Q&A | Jochen Hecht talks Ruff's return, hockey in Germany and more

Jochen Hecht is uniquely qualified to discuss what it’s like to be coached by Lindy Ruff.

Ruff’s first stint as coach of the Buffalo Sabres began at the start of the 1997-98 season and lasted until Feb. 19, 2013. No player appeared in more games with the Sabres during that stretch than Hecht, who suited up 583 times with Ruff behind the bench.

­­With Ruff back behind the Buffalo bench – and with the team currently in Munich for the start of the NHL Global Series – Sabres.com caught up with Hecht to discuss his memories of his time in Buffalo, hockey in Germany, and more.

What was your reaction after finding out Lindy was coming back to the Sabres?

I was happy. I always thought of him as a Buffalo Sabre. I had him all my years in Buffalo. I got along very well with him. Even though he coached somewhere else, he was always connected to the city.

What did you admire about Lindy as a coach?

He pushed you to get better. He had expectations and, like I said, I had a good relationship with him. I knew what he wanted from me, and I tried to play to the best of my possibilities, to play my best across the ice time. I think I did that.

He’s discussed having non-negotiables for players to follow. How do you remember him holding players accountable when you played?

I think it was a different time. Back then it was probably more direct, more saying his opinion to guys, how they played. I think now it's a different time and you have to deal differently with it. I see it over here in Germany. You have to be a little bit more polite. I think back in the day he was sometimes loud to some of the guys that didn't fulfill his expectations.

After he was hired this summer, a video circulated on social media of Lindy’s press conference following a hit that Darcy Tucker had on you. Do you remember that press conference?

Yes, I do. (Laughs) I saw the clip, too.

What does that mean to a player when a coach sticks up for you like that?

That meant a lot. Like, he's sticking up for you as a player. I didn't have a chance to talk to anybody there. I was injured. But it meant a lot that the coach is still emotional about something that happened to you and that he picked up for you in a very direct manner, not only to the reporters but to the league and the officials.

Those teams, especially the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons, are still remembered fondly and with a lot of nostalgia. Why do you think they resonate so much?

Part of it is probably that we were so close to coming to the Stanley Cup Final and I think that's the last time that we actually had a chance to win it since then. Yeah, we made the playoffs after that, but we were always kind of an outsider going in and those three years nobody expected us to do that well, but because of the lockout and the way the league changed the game, it suited us.

Like I said, nobody expected us to be that good and it was just a surprise for everybody. We filled the arena and had a lot of support in the city, and I could feel that after being traded there two years prior. Then that year after the lockout, you could feel the city just loving the Sabres. Anywhere you went, they cheered you on.

Do you have memories of being out in the community and people coming up to you?

Yeah, just before the playoffs started, like you go grocery shopping and the cashier goes, ‘Good luck next week,’ or you're walking around and just doing your daily business and there's always somebody to wish you all the best for the next couple of weeks coming up.

How did you see your role on that team?

Probably the defensive part of the guys that I went on the ice with. I was playing more of a defensive role so they can be creative upfront. I was a penalty killer. Sometimes I had a chance to play a power play, but I think me knowing how to play the game made me defensively very reliable.

Talking about you with people in Buffalo, that word "reliable" comes up. What does that mean to have that kind of legacy here?

I love that because I wasn't a flashy player. I was straight up, nothing fancy. I scored a few goals but not too many, but that was my role. That's why I kept playing for such a long time because I was reliable, I understood the game and that means a lot coming from people, that they noticed that and saw that.

What was the origin of the T-blades?

A guy in Germany actually invented that. He was a hockey enthusiast, and he actually told the company to push the T-blade. I never wanted to take off my skates during the game to get them sharpened. So, I tried them out. To switch out, you just pop a few screws out, put it back in, get a new one, done. You don’t have to take the skate off. And that was that.

So, it wasn’t a fashion statement?

No. no.

What did your teammates think of them, particularly the sound?

Yeah, they're a little louder. You can hear the ice crushing underneath because they were a little bit bendy for steel because there was not much in it. They made fun of it the first couple of weeks but then they saw I kept playing with them.

