Hockey Today Magazine
International Hockey
Interview: Stelburg Kaisers and Goldhorns Centre Edwin Ranger
He’s the Ehrenliga’s reigning MVP and goalscoring champion, the first player in several years to score 60 goals in one season. He’s the face of the most famous hockey club in this country, the Stelburg Kaisers. And he’s developing into a star for the Siovanija & Teusland national team so far at World Cup of Hockey 40.
Hockey Today’s Lubomir Kaspar sat down with Edwin Ranger to ask him about his Ehrenliga hopes, his World Cup of Hockey hopes, and more.
Lubomir Kaspar: Thanks for sitting down with us, Edwin
Edwin Ranger: For sure, not a problem.
LK: Let’s jump right into things here. The Goldhorns are a perfect 6-0-0 at the World Cup of Hockey so far, what’s the atmosphere like around the team right now?
ER: It’s a lot of fun. We’re a good group, really, and that makes it a lot of fun. There’s a ton of younger guys, Timo (Schlager), myself, Aleksej (Knejz), Vitomir (Glaskov) and more, plus some of the more veteran guys like obviously Gunter (Pfenning) who has been such a big influence on us all. You love coming to the rink everyday, you love getting out and playing with the guys, and when you enjoy your hockey you usually play better.
LK: You didn’t waste any time getting started at this tournament, scoring just 5 minutes into the first game against Graintfjall, and actually scoring twice in that game. How big of an effect did that have on your mentality here?
ER: Well, I’ve been on the national team before, been around the group, but in a limited capacity. And before the tournament, Aaron (Kuhn) and Gunter were really clear that this is our team now, the younger guys, and we really need to take hold of it. So being able to get things off to the best start possible was just such a big confidence boost.
LK: You haven’t really stopped since then, with 7 goals in the tournament so far - including the winner in the last game, a 3-2 win over Graintfjall. You must be liking playing with linemates Torsten Bohm and Alex Schnyder?
ER: Oh definitely, yeah. Torsten just sees the game so well, and obviously everyone knows how good he is in pressure situations. And Alex, he’s another shooter like me, but we’re a bit different, and I think it really helps us on offence to have those two options available, we create space for each other.
LK: This is a great lineup for the Goldhorns up and down the lineup. Is there any guy not on your line that you’d like to play with the most?
ER: I’d love to try out a few shifts up playing wing with Heider and Schlager. Those guys are just so fast, so skilled, and I think Timo and I would actually work really well together. We work pretty well on the powerplay, and at the All-Star game last year with Team Teusland we actually played a few shifts together.
LK: Is that something that you’d talk to your coach Aaron Kuhn about?
ER: Actually we’ve talked about it before, it’s something that he’s interested in trying. I know he mentioned putting us out there after a penalty kill sometimes when the other team’s big guys are just coming off after the powerplay, but we haven’t got the chance yet.
LK: Is there any rivalry between you and Timo Schlager, given all of the talk in the media about you too? You know, for MVP this year, and in the Strauss Cup Final of course.
ER: No, actually, we got on from day one. Obviously we’ve played on teams together before, but we’ve also competed for things our whole lives - junior, Ehrenliga, and so on. We were talking about how it’s good to be on the same side for once - we’re both fierce competitors, obviously, so just knowing what to expect from your teammate night in night out is great - we both want one goal.
LK: And that goal is?
ER: We came here to win, and I think every guy on this team wants to be lifting that trophy at the end of the tournament. Obviously, it’s the most difficult thing to do in international hockey, so we also know how important it is to stay grounded and take it one game at a time. But that is definitely our goal.
LK: Moving on now Edwin, let’s talk about last season. A great season for you individually - 60 goals, 101 points, the winner of the Wolf Bleich Trophy as league MVP. How good did that feel?
ER: It’s always nice to be recognized, but I’d trade all of it to win the Cup.
LK: Let’s talk about that Cup Final series. You guys lost in 6 games against a very strong Seelowe Marlesee. You did manage 3 goals in the series. What were the biggest takeaways for you in that series?
ER: I wasn’t good enough. It’s one thing regular season vs playoffs, and it’s another thing playoffs vs Cup Final, and I wasn’t ready for that jump. Winning the Cup takes a certain amount of hard work, of commitment, of just will - you want to win so badly that you’ll give anything to do it. And I know that now, having been through that series. It’s the worst feeling in the world.
LK: You were quite harsh on yourself after game 6, taking all the blame for the loss and saying that you’d let yourself and your teammates down. Do you still feel that way?
ER: Look, it’s a team sport, and obviously all the blame isn’t on my shoulders - I was too emotional at that moment to look anywhere beyond myself. We talked as a team, and everyone has things they want to do better this season, but I’d say it again. I have to do more for our team in those situations, I can’t afford to be a passenger.
LK: Will the Stelburg Kaisers be better than ever next season?
ER: Definitely. I’ve never seen a group so motivated as we all are right now, everyone wants to get better every day and our only goal is to get back and prove what we are really made of.
LK: And will Edwin Ranger match his exploits from last season?
ER: I try to be the best I can each year, and do as much as I can to help our team. Hitting 60 again would be nice, but it’s only happened once in the last 8 seasons.
LK: You have to say, though, that if anyone could do it, it would be you - widely considered one of the best goalscorers in the league. Hockey Night in Siovanija & Teusland’s Oskar Kirsche says you have the best wrist shot in the world. Do you agree?
ER: Haha, I love Oskar, and the wrist shot is something I’m proud of, the level it’s at. I do think I have one of the best in the league, yeah. But best goalscorer in the league? I don’t know, Razvigor Tsvetanov would have something to say about that - Razzy’s up above 50 pretty much every year, I’ve hit 60 once. I’d love to have a one-timer like he does.
LK: Razvigor Tsvetanov says his one-timer came from passing to himself off the garage door in his driveway. How did Edwin Ranger’s wrist shot come to be?
ER: Also on the driveway, but shooting at targets - I loved picking that top right corner, still do today of course!
LK: Edwin, it’s always a pleasure to chat with you. Best of luck to you in the rest of the World Cup of Hockey, and in the upcoming season with the Kaisers!
ER: Thanks Lubomir.
That concludes
Hockey Today’s interview with Edwin Ranger. We’ll be back soon with another edition of Ehrenliga’s Finest. Until then, let’s go Goldhorns!