uh I feel like what we got in and all the new faces and all that sometimes it could be good as well I mean obviously you started from scratch but I feel like from uh coming in for Camp preseason you start right away to kind of like Get on the right track and uh I mean we’re going to see how it goes but I have full faith in this team and I feel like we’re building on something good and at the end of the day it comes down to a lot of mindset as well and you can tell from all the guys I talk to coaches organization it seems like yeah everyone is is having the right Minds CER ready for it you you mentioned your your rookie year in Columbus there you you did you play mainly as a centerman uh that that first season yeah I mean I’ve been playing pretty much centerman uh all these 11 years uh I do play uh a little bit Wing preparing on the right side but uh most of my career has been more of a centerman kind of guy 200p player so yeah right how challenging is that for you know your not only your first year in North America but here you are as a centerman and you’re going against all these top other top players as a teenager how challenging is that I guess yeah I mean it’s just so different from what you experienced before h i mean obviously in the first couple of games you just run on fumes like on emotions and then eventually you got to keep up uh and do the same thing every night that’s that’s what I think is tough especially coming from Sweden playing uh 50 something games to eat too but I mean there’s no secret to it as well I feel like it’s always going to be a shock for everyone who comes in but you can tell who kind of has it and at the end of the day like you need a little bit push and help from guys around you to help you out so that’s that’s where I had in my first year I would say and I feel like that’s what I kind of want to H do the same for the young guys ten man coming in as well I just feel like that is something that uh you kind of do for to your teammate and for guy to uh improve the team so yeah I was just curious because you know obviously the sharks have a lot of centerman right now we’ll see you know hope the Sharks hope to see L cure you know back healthy as well um does it matter though I mean center of the wing if if if if uh Ryan rowski moves you to the wing is is that a big deal or can are those kind of things maybe interchangeable a little bit yeah no I wouldn’t say it’s a big thing uh I always say it’s it’s a good thing to have two centered on the line because at the end of the day obviously someone started a center but the game of hockey is so quick and you react so if you start as a center and then end up as a wing I I feel like that’s something good because then you can just feed off each other and help each other out so uh I don’t know exactly like you talk about who’s going to play who and like who Center and Wing but uh that’s where you have time for uh for camp and preseason and at the end of the day I’m open for whatever it takes to play my best game and also for the team to play their best game so what was that experience like you know going on a playoff run with the with the Rangers there what did you take away from that experience no it’s amazing I mean obviously uh everyone plays the game to end up in the playoffs and it’s tough obviously it feel like we were close but I mean OB it wasn’t enough but uh at the end of the day you don’t really get that many chances to go that far so it was a great experience uh I had a lot of fun as well and obviously it’s a little bit of sweet to be close to it but not winning but that just makes me more hungry for next time all right thank Alex I appreciate it thank you anything else here for Alex okay thanks Alex appreciate you taking the time here um enjoy the rest of your evening we have anything else we’ll let everyone now thanks everyone

Alexander Wennberg speaks with the media for the first time since signing a two-year deal with the Sharks.