ENRICO CARPANI: Elvis Merzļikins, thinking back today to the first part of your sporting adventure in Lugano, to what extent do you think the support of the Foundation was decisive for your growth as an athlete but above all as a young man?
«I am one of you. I have chosen to give my contribution to the Foundation because the strong bond that ties me to HCL has never been broken. If I look back and examine my life within that team, it still brings tears to my eyes. I joined the youth teams when I was 15, and made my debut in the first team when I was 18. I can basically say that I owe everything I have learned to the coaches, my teammates, and the HCL environment, to whom I am infinitely grateful for the entire sporting and human journey they have allowed me to take».
ENRICO CARPANI: Your individual path has often been held up as a model: on the one hand for your determination to bring out your natural talent, on the other for the example of efficiency of the structure that followed you: would it have been possible to become Elvis in a different context?
"Absolutely not. In Lugano I was welcomed with open arms and despite my character not always easy and open to comparison, I had the opportunity to realize what has been my dream since I was a child: to play hockey in the NHL, the most important championship in the world. Now I like to think that, among the hundreds of boys and girls who attend the Youth Section, thanks also to the contribution of the Foundation, there is some little Elvis who is growing up, holding tight to his dream of becoming a champion in the fantastic world of hockey".
ENRICO CARPANI: Today, the great champion that you are wants other young people to have the same opportunity: is this the reason why you decided to support the Foundation and become its official testimonial?
"I gladly accepted this invitation because I have never forgotten the hours and hours I spent on the track, in the locker rooms, in contact with the coaches, the chaperones and all the people who follow the life and activities of the boys every day. Their work is the basis of my training as an athlete, but above all as a man. And it is wonderful to think of the enthusiasm, the passion, the desire to play and win that animated me and my companions then just as today it continues to be the life force of hundreds and hundreds of children, boys and young people who, thanks to the Youth Section and the Foundation, are approaching the practice of this sport".
PAUL GUGLIELMONI: When you were very young you had a very rockstar attitude on and off the ice. Was it just an image, a reaction to the pressure you were under and how did this posture of yours change over time?
"It's true, I could seem arrogant, grumpy, but my attitude was largely due to the stress that the situation forced me to face. Many expectations had been placed on me and I was still very young and inexperienced. I just wanted to be myself, accepting a teaching that my mother had always repeated to me. Also in this respect I am very grateful to the HCL environment because I met many people who helped me to mature and become aware of my limits and my responsibilities."
ENRICO CARPANI: Do you see yourself in the near future in Lugano even more actively involved with your life and sport experience in this organization?
"I still see myself in Lugano 1000 percent and I confess that, when I came to Lugano for a holiday last year, I gave in to temptation and I've already bought a house. But before dedicating myself to the boys and young people, as a coach or in some other role, which would be a great honor for me, I still have an immense desire: to see my jersey hanging under the vaults of the Cornèr Arena."
