Really cool long-form interview with Mo dropped a couple days ago. Helps if you speak German, gonna try and capture the bits that are most interesting for Wing fans. IE contract discussion.
Question: You obviously can earn a lot more in North America, in the NHL, than you can in Germany. A LOT more money depending on the contract. Is that an interest to you as a professional? Of course it is important what you earn, but is that a motivation to do more or do you not pay any attention to what your contract is whether's it's 2.5 or 1.5? [presumably millions of dollars/euros]
Mo: Um, that's a good question. For me personally, and everyone can see it differently, but I think our careers are so short and in a short time span, that I think it does make a difference whether I now, I don't know, make 7 million or 8.5 million for 8 years, per year. And I find everyone tries to get that contract as high as possible. Some may say he's overpaid some may say he's underpaid, but everyone earned it and I believe that. And of course you want to sign the best possible contract for yourself, but with the background understanding that you want to have a functioning team. It's not like in football [soccer] that everyone can earn as much as they want. For us we have an upper salary limit, and when you reach it, you're done. And you still have to look to make sure you've got 18 people standing on the playing field, and 2 goalies that somehow can play for the championship together. Then you've got to find a good middle ground, maybe not looking for that one or other Euro [I'm assuming MO is talking in the sense of currency] and maybe leaving it out and then maybe someone else can come in and that would naturally make the team better. And that's why it's a very fine line. And I think there's no right or wrong of course. Because everyone has to make sure their own rolls are baked. [gotta love idioms] And that they are looking out for their retirement. But of course everyone is pushing for that big goal [I'm assuming he's talking championship with this goal]. That's a very difficult question for me.
Edit - but to add, the whole thing is cool if you can find a way to translate. This one minute section of a half hour took me long enough, that I'm not about to do the whole thing. The built in translated-CCs get you maybe 80% of the way. It misses a lot if it wasn't said with perfect diction. Basically any kind of proper noun or name it doesn't capture properly. EDIT 2 fixed a couple literal translations to better fitting phrases.
