Q: Legend has it that before you started playing professionally, you drove a Zamboni.

A: It was a job when I played juniors. I lived by the rink, and I was waiting to go to the Army. It’s a mandatory thing in Finland. I needed a summer job, and they needed a guy to help at the rink, so I thought it was a perfect fit because I was practicing twice a day at the same rink. It worked out perfectly. It’s funny what happened, driving the Zamboni and ten years after that, bringing the cup to the same rink and telling the guys that I drove the Zamboni. It’s been a long journey, and it took lots of work. Lots of luck, too.

Q: Your career has taken you from Finland to the Chicago Blackhawks to San Jose. What’s kept you at this level of play for so long?

A: It took lots of hard work, and also a couple lucky accidents to be able to make it, for sure. It takes good timing of course, and you gotta be able to play well when you get the chance. But it doesn’t really end there. You actually have to keep playing well all the time. You can’t have really bad stretches.

Q: How do you deal with the pressure of being a goaltender?

A: You just stay focused on the moment and think about the next play and what you are going to do about it. You don’t want to be thinking about the rest — how the game’s going to end or what happened in the game before. You want to stay really present and focused.

Q: The Sharks have a real cohesion and camaraderie. Can you comment on that aspect of the club?

Yeah, I think we had the same core for a couple of years, which everybody trusts. And we know we can produce. We have lots of talent on the team and we also got the big guys there who can take care of everybody. It takes those couple special players in the locker room, who can just relax everybody and make everybody laugh. That helps for sure.

Q: Are you concerned about what you might say on camera during the filming of the EPIX series?

A: You never get used to the cameras. Me personally, I just go about my business everyday like they’re not there. I think you’ll probably see that throughout the whole series. We have a good group of guys. You’re going to see a lot of characters. Different guys have different qualities, and I’m sure a lot of them are going to shine.

Q: What’s something you think viewers will be surprised by?

A: I think how much fun we have, you know? We truly enjoy it. It’s our job, but we truly enjoy coming to the rink every day, enjoying each others’ company and just being kids. We still haven’t lost our passion and love for the game.

Q: You’ve had an amazing career, Olympic medals, All-Star games, et cetera. When you think back on your journey, what makes it most special for you?

A: When it’s all said and done, I’m going to look back on my career and just feel blessed about how many friends I’ve had over the course of so many years. I’ve truly had so many great teammates, and I still keep in touch with a lot of people I played with in Boston.

Q: What are your thoughts about the NHL Stadium Series^TM game at Levi's^® Stadium?

A: Playing outdoors at Levi’s^® Stadium will be a lot of fun. There’ll be 60-70,000 people. The only difference for me being from the East Coast is it won’t be that cold — there won’t be any snow. But it should be quite an atmosphere, and I’m looking forward to it. As a kid I played outdoors all the time. My dad used to build a rink in the backyard for myself and my three brothers, so we were all constantly out there after school, skating around, shooting, working on our skills.

Q: What’s it like to be part of a production that gives fans a peek behind the curtain of the lives of NHL athletes?

A: It’s nice for fans to get a sneak peek. It’s the first time that I’ll have a camera at the rink following me around, so I have to watch what I say or do. But it should be a lot of fun. Guys are excited about it.

Q: What do you think will surprise viewers most about the life of professional hockey players?

A: The preparation, the work that NHL players put into every game, every day. The workouts, on-ice sessions, videos — just everything that goes into being prepared to play the next game.

Q: What kinds of interactions do you think viewers will see in the Sharks locker room?

A: It’s a fun group we have here. Loose, but also when it’s time to be serious, we’re serious. And the guy who leads the locker room is Joe Thornton. He’s a funny guy, a clown, but when he needs to be serious, he can be. He rallies the guys around him, and that’s why in the years past, he’s had the “C” (Captain). That’s why he has the “A” (Alternate Captain) now.

Q: What are your thoughts about the NHL Stadium Series^TM game at Levi's^® Stadium?

A: Anytime you get the chance to play outdoors, you really treasure it. I’ve been to Levi’s^® Stadium to watch a football game, and it’s a beautiful stadium. The only other opportunity I’ve had to play outside was at Lambeau Field in college at the University of Wisconsin, and it’s something you always remember. You remember how the ice felt, and the puck and the conditions being outside, with friends and family in the stands. It’s something you always treasure.

Q: How do you and the team prepare for the behind-the-scenes cameras and that level of personal exposure?

A: I don’t think we really understand what it’ll be like the first day having cameras in the locker room. It’s still pretty calm. We’re going to have to forget about the cameras and just enjoy it. We’re coming to the rink to play, to practice, to get better and really enjoy the game that we love playing, so it should be easy.

Q: What do you think people will be surprised by when they start getting an up-close look at the lives of NHL players?

A: We have a lot of fun. Guys love coming to the rink, love being around each other, love to practice and play the game.

Q: How do you think your personal style — on and off the ice — will change when there are cameras everywhere?

A: It’s different having a camera in your face when you’re working out, but I think it’s great for the fans to see what actually goes into being a professional hockey player. Having the cameras around doesn’t affect my routine. I think most of the guys are going to stick to what they normally do, not change anything up, and that will give the fans a great idea of what everybody’s routine is, what they go through to get ready for games or for practice. You just go about your routine normally. There are cameras there, where they normally wouldn’t be, but you just keep doing the same thing.

Q: You came up through Juniors in Canada and played your way up. Was there a moment when you said to yourself, “Okay, Patrick, welcome to the NHL”?

A: It might’ve been my first shift playing against the (Edmonton) Oilers. Bryan Marchment came and tried to hit me my very first shift. And luckily, I think I toe-picked and fell down, and he missed me. But I went on to play with him, and he was a great teammate.

Q: You hold several Sharks records including games played and goals. What do you think is the key to playing at that level?

A: You have to be able to just take care of yourself and make sure you’re prepared physically. And, you know, there are always mental battles. Those are all learning experiences, and for as much as I’ve played, I’m still learning.

Q: Can you tell us how your typical game day goes?

A: If it’s a weekday, I’d get up, take the kids to school, then head to the rink. I get ready for a pre-game skate and do all that, have our meetings, go have a pre-game meal at the same spot we always do. And then go back home, watch TV for a little bit or do whatever needs to be done around the house. Then have an hour-and-a-half nap. Get up and see the kids for probably about an hour or so — and then off to the game.