AZ Interview with Matthew Mayon: The 30-year-old Canadian defender moved to EHC Red Bull Munich from KHL team Dino Riga this week.
AZ: Mr. Maione, welcome to EHC Red Bull Munich! Have you already decided what song to play for your new teammates? After all, you are not only known for his impressive skills as a hockey player, but also for his vocal performance on the guitar.
MATHEW MAIONE: (Laughs) No. But yes, I like music. This is the hobby in which I enjoy the most, in which I am the most myself, completely off. Some can do it with reading, others with video games, for me it is the world of music that I dive into then. I like to play the guitar and then I like to sing.
How good are you
I am not as good as I want to be, but it is right for me to clean my head and recharge my battery. I would say that my ability comes in waves. In summer, when I have more time, I play better, then muscle memory is controlled and I can play with a certain ease. And in winter, when I have less time, I forget it again (laughs).
“Ice hockey and music are my great passions”
What kind of music do you listen to?
I have a wide variety of music. My favorite thing is the acoustic guitar. I think the best way to express myself and my feelings, my brother, on the other hand, is completely fixated on electricity. But I also like rock, folk rock, but also metal. Everything is good Ice hockey and music are my great passions.
Then about your passion for ice hockey: what was the deciding factor for you to sign with EHC?
Well, my Dino Riga team did not make it to the KHL playoffs, but I felt I still had a lot to offer physically and mentally. When the request came from Munich, I immediately came to know about the Union and the city. I called my good friend Derek Roy, who only told me the best about the organization and the city, and I was very excited. And after talking to Don Jackson, it was clear that his idea of ice hockey is almost what I like. I can only say: this man is a legend! He was in the NHL, won the Stanley Cup with Wayne Gretti, and as a coach he won everything he did there. I should always walk around with a recording device when it says something so that I don’t miss anything. I’ll be the best like a sponge, Jackson says soaking everything up – and he has a lot to say!
Why did you decide to move from Canada to the big, wide world of ice hockey six years ago?
Now. I had offers to play in the AHL, but I must be honest, I made more money in Europe in my first year than I would have done in the AHL. And I have always been a person who loves to experience new things, which also adds to an adventure. I am half-Italian, half-Greek, but I was born in Canada. We used to go a lot in Europe to visit the families of our parents, so for me Europe was never a culture shock that many players in North America initially feel. But I still had to know for myself if this life is for me. I was alone at the time, traveling alone, I did not speak languages, I was in foreign countries and cultures. When you do this, you have to be comfortable with it, not be comfortable with it. Because at first you don’t like it. But I liked this life. When I realize that, I just want to experience more and more things.
“As an athlete, of course, I was always interested in how the body works”
Your motto in life is: ignorance and confidence – why so?
I keep changing him, but I like him. Ignorance in this context means that you do things – with confidence – because you are not afraid that it might trigger a catastrophic storm or a negative reaction. I think a lot of players in ice hockey are not realizing their potential because they are afraid of making a mistake. But hockey is a game of mistakes. I don’t let things try or risk me for fear of making a mistake. When you do all this with confidence, ignorance of fear can be a big force.
You can tell that you have a degree in psychology. Does it help you in sports sometimes?
On the contrary (laughs). But joking aside. I have degrees in psychology and biology, but both fields are changing so much that I need to take refresher courses immediately. As an athlete, I was definitely interested in how the body works – and how the psyche and head work. When both move with the hand, the head helps the body – and vice versa.
a sound mind in a sound body.
Ok OK.
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