Rich Chernomaz and his coaching staff have announced the training camp roster for the upcoming Olympic Qualifying Tournament, one player missing is Viktor Tokaji who at the age of 39 and after 222 national team games has decided to retire from international play and join the coaching staff.
After winning promotion to the A-Pool at the end of this past seasons world championships did you think that you had already finished up with your international career?
Honestly I didn’t think I was finished, after the 2014 World Championships in South Korea it wasn’t in the back of my head, however after missing last seasons World Championships in Krakow it did cross my mind.
You recovered from your ankle injury but you still missed the tournament in Norway in November, what crossed your mind at that time?
The plan was for me to be with the team in November, especially after missing out in Krakow, I was healthy and ready prove that I belong in the national team. However right before the international break I picked up a shoulder injury that needed some rest. I sat down and talked with Rich about my future with the national team, he said he would count on either as a player or a staff member but that he wanted a decisions. I thought about what if I pick up an injury and how that would influence the coaching staff and the rest of the guys, I didn't want to hang them out to dry in case something happened. I have decided to be apart of the team but as a member of the staff and continue the work that I had started in Krakow.
How much will the experience you gained as a staff member in Krakow help you in your work with the national team? Did you miss the game even more in Krakow or did it help you with what your next stage in life might look like?
A lot of things went through my head, but every ending is the start of something new. I liked what I saw last year and since I will be a coach in the future this was a great step forward and it is a great way to start my coaching career as being apart of an A-Pool World Championships. I am very lucky that I was part of what happened last season and I was very proud of the guys for what they accomplished last season, everything worked out well in the end, and I think this will be the key to success in 2016.
You have probably had a number of great memories but what about some bad ones?
I can not think of anything bad or disappointing that I would associate with my team with the national team, all 222 games were important games to me. If you look at where we were and where we are now it has been a great ride. 2002 was a great year when we were playing for promotion even though we lost to Denmark it was awesome as we played in front of three-four thousand spectators in Fehérvár and Dunaújváros. Also in 1998 when we beat Romania in Budapest to move up another level. Of course 2008 and 2009, even though we lost to Italy in 2011 and 2013, those were great memories as well. Playing in a packed arena was always fun. It was great to see 800 little kids this past weekend play on the ice surface in the Városliget, I don’t think we could have had a better feed back to what we did than that.
How much longer will you keep on playing?
I think I still have the drive, the will, the fire to keep on playing however you need to be able to handle it physically as well. An ankle injury or a shoulder injury can come up and cut anything in half that you had already planned. I have already decided that I will move on to coaching for the next stage of my life, and I hope to do this full heartedly like I played hockey. I started playing this game when I was six years old 33 years ago and when I don’t think I can continue I will ask the equipment manager for a nail to hang my playing skates on, as a coach I will still need them as a coach. I don’t really think I missed out on anything during my playing career, maybe the Olympics but that is a reach. I have reached the point where I can think back and reflect that it was worth starting this sport when no one really played it. Something started in Dunaújváros, Fehérvár and Budapest that has spread throughout the country and have pulled people together for a common goal. We have players playing all over the world but come home to play in the national team, or there is a 15 year old that sings the national anthem and goes viral here and abroad. I have a lot to be proud of, it is worth heading out to a MOL League or an EBEL game and to see that the future is bright.
What are you expecting from the Olympic Qualifying Tournament and the World Championships as a member of the coaching staff?
The Olympic Qualifying Tournament is a very important stop on the road to getting ready for the World Championships. the goal here is to advance which we know will not be easy as Lithuania and Estonia are both former Soviet states who have a hockey history and of course we have Poland, who wants revenge for last years World Championships. I think it's great that we have already sold out the arena for the weekend.
Closing words?
I would like to thank everyone who had anything thing to do with this story in the past 33 years. I am thinking of people such as Árpád Kercsó or when I was on loan with MAC Népstadion Róbert Musatics, Ákos Gergely and the Szongoth family. When I was with Újpest Tibor Balogh, and the old teammates from Dunaújváros as well as Pat Cortina, Jan Jasko both senior and junior Gábor Ocskay and Lajos Takács. I also have to thank Gergely Majoross for making me feel comfortable with MAC. Dr. Csábi and Dr. Majzik because they were the ones that taped me up and put me back on the ice after multiple injuries. I would like to apologize if I forgot anyone since there are so many of you. Not to mention my parents, family and my wife who have been a great help during my career.
So thanks and I will pass on the #6 jersey but I don’t know to whom. In Krakow Csanád Erdély had it but I know there are a number of quality players applying for it as well.