You wore quite a few jerseys while you were here. Did you have a favorite?

My favorite was probably from the winter game in 2008. The look of that. The clean white with the original crest on top in the front. That was probably my favorite. My son loves the red and the black. He loves that.

You mentioned the Winter Classic, what sticks out when you look back on that game?

Yeah, it was a special day. I think we were all fascinated with being in that big Bills stadium in front of 70,000 people. I still remember that they had to do a flood every 10 minutes because there was so much snow coming down. It was tough to be focused before the game, but once the puck hit the ice, you’re OK. I remember it being cold. I remember the benches being hot. So, you're always sitting down for 10 seconds, and you have to get back up because the heated benches are so warm. Obviously, Sidney Crosby getting the shootout winner on Ryan Miller. But it was just a great, great experience that I'm thankful I was able to participate in.

Did you become a Bills fan during your 10 years here?

Yeah, I didn't have a chance to go to too many games, but I still buy the game pass, and I follow the Bills here on Sunday night when they play an afternoon game. I watch that in Germany at home or on the bus when I'm traveling.

What are your expectations for their season?

I hope that they're going to get to the Super Bowl. They have a great team. My son knows about it more in detail because he's a huge Bills fan now. He always tells me about trades and stuff happening.

Marty Biron told me to ask you about hitting posts all the time in practice. Is that true or false?

Low blocker? I always went low blocker on him.

He also said you were one of the first wingers he remembered taking faceoffs on your strong side regularly. And that seems pretty common these days. How did that kind of come about?

Growning up in Germany, playing professionally in Germany, I was always a centerman, so it was only when I came to the U.S. that they put me on the wing. So, I was used to taking faceoffs earlier. When Daniel Briere didn't want to take a faceoff on his weakside, there was no problem with me going in. So, kind of came about about that way.

What are your thoughts on how hockey in Germany has grown, even going back to the time when you were drafted?

Yeah, it's gotten way bigger. Obviously with Leon Draisaitl, we have somebody who's one of the best players in the NHL and there's a lot of him in the media and news, on web pages that report on how he's doing. There is a TV station that broadcasts, actually after the football season ends after the Super Bowl, they start broadcasting hockey games, NHL games. And so, there's always a game on Sunday night. I'm the color guy sometimes for those games, so bringing that to the people here if they're interested. Success has been coming along with a silver medal during the world championship (in 2023), so hopefully we can build more, set even more of a foundation of hockey players because we had those two guys, Tim Stützle and Moritz Seider, that were high draft picks. But then there are years again where we don't have anybody drafted, so we still have to be more consistent in bringing out good players.

How familiar are you with JJ Peterka?

I watched him a few times. We have the same agent, and I sent him a text message once. But, yeah, it's nice to see that he developed into such a good player, and it looks like he's going to be getting the most goals for Germany in Buffalo if he keeps going like he did the last few years.

What advice do you have for anyone from Buffalo who's taking the trip to Munich?

Enjoy it. Take in the sites in Munich, don’t spend too much time in the hotel, get around, enjoy the food and a good beer.

Are there any fun hockey fan traditions that are maybe different than they are here?

I think the fans are totally different in Germany. They're singing for 60 minutes or close to that. People are in the arena an hour before the game. It's a different fan atmosphere here.

You didn't get to play when you guys made the Sabres to Mannheim (Hecht's hometown) in 2011 because of an injury, but still received a nice ovation. What do you remember most about that trip when you look back?

Well, I took warmup in Mannheim. I wasn't able to play but I was able to take warmup, and I enjoyed the fans singing my name and enjoyed bringing my Sabres to my hometown and the guys put on a really good show for the fans in Mannheim.

Are there benefits for a team starting the season with a long trip?

Yeah, it’s pretty good. I don't remember the travel being that hard, so it gets the guys together, they get to go and experience something new. JJ is going to show them something in Munich and take them to probably a special restaurant or something. But it’s a great way to bond and spend time with the guys away from the usual range in the cities.