Interview with Sheffield Steelers' netminder Matt Greenfield after the team's Champions Hockey League victory over Czechia's Dynamo Pardubice
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00:00So it's not too often in Sheffield you get to be an underdog.
00:13So I think we kind of embraced that underdog mindset from the beginning and then all of
00:16a sudden I think after game one against Freiberg we were like, oh my goodness, we could play
00:20with these guys.
00:21We're not an underdog here, we belong here and I think we wanted to prove to people that
00:26we're real good at hockey, we've got real good hockey players in that dressing room
00:29and we can play with anyone and we just wanted to go out and do what we can do.
00:36Is it some of the toughest hockey you've played these games?
00:38Yeah, absolutely.
00:39I mean the teams we're playing are no joke, they're all incredible.
00:43Sometimes you're a bit in awe on the ice and watching the moves guys are able to pull off
00:48but yeah, it's definitely the highest level and definitely intense and it's just a blast
00:54to be out there.
00:55Nothing's a given in hockey.
00:57As they say, that's why you play the game and nothing's a given.
01:00The guys in that room are just so good, we work so well together.
01:05I can't say enough good things about my teammates, they're just incredible and you just never
01:09know what could happen and we just want to give ourselves a chance.
01:10That was kind of the message in the room and yeah, I mean I certainly wouldn't have thought
01:15we'd advance and they wouldn't have if you'd asked me for the tournament but as they say,
01:18that's why they play the game.
01:19Was there a general feeling in the room that the further you played or the longer you played
01:24in this tournament, the more comfortable you got at this level?
01:27For sure, for sure.
01:28I think the belief started to grow.
01:29We played that first game and I know myself, we were just kind of hoping like, let's get
01:34out of here, unscathed a bit and not get embarrassed and then we played them and then at the end
01:41of the game, we're down one with the chance to win.
01:43We're like, oh my goodness, we can beat these guys and then we played the second game in
01:47Vauquois and I thought we outplayed them and that's when the belief started to go, oh no,
01:53this wasn't a fluke, we belong.
01:56I mean, is this a case of like, you've got through to the next round now, why stop there?
02:01Yeah, absolutely.
02:02I mean, if you look at the teams we've played, we've played top teams in the tournament,
02:06top teams in Europe so I think the belief in the room is if we can beat them, we can
02:10skate with anybody and we just want to give ourselves a chance.
02:13That's all we want to do is just go out and play our game and give ourselves a chance
02:16and we've got some guys that love bearing big goals so I like their shot.
02:20There is no fear, is there now, I suppose, really, with anyone you play?
02:23No, no and I think that's where the belief comes from is we've seen some of the best
02:28teams in Europe, we've taken their best punches and we responded back and answered and so
02:34you know, now there's no fear, we're just going to go out and you know, at this point
02:38no one expected us to be here so we're just going to go and see how long we can keep dancing.
02:42You're third year here now?
02:43Yes.
02:44Now, was the CHL part of the attraction in coming back again?
02:47Yeah, absolutely.
02:49I mean, we're like brothers in that room so, you know, we had a lot of returning guys and
02:53it was exciting to be able to come back and see what we can do comparatively to the rest
02:58of Europe.
02:59I think that was a once in a lifetime opportunity to go and play some of the top teams and I
03:03really just wanted to be a part of it with this group and so it was absolutely a jaw
03:08to come back.
03:09That group mentality, how important is it?
03:11It's super important.
03:12I think, you know, if you look at our group, it's someone different every night, right?
03:17Like, Valley scores a big one and Foucault, Balmes gets the winner tonight.
03:21Like, we just have unbelievable hockey players, it doesn't matter who it is.
03:25Like Simmer scores the game winner.
03:26I'm trying to think who had the game winner in the Prague game but it's just someone different
03:31every night.
03:32UOL's been amazing.
03:33So many guys have been just outstanding, no passengers, everyone's gone.
03:37It's just such a fun group to be a part of and yeah, you never know who's going to be
03:41the hero on any given night and that's what makes it so fun.