Sami Salo Interview - 2011 Stanley Cup Final

After Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final between the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins, we caught up with the oft-injured veteran blueliner Sami Salo to discuss his health and hockey future. These are his stories.

Q: Was that your last game playing for the Vancouver Canucks?
A: I don’t know.

Q: Do you think you’ll be back next year or are you planning to retire?
A: No, I’m not going to retire. I know that for sure.

Q: Are you’re going to play in the NHL next year?
A: Well it all depends if I get a deal from some team. But you know, I’ve felt really good in the playoffs. I’ve felt like myself. I had a really long beginning of the season. It was really tough coming back. But I’ve felt right from the first game against Chicago. I was back as the same me as I was before.

Q: Do you feel like playing just half a season is a better fit for you?
A: I don’t know, but obviously you can’t feel tired after not playing at full season.

Q: Daniel and Henrik Sedin took a discount to stay in Vancouver. Would you be willing to do the same?
A: Yeah, for sure. I think my family has loved their time in Vancouver. We’ve been here since 2002, so nine years or so. We’ll see what happens, but it’s been a really good fit for the years that I’ve been here.

Q: Does Vancouver feel like home?
A: Yes it does. My kids have gone through the schools here and through that we’ve made lots of friends. The kids have lots of different activities and lots of friends, so it feels like home.

Many thanks to Sami for speaking with us. Best of luck next season.