WJC: 2018 Slovakia Roster Talk

[peto10]

This could be one of the strongest teams in slovak history. Big question is if current head coach Bokros will stay or will be replaced by Javorcik, head coach of the U18 team. Another problem is the Orange Team, because majority of the best players are either abroad or already playing senior league in their home towns. So there is no point in having that team...


Studenic - Ruzicka - Bucek
Lacka - Roman - Hrehorcak
Liska - Tamasi - Galbavy
Vybiral - Cacho - Vasas
Jasko/Valach

Fehervary - Boak
Ivan - Zelenak
Hedera - Korencik
Ziak

Hrenak
Durny
Ovecka

Click to read more...

 

[Kamzik]

This would be my ideal roster:
Studenič - Ružička - Buček
Lacka - Roman - Krivošík
LiÅ¡ka - Solenský - Hrehorčák
Tamáši - Bjalončík - Kelemen
Smolka
(Galbavý, Václav, Å mida, Čacho, Fafrák)

Fehérváry - Bodák
Ivan - Zeleňák
Hedera - Krempaský
Korenčík
(Rajnoha, Žiak, Kmec, Kupec)

Hrenák
Durný
Sklenár
(Ovečka, Bátory)

I would consider Martin Pospisil. Forward, 6 ft 1, 1999, is 5+12 for Red Bull EC Salzburg U18 this season in 12 games played, was 1+2 in 4 games in most recent SR18 tournament in Zuchwil.

 

[kabidjan18]

I would consider Martin Pospisil. Forward, 6 ft 1, 1999, is 5+12 for Red Bull EC Salzburg U18 this season in 12 games played, was 1+2 in 4 games in most recent SR18 tournament in Zuchwil.

Haha I agree, he's at Red Bull Rookie Cup and he's really good. EP is wrong, he has 40 points in 27 games, for some reason EP only takes into account the regular season, but they did a lot of tournaments in Finland, Sweden, Czech Republic, USA etc.

 

[alko]

This could be one of the strongest teams in slovak history...

Common. We had better. Especially in 2000s.
And the group of 1999 will have their peak in 2018/2019. Then maybe.

 

[slovakiasnextone]

Regarding the coach, they won't be named but rather selected from the candidates who apply - this will happen for all NTs, including men's after this season.

Some women's junior teams and tje Olympic selection team for the February tournament have already been chosen this way. IIRC then Marcel Ozimak was chosen as the Olympics team's coach.

 

[Kamzik]

Common. We had better. Especially in 2000s.
And the group of 1999 will have their peak in 2018/2019. Then maybe.

I take it on a year to year basis. For me "rock bottom" was 2008, when SVK lost to Germany 4-2 and Switzerland 2-1 in relegation, and were not relegated thanks to a Swiss goal against Germany late in the second period.

The team had two players, Vladimir Mihalik and Mario Bliznak, that went on to combine for 21 NHL games. Tomas Zaborsky was the only forward of note.

I think SVK has shown improvement since then.

 

[kabidjan18]

Where to find recent stats for Slovakia for the Zuchwil tournament?

 

[peto10]

Where to find recent stats for Slovakia for the Zuchwil tournament?

http://stats.iihf.com/sihf/64/IHM064000_83_13_0_SVK.pdf

 

[alko]

I take it on a year to year basis. For me "rock bottom" was 2008, when SVK lost to Germany 4-2 and Switzerland 2-1 in relegation, and were not relegated thanks to a Swiss goal against Germany late in the second period.

The team had two players, Vladimir Mihalik and Mario Bliznak, that went on to combine for 21 NHL games. Tomas Zaborsky was the only forward of note.

I think SVK has shown improvement since then.

Yeah, that was horrible. And therefore we have this "Orange team".

But also a star packed team isnt a sure winner team.
Look for season 1999/2000:
Stana, Hossa, Bartovic, Cibak, Gaborik, Kolnik, Kopecky, Radivojevic, Surovy, Zalesak and others. That was an immense offensive craft. Ok, Stana not, he was a goalie.
Shootout in the second elimination game vs Ukraine saved the Slovak team.

 

[slovakiasnextone]

There hasn't been much discussion on here regarding the Slovak team although it's a topic for heated discussion in Slovakia. As every year the main issue is the NA/Euro players vs NTDP players thing.

