Alexander Sulzer

Status: Buffalo Sabres defenseman.

DOB: May 30, 1984 In: Kaufbeuren, Germany

Ht: 6-foot-1 Wt: 204 pounds

First Hockey Memory: "Was playing pond hockey with all my friends and my dad."

Hockey Inspirations: "My dad (Hubert), definitely. He played in the German Elite League at that time and I always wanted to play there too."

Nicknames: "Sulzee, Hoobtee - which was my dad's nickname and they call me that too."

Current Car: "GMC Denali."

Greatest Sports Moment: "Can I say two? First NHL game in Montreal with Nashville. And playing in the Olympics twice (2006, 2010)."

Most Painful Moment: "Dislocating my shoulder for the third time."

Favorite Uniforms: "Buffalo Sabres."

First Job: "Installing heating systems at my dad's company."

Embarrassing Hockey Memory: "Scored a goal in my own net once, just skating around the net and lost the puck and it went in. That was back home in Germany."

Closest Hockey Friends: "My best buddy is Sebastian Furchner, he plays in Germany."

Funniest Players Encountered: "Unfortunately he passed away, but that was definitely Wade Belak."

Toughest Competitors Encountered: "I'd say Patric Hornqvist from Nashville. (Why?) Because he works so hard and he's so competitive every single practice. It's a pain to even practice against him."

Most Memorable Goal: "First NHL goal in Edmonton."

Strangest Game: "Two years ago in the minors I hit the post like five times in one game. Against Texas Stars when I played with Milwaukee."

Favorite Sport Outside Hockey: "Baseball."

Favorite Players To Watch: "Sidney Crosby and Pavel Datsyuk."

Funny Hockey Memory: "When I started playing when I was 16 for my hometown team and there was no mandatory glass around the boards. So there was just netting. One day I got hit and fell over the boards and just laid in the netting. The fans had to push me back over to the ice."

Last Vacation: "We went on a U.S. road trip, from Milwaukee to Denver, Grand Canyon, Vegas, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco and then back."

Last Book Read: "What To Expect When You're Expecting (by Heidi Eisenberg Murkoff)."

Personality Qualities Most Admired: "Honesty, that's the most important thing. Friendly. And that they can look you in the eye when you talk to them."

Mark 'Scoop' Malinowski's second book "Marcelo Rios: The Man We Barely Knew" is available on www.amazon.com. Malinowski is the creator of two websites: www.thebiofile.com and www.tennis-prose.com