Maksymilian Szuber:
"We had a game on Sunday in San Diego with the Tucson Roadrunners, which we won in a penalty shootout. After the game, the manager came to me and told me that I was flying to Seattle the next day. That was a very unexpected moment for me. Of course, I was very excited, but I was also immediately very nervous. Then I found out that defender Travis Dermott was unfortunately injured. That's when I realized that my first NHL game was coming up. It was an indescribable feeling. A lot of people say you're speechless at that moment, and I couldn't agree more. I didn't know what to say. In Seattle, I was very nervous at the rookie lap and was afraid I was going to fall! But thankfully everything went well. The guys gave me a great reception, told me right at the rookie lap "without buckie!", meaning I should run without a helmet, and the feeling was really indescribable. It was a day that I will remember for the rest of my life."
The Arizona Coyotes were beaten 5-0 by the Seattle Kraken in the end, but our Red Bull Ice Hockey Academy alumnus Maksymilian Szuber got a full 17 minutes of NHL "ice air" during the game.