Apparently Adam Liska has been invited to the overseas camp, so more players from abroad might make it onto the team than usual. Bokros has stated that at least one line from overseas will be on the team. We are still likely to see some omissions, the most likely one being F Marek Valach who has been doing well in the USHL but has declined the u20 NTDP during the summer which likely puts you on Bokros' black list. However the performance of the European squad at the last tournament was rather questionable.

Goaltending might be an issue. Hrenak is another guy who declined the NTDP, so one has to wonder whether Bokros will invite him. Juraj Ovecka has some stellar numbers in the NAHL.

On deffense we have two returnees in Fehervary and Bodak. Michal Ivan is off to a good start in the QMJHL. Korencik from Sweden might or might not make it. The rest of the defense will be NTDP guys.

Offense is where we have the most depth, probably the last time we had a depth approaching this years' was 2014. There is of course Ruzicka, but both Milos Roman and Marian Studenic have started heating up lately. Liska also has 4 points in the last 4 games, but it remains to be seen whether this is just a short streak like the one he had at the beginning of October or if he is going to start to produce offensively more regularly. Samuel Bucek and Jakub Lacka are both in the top 12 of scoring in the USHL. From European forwards outside of the NTDP Matej Galbavy and Milos Kelemen will likely get invites to camp. I think Kelemen has actually played with the NTDP in yesterday's game. Filip Krivosik and Jozef Balaz are less likely to get an invite as they were not invited to the tournament this month and both are underagers. Smolka, Tamasi, Cacho, Vybiral, Vasas are likely candidated from the NTDP. Although he is playing at a lower level, Solensky might get a shot as he has always performed well for the NT.

Game against Denmark could still decide everything.

 

[slovakiasnextone]

So, according to Bokros 18 players from the Orange team will be in the preliminary roster:
Bokroš už má v hlave predbežnú nomináciu na MSJ, z projektu pôjde do Buffala osemnásť hráčov

I'm starting to get afraid about our roster...

 

[peto10]

So, according to Bokros 18 players from the Orange team will be in the preliminary roster:
Bokroš už má v hlave predbežnú nomináciu na MSJ, z projektu pôjde do Buffala osemnásť hráčov

I'm starting to get afraid about our roster...

The title is misleading, there will be 18 Orange players in the camp in Piestany, not in Buffalo.

 

[slovakiasnextone]

The article isn't entirely clear on that point. But Bokros says that they will compare the Orange players with Euro players and then a select group will go to the camp in NA.

However at the last tourney Kostelny, Fehervary, Korencik and Kelemen were the only non Orange players. Kostelny and Kelemen are now playing with the Orange team. Even if he invites another additional Euro players to the camp in Piestany, he might end up saying that he didn't have enough chance to see them unlike the Orange players.

But the questions of course is, how many NA players got the invite to the camp.

 

[peto10]

The article isn't entirely clear on that point. But Bokros says that they will compare the Orange players with Euro players and then a select group will go to the camp in NA.

However at the last tourney Kostelny, Fehervary, Korencik and Kelemen were the only non Orange players. Kostelny and Kelemen are now playing with the Orange team. Even if he invites another additional Euro players to the camp in Piestany, he might end up saying that he didn't have enough chance to see them unlike the Orange players.

But the questions of course is, how many NA players got the invite to the camp.

Hrenak, Bodak, Ivan, Studenic, Bucek, Roman, Ruzicka and Liska did get invited. Valach, Lacka, Fafrak and Ovecka didn't.
I'm not sure about Hrehorcak, Solensky or Kmec.

 

[slovakiasnextone]

I suppose that Ovecka and Fafrak will get an invite next year, although Fafrak will have to improve his stats. Based on the last few Orange games, Kostelny will be the underage goalie who will go to WJC, I think.

With Valach we know that there is an off ice reason, but I was kinda expecting Lacka to get at least a camp invite, given that we could always do with more goal scorers.

 

[slovakiasnextone]

