Florian Planker: I want to be like Greg Westlake or Josh Pauls

The Italian forward turns 37 in February and said he is trying to model his game after Canada’s Greg Westlake and the USA’s Josh Pauls, two younger forwards also on the IPC’s Ones to Watch list.

Sochi 2014 will mark the fifth Paralympics for Italy’s Florian Planker, and his third in ice sledge hockey.

He was Italy’s leading scorer at the last two World Championships, and more recently, he led all players at October’s IPC Ice Sledge Hockey Qualification Tournament with eight goals – four of them game-winners.

But Planker, who is on the IPC’s Ones to Watch list for Sochi 2014, insists he is not good enough.

The Italian forward turns 37 in February and said he is trying to model his game after Canada’s Greg Westlake and the USA’s Josh Pauls, two younger forwards also on the IPC’s Ones to Watch list.

“They are both very, very good shooters,” Planker said.

“I have a little more experience, but I’m more of a general athlete than specifically a forward who knows how to score in whatever situation he is in, like Josh or Greg.”

Compared to the North Americans, Planker said he does not always convert in front of the net on his scoring chances. In fact, he claims he should be scoring twice as much as he does, and that he needs to simply spend more time on the ice simulating different offensive situations.

“I watch other guys to try to imitate how they shoot,” Planker said. “Greg Westlake is a very complete player on the ice.”

In addition to learning from his coaches and teammates, Planker perfects his own game by watching the Americans and Canadians play, and by searching YouTube for sledge hockey “How-to” videos.

Italy are the reigning European champions in sledge hockey, and Planker would like to solidify himself as the continent’s top scorer before he is surpassed by up-and-coming Dmitry Lisov of Russia or Per Kasperi of Sweden.

Planker said knowing defenceman Gianluigi Rosa and goaltender Santino Stillitano are behind the forward front in Sochi will help provide some insurance and give Italy the best all-around Paralympic team they have had yet.

Italy finished eighth in their Paralympic debut at the Torino 2006 Games and seventh at Vancouver 2010, so the obvious goal is one step better than that.

“We know that Russia, Canada and USA are the big teams, but you never know how it will go,” Planker said.

“One step more is a must. But hopefully we can do something more than that, like make it onto the podium.”