At the end of a season full of twists and turns, the iconic Captain of the Eagles reflects on this exceptional year, which could become historic… One day before the first match of the final, Aurélien Macon shared his thoughts with Nice Premium.
Tonight, Nice Hockey travels to Anglet for Game 3 of the playoff finals. In case of a victory, Nice will become the D1 champions and will face the 12th team of the Ligue Magnus, with a spot in the elite of French hockey at stake. On Friday, Nice won 3-2 in Game 1. The following day, the score was tied at the end of overtime (2-2). The two teams were separated in a shootout, won by Nice (1-0). The Eagles are 60 minutes away (barring overtime) from a first division 1 title.
Nice Premium: A word about your new recruits (Hamrak, Zbynek, Misura…)?
Aurélien Macon: “In Nice, we don’t have the chance to have a training camp, to go away for a few days. However, at the end of August, we have our pre-season tournament, the Riviera Cup. It allows us to get into the swing of things, to live alongside our future teammates for a few days. They adapted really well. We, as the veterans, have to integrate them. They are really nice, welcoming, and there haven’t been any problems with any of the guys on the team.
NP: What have been your best moments this season?
AM: In my opinion, the best moment is yet to come with the final. Personally, the season went very well. I met new people, both French and foreign. I have the chance to play especially with the two Matej (Hamrak and Misura) up front, it’s wonderful. We get along really well, both on and off the ice. Overall, the season has been a good time.
NP: What have been your worst moments this season?
AM: The loss in Neuilly before the break. One minute before the end, we were leading by two goals, and in the end, we lost in overtime. That didn’t go well. There was also the defeat at home against Anglet, 4-0. Those are really the two bad moments of the season. Against Anglet, losing 4-0 at home, playing a mediocre game, it hurts.
“We know we have the potential and the qualities to go all the way”
NP: At the start of the season, you had a streak of 7 consecutive victories, right now you’re at 9 (interview conducted one day before match 1), does the group live well to achieve this type of performance?
AM: Within the team, it’s going really well. We are aware that we have a very good team. We also know that we still have a chance to play for. So far, aside from the loss in Neuilly and against Anglet, we can hardly do better. We finished first in the regular season. We won the quarters and the semis of the playoffs in two games. We are doing really well. We know we have the potential and the qualities to go all the way. For now, we are trying to stay grounded. Besides, when you have a season with so many victories, so much success, the atmosphere can only be good.
NP: What has changed compared to last year?
AM: The roster. The recruitment was very good. There is a good chemistry between all of us. On paper, I think the team is better and there is a really good cohesion. That’s what allows us to achieve better results than last year.
NP: Was the club’s goal the final?
AM: Yes, the goal was the final, but now we want to go further. As everyone says, a final isn’t played, it’s won. We know we can do it, so we don’t want to stop at the objective, no way. Everyone wants to lift the cup, have a medal and be able to put on their resume that with Nice, we won the championship.
NP: And more than the final, the Ligue Magnus?
AM: We’re thinking about it. When you reach this stage of the competition, you have to think about it. But what matters most to us is the title. It’s the goal that, today, everyone is aiming for. The “Magnus” would be great, but right now, we really want to win the title.”
Kevin Chifflet