The roster for the Euro camp was announced today

Goalies
Roman Durný	P	28. 05. 1998	MHk 32 Liptovský Mikuláš
Samuel Hlavaj	Ľ	29. 05. 2001	MHA Martin
Jakub Kostelný	P	21. 05. 1999	HK DUKLA Trenčín
D-men
Samuel Fereta	Ľ	29. 12. 1998	HC SLOVAN Bratislava
Tomáš Hedera	Ľ	07. 11. 1998	HC SLOVAN Bratislava
Marek Korenčik (od 10. 12. 2017)	Ľ	19. 07. 1999	Lulea HF (SWE)
Martin Krempaský	P	09. 04. 1998	HK ŠKP Poprad
Andrej Leško	P	01. 12. 1998	HC Bíli Tygři Liberec (CZE)
Dávid Matejovič	Ľ	21. 08. 1998	MMHK Nitra
Erik Rajnoha	Ľ	01. 08. 1998	Södertälje SK (SWE)
Vojtech Zeleňák	Ľ	12. 06. 1998	HC Sparta Praha (CZE)
Adam Žiak	Ľ	22. 07. 1999	TuTo Hockey (FIN)
Forwards
Peter Bjalončík	Ľ	29. 07. 1998	HK ŠKP Poprad
Viliam Čacho	Ľ	14. 10. 1998	HK DUKLA Trenčín
Niki Jaško	Ľ	05. 09. 1998	HC SLOVAN Bratislava
Miloš Kelemen	Ľ	27. 03. 1999	HKM Zvolen
Filip Krivošík	P	27. 03. 1999	LeKi Hockey (FIN)
Peter Kundrik	Ľ	03. 12. 1998	HK ŠKP Poprad
Patrik Marcinek	Ľ	04. 10. 1998	HKM Zvolen
Radoslav Mesaroš	P	04. 07. 1998	HK Mládež Michalovce
Erik Smolka	Ľ	14. 11. 1998	HK DUKLA Trenčín
Alex Tamáši	Ľ	25. 03. 1998	HC'05 Banská Bystrica
Rastislav Václav	P	02. 02. 1998	HK ŠKP Poprad
Filip Vašaš	P	07. 05. 1998	HK ŠKP Poprad
Vladimír Vybiral	Ľ	29. 12. 1998	MHk 32 Liptovský Mikuláš

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I'm surprised that a few Euro players who weren't on the radar for the last tourney made. But the big question is where is Martin Fehervary? Is he injured? Or is it just that his team won't release him this early?

 

[caslava]

Don’t know much about Euro players but players in N.A look solid. Ivan has had a very good start in the Q. (He looks better and better every game, could potentially get draft consideration if he continues to play well). Ruzicka started off hot but has cooled off considerably in the past several games. Roman isn’t at ppg but is a pretty consistent scorer and has adjusted very well to North American game. Liska and hrehorcak less so. Wonder how much consideration the USHL players will get. I think this team could potentially be better than 2014 one.

 

[alko]

The roster for the Euro camp was announced today

I'm surprised that a few Euro players who weren't on the radar for the last tourney made. But the big question is where is Martin Fehervary? Is he injured? Or is it just that his team won't release him this early?

I would say option B.

He is a lock. He plays top minutes in Allsvenskan, so he must go. You dont need to test him.

 

[peto10]

I'm not sure about Hrehorcak, Solensky or Kmec.

Hrehorcak was not invited.

 

[kudla]

Patrik Hrehorcak
Marek Valach
Jakub Lacka

These players from NA were not invited.

 

[slovakiasnextone]

Valach is not a surprise given the information regarding his involvement with the u20 team in the summer.

Hrehorcak is an underager and has been struggling lately. But he might be getting into shape after the last game. I hope we won't find ourselves missing a goal scorer like him or Lacka come WJC.

 

[Wooren]

Valach is not a surprise given the information regarding his involvement with the u20 team in the summer.

Hrehorcak is an underager and has been struggling lately. But he might be getting into shape after the last game. I hope we won't find ourselves missing a goal scorer like him or Lacka come WJC.

You can never have enough players who can shoot the puck. You can't build a team of snipers only obviously, but you get what I am saying.
Just stat watching but both Lacka and Valach seem to be worthy of a camp invitation. Not inviting is simply a mistake IMO.

 

[slovakiasnextone]

Oh, I agree with you. And it's not like we have much clear goal scorers among the other players.

Ruzicka is struggling lately. I suppose they are going with Bucek as the other goal scorer from NA?

But the reason why Valach and Lacka were omitted has to do with the fact that we have to have some Orange players on the team. I can imagine Bokros' argument: We will need some grinders as we have 3 games against top teams blah, blah, blah

 

[tobu]

When do we expect the strength of the last U18 team to peak in spilling over to WJC, the following year?

 

[slovakiasnextone]

Tough to say, I would say perhaps this year already. The combined 1998/1999 team finished 5th at the u18 IHWC in 2016. Hrenak is probably a better goalie than any of the 1999 guys. In addition you get guys like Studenic, Bodak or Bucek who will not be eligible next year.

I think both this year and next year could be good if everything works out.