TJ Brennan in interview: “We have high expectations, but we don’t see that as pressure”

Olimpija started last season with six consecutive wins and repeatedly sat atop the standings as the season progressed. The “Dragons” ultimately finished the regular season in sixth place. After a quarterfinal victory over Bolzano, their run ended in the next round against the second South Tyrolean team, Bruneck. “I would definitely call the season a success. Of course, you can’t be completely satisfied if you don’t win the championship. We believed in ourselves – and I think that’s the first key. The defeat was tough, but sometimes you need exactly that to move forward. We’ll learn from it, take the positives, and try to do even better,” Brennan looks back.

The American once again delivered strong performances. With 53 points in 46 games, he was the highest-scoring defenseman of the regular season and was also named MVP. “Any kind of recognition is an honor. Last season was a big challenge. The league has really become strong, and it felt like anyone could beat anyone on any given night. I try to continuously improve. Especially as you get older, you try to learn from the past year and apply those lessons to the next season.”

High expectations in Ljubljana
With Žiga Jeglič and Jan Urbas, two experienced players returned to Slovenia. Experts once again rate Ljubljana’s team highly. “We have high expectations, but we don’t see that as pressure. It’s simply a process. As anyone in sports knows, the line between feeling pressure and performing under pressure is very thin. Part of our preparation is not letting that pressure get to us – neither as individuals nor as a team. That’s a difficult task, but it’s one of the challenges you have to overcome to achieve something great. We’re looking forward to this challenge. If we go out on the ice and give our best, we believe the results will take care of themselves,” says Brennan, who won the championship with Salzburg in 2022.



The strong performances have sparked an ice hockey hype in the Slovenian capital. The 37-year-old compares the atmosphere at Tivoli Hall to the time when he still came to Ljubljana as a visiting player. “When I played here with Salzburg a few years ago, the arena wasn’t as full. It was already a strong team back then, but the atmosphere wasn’t the same. Now, something has been built. Seeing how the fans and everyone in the city are behind us is truly magical. We believe in ourselves, and it seems like that belief is spreading throughout the city. We hope to continue this path this year, keep growing, and keep building something special.”

Focus on the season opener
In the preseason, the team recorded two wins in six games. More important than the results, however, was that the squad was able to gel. “It was very easy to arrive here with a smile on my face and get back to work – because of the environment we’ve created. We have a group of hard-working guys. There’s no doubt that the guy next to you is working hard and wants it just as much as you do. We try to push each other – that’s very important to me. Because it doesn’t matter whether it’s a training game, a preseason match, or Game 7 of the finals. I’m competitive and I always want to win,” says Brennan, ready for the season opener on Friday. Olimpija will start with an away game in Budapest.