Featured Article
HF chats with T-Birds player Toni Bader
Written by: Oliver Janz on 02/03/2002 
Hockey's Future: Hello Toni, how do you feel in Seattle right now?
Anton Bader: I really like Seattle. It is a very nice city and it is close to home.
HF: Where's your place of birth and do you have German or Canadian citizenship, or actually both?
AB: I was born in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and I have dual citizenship.
HF: When did you step on the ice for the first time and which team was your first?
AB: When I was 5 - and I played for SC Riessersee.
HF: What or who introduced you to the sport of hockey?
AB: My dad introduced me.
HF: If you look back in the past, what would you say about your time in Riessersee?
AB: I was only a kid then but I learned a lot there.
HF: Are you in contact with any former teammates from your time in Riessersee?
AB: Not consistently - sometimes.
HF: Why did you leave Germany and your hometown of Riessersee together with your mother in September of 1994?
AB: No specific reason.
HF: Pitt Meadows/Maple Ridge in British Columbia became your new residence. Naturally, you played hockey there. Which teams did you play for during your bantam years?
AB: I played for Ridge Meadows during pee wee and bantam.
HF: You jumped into the Western Hockey League in 1997, playing one and a half seasons for the Swift Current Broncos. How did you enjoy your time there?
AB: Swift Current was a real change from anywhere else I have ever lived before. It is small and very cold. It took some getting used to.
HF: That time was followed by about a year of playing for the Try-City Americans. Your feelings about that time?
AB: I had a good time there. I learned a lot in Tri-City under Head Coach Don Hay.
HF: You then had another movement - to the Calgary Hitmen. You set career highs in goals (7), assists (8), points (15) and penalty minutes (138) - but they released you this season after four games. Why did they cut you out?
AB: You are only allowed to have three 20 year old players per team. Therefore I was moved to Seattle.
HF: The move to the Thunderbirds should be your last in the WHL. How was your reception and what could you tell us about your first impressions and your new team, the Seattle Thunderbirds?
AB: I was really happy to come to Seattle. The management has been really good to me and I look forward to helping the team.
HF: The Thunderbirds are on the last place in their division, that doesn't look good. What's your estimation for the season?
AB: We are pretty young, but I believe we are better than our record has shown.
HF: You are the oldest defender in your team and should lead the younger defensemen. So, what are your personal short term goals in Seattle?
AB: To play the best hockey I can.
HF: And what are your long term goals for your hockey career?
AB: ...play hockey for a living.
HF: One of your teammates in Seattle is another guy with the surname Bader, it's Aaron Bader. He's not related to you - but do you have brothers or sisters?
AB: Yes, I have one brother named Maxi.
HF: Defender Matthew Spiller was drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes in 2001 as #31. What's your opinion about him?
AB: He's a great guy.
HF: Are you in contact with any other German player/s, who currently play in north America?
AB: No.
HF: You had been invited to the German junior national team in 2000 for the last time. Now, your are too old for the juniors and eligible for the actual National team. Any hopes that national coach Hans Zach will call you up somewhere down the line in the future?
AB: I would love to play for the national team.
HF: Would you go back to Germany after your junior years are over, or would you prefer to stay a while in North America and take your first steps into the pro area in a minor league?
AB: My goal is to play pro in North America.
HF: Could you describe your playing style? Thunderbirds Director of Player Personnel said you are a stay-at-home defenseman. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
AB: I play hard, good defensively and I try to make a good first pass. My weaknesses are I try to do too much at times and therefore not always make the right play. My strengths are my skating, size, and shot.
HF: If you would compare yourself and your playing style to a defender in the NHL, who would it be?
AB: I would like to be a player like Adam Foote.
HF: Who is your hockey role model?
AB: It's Scott Stevens.
HF: What is the NHL team you'd most like to play for?
AB: The Florida Panthers.
HF: Where do you live while now playing in Seattle?
AB: In Vancouver.
HF: What are your hobbies? How do you spend your free time on road trips?
AB: I like movies and golf and playing cards with teammates.
HF: Do you have any favorite movies?
AB: I have three favorites. Snatch, Blow and Driven.
HF: What about music?
AB: All kinds.
HF: For German fans: do you follow the things which happen in the German hockey?
AB: Very little, only the playoffs.
HF: Do you miss anything that is typical German in North America?
AB: The restaurants, the markets, the people and the food.
HF: What's better in North America than in Germany?
AB: Hockey...!
HF: In your opinion, is making the step to North America good for the personal and hockey development of a young and ambitious prospect or are there to many problems involved with it?
AB: I think it's very good and there usually aren't any problems.
HF: Do you have a favorite number you like to wear on your jersey?
AB: The number 33.
HF: What was your biggest hockey moment ever in your young career?
AB: Scoring the game winner against the Ukraine at the World Juniors in 2000.
HF: Have you had any injuries in your previous career?
AB: No major injuries.
HF: The last question isn't hockey related: What's your biggest wish for the future?
AB: To be successful.
HF: Thanks for the interview and best wishes for your future.
Personality:
Name: Anton BaderNickname: Toni
Team: Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)
Jersey: #3
Defender, shoots right
Height: 6'2''
Weight: 216 lbs.
Born: 1/25/1981 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
Hometown: Pitt Meadows/Maple Ridge, British Columbia
Status: Free Agent in summer 2002.
Other informations:
- Anton Bader played in the junior system of SC Riessersee from 1986 till 1994. Then he played in the system of Ridge Meadows, British Columbia (BCAHA) from 1994 till 1997, where also players like Cam Neely and Brendan Morrison developed.
- "Bader is an experienced, stay at home defenseman, who should bring us help on the blue line" stated Thunderbird Director of Player Personnel Colin Alexander, who went on to add, "He's a character player and he has some good skills. His WHL experience will be key in helping some of our younger defensemen".
- Bader was originally a Seattle list player and attended his first WHL training camp in Calgary with the Thunderbirds.
Career stats:
|
REGULAR SEASON |
||||||||||
|
SEASON |
TEAM |
LEAGUE |
GP |
G |
A |
PTS |
PIM |
|||
|
1997-98 |
Swift Current Broncos |
WHL |
37 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
20 |
|||
|
1998-99 |
Swift Current Broncos |
WHL |
26 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
39 |
|||
|
Tri-City Americans |
WHL |
23 |
0 |
3 |
3 |
47 |
||||
|
1999-00 |
Tri-City Americans |
WHL |
22 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
54 |
|||
|
Calgary Hitmen |
WHL |
33 |
0 |
3 |
3 |
50 |
||||
|
2000-01 |
Calgary Hitmen |
WHL |
65 |
7 |
8 |
15 |
138 |
|||
|
2001-02 |
Calgary Hitmen |
WHL |
4 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
6 |
|||
|
Seattle Thunderbirds |
WHL |
41 |
4 |
18 |
22 |
53 |
||||
|
TOTALS |
WHL |
251 |
16 |
39 |
55 |
407 |
||||
|
PLAYOFFS |
||||||||||
|
1998-99 |
Tri-City Americans |
WHL |
12 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
|||
|
1999-00 |
Calgary Hitmen |
WHL |
11 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
30 |
|||
|
2000-01 |
Calgary Hitmen |
WHL |
12 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
12 |
|||
|
TOTALS |
WHL |
35 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
50 |
||||
|
German Nationalteam: |
||||||||||
|
1999-00 |
U20 B-WJC |
5 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
12 |
||||
|
2000 |
U20 B-WJC |
5 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
||||
Copyright 2002 Hockey’s Future. Do not reprint or otherwise duplicate without permission of the editorial staff.
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