Reactions
Edo Terglav (Grenoble coach): “We have to congratulate Bordeaux who had great playoffs and a great final. They did simple things and we couldn’t find solutions. The puck was more present in front of our goalie than theirs. We felt like we lacked energy. We didn’t have enough freshness or depth on the bench to win this match. A lot happened to us this year. At the medal ceremony, we had more injured players than healthy ones. It’s tough because we lost this final at home. We hoped to at least go to Bordeaux and have another match. But we couldn’t do enough tonight (read Saturday). We played a lot lately, 17 matches in 35 days with absences as I mentioned. And we had a tough semi-final too. We played a lot this season, reached two finals, including the CHL, but obviously, what’s missing is not winning anything. A lot happened throughout the season at the club, we learned a lot. That’s what a hockey season is.”
Sacha Treille (Grenoble captain): “We only won one match in this final, so all credit goes to Bordeaux. We lacked a bit of energy in this last game but our motivation should have hidden our fatigue. We were less fresh than them but it didn’t play a role. We lacked a bit of everything after a complicated season. We didn’t correct our mistakes, we couldn’t adapt, and our matches were similar. We kept making the same mistakes. It’s frustrating. We worked a lot to score goals, but we gave them a lot of gifts. I think we were on the losing side of this final.”
Stéphan Tartari (Bordeaux manager): “I wore the Grenoble jersey so to be sacrificed here really means something. Even if I’m more of a Clémenceau guy than a Polesud guy! It’s hard to believe. About the matches, I think it’s deserved, whether in the quarterfinals, semifinals, or finals. We built a team to challenge at this level. I’m very happy because I’ve been in Bordeaux for 30 years. This title is the culmination after a lot, a lot, a lot of work. We were in D3 and we slowly built the club back up. To finish as champions is a reward for the whole club, so I’m very proud. To have your name on the cup, that will last forever. It’s also good for the League, new clubs are emerging. But now, we have to establish ourselves in the long term.”
