Olympics: Slovakia Roster Discussion (Roster in post 1)

[Faterson]

Yes, just as Vorky says. Slovan could have a farm team in the Slovak league (which it already in a sense has, in Banská Bystrica, but "Slovan B" would be even better) while continuing to play in the KHL, ideally. That's the standard model overseas. The Maple Leafs have an AHL farm team playing in the second tier in Toronto, and so might Slovan have a second-tier team in Bratislava.

Let's hope Slovan's new GM can turn the team around. By the way, don't pretend all of Slovan's seasons in the KHL except for the first one were a disaster. Wasn't Slovan a play-off team in the KHL only a few seasons ago? Yes, it was.

 

[tobu]

The premise is not about helping Slovan, but helping the Slovak league. Of course, this is naive as Slovan is not a charity but a commercial entity, so yes, I agree the ideal scenario is to have a 2nd Bratislava team in the Slovak league, with Slovan playing a multi-national league.

 

[vorky]

Yes, just as Vorky says. Slovan could have a farm team in the Slovak league (which it already in a sense has, in Banská Bystrica, but "Slovan B" would be even better) while continuing to play in the KHL, ideally. That's the standard model overseas. The Maple Leafs have an AHL farm team playing in the second tier in Toronto, and so might Slovan have a second-tier team in Bratislava.

Let's hope Slovan's new GM can turn the team around. By the way, don't pretend all of Slovan's seasons in the KHL except for the first one were a disaster. Wasn't Slovan a play-off team in the KHL only a few seasons ago? Yes, it was.

Agree.

Slovak league miss the capital, so Slovan B would be ideal. Btw, it applies to Jokerit as well. You need a reserve team in a league like the KHL. Yes, it costs money, but a reserve team is needed. People use to say "Slovan promised to be a source of NT players while playing the KHL." The problem is that we do not have good enough prospects! And those, who we have, have chosen Sweden or NA. Slovan have given a chance to a few guys - Dano and Reway are good examples of those who have been KHL ready. But not every Slovak prospect is. So, Slovan needs a reserve team. SZLH should help. There needs to be a cooperation between Slovan & the SZLH, which I do not see.

 

[tobu]

So we all agreed in the end on the topic of Slovan and Slovak teams capability of coping in EBEL. Good, now let's leave this thread for the Olympics, two days to go...

 

[salamandra]

Being 9th in points in Slovak league is solid compared to what? A beer leaguer? Don't mean to be rude but the fact Nagy is on this team just shows in what a hard spot Slovak hockey is currently.

LOL. You are completely erroneous. Matushkin and Maione previous season played in slovak leauge and now they are one of the best defensemen (about points) in Liiga. Hickmont, Higgs etc are the same case in the EBEL. EBEL is (much) better on the economic side, but slovak extraliga has (a bit) better quality.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Now this is a complete bull****. I am not saying that slovak league is good, but comparing it to semi-professional league is like comparing it to czech 3rd league. Don't comment on anything you obviously have no idea about.

Look at Detva's roster and tell me how many of those guys would have a job in any truly professional hockey league. I never said Slovak league was semi-pro as such but teams like Detva, those guys are not good enough to be professional hockey players, as simple as that.

Also, since it got so much attention, I never said Slovak teams couldn't play in the EBEL. Olimpia Ljubljana played in it and survived somehow until it all ended. Fact is they could play in the league and hey, they won against big teams quite a few times as well but they were obviously below average league level. Same with Slovak teams. Surely they could play in EBEL but again, how many of them would make playoffs? Or should I ask how any of them would make the playoffs? Maybe by some miracle but it's unlikely. The fact so many people oppose it without having any real arguments is just about nation pride, that's it.

LOL. You are completely erroneous. Matushkin and Maione previous season played in slovak leauge and now they are one of the best defensemen (about points) in Liiga. Hickmont, Higgs etc are the same case in the EBEL.

I will agree on this one, Banska Bystrica was really a very good team last year. And that's the reason why they won 4-1 in the finals. Do you see anything similar this year? Nope. I feel it's pretty safe to say that team was probably the best one Slovak league had in recent memory and quite a bit above its general standard.

And again, those guys dominated Slovak league and left for better ones. Because that's how the Slovak league works. You get good and you leave for the better. And even despite this being an obvious truth so many of you still debate the Slovak league is that good. So again, what are the arguments of that? Who are those players that make it good?

 

[tobu]

Top 5 in the Slovak league would easily make the EBEL playoffs and top 2 would have a shot at winning them. There you go.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Top 5 in the Slovak league would easily make the EBEL playoffs and top 2 would have a shot at winning them. There you go.

Based on 0 facts and your strong belief. Noted. Thank you very much for your assessment.

 

[tobu]

Who are those players that make it good?

Pretty much every player on the top 2 lines of every top 5 team.

 

[tobu]

Based on 0 facts and your strong belief. Noted. Thank you very much for your assessment.

Just like your statements saying the contrary.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Pretty much every player on the top 2 lines of every top 5 team.

Lets see. So this is the top 10 Slovak league guys in PPG minus Slovan guys:

Kristof - didn't make it in Finland but otherwise surely a success story, will probably leave after the season
Nagy - 38 y.o.
Chovan - solid Czech 2nd league player, got fired from Neman Grodno
Slovak - came back after being fired from Yunost Misnk
Paulovic - having a breakout season, will most likely leave in the summer
Bradley - fired from ECHL played in Germany 3 last year. This year got fired from VHL came to Nitra
Radivojevic - 37 y.o.
Coffman - 0.76 PPG in the ECHL, NCAA III product
Svitana - came back to the league after being cut lose in Poland
Hovorka - a guy who tried really hard to have a career in the Czech league but couldn't quite make it eventually

And this is top 10 of the league. 2 super old guys, 2 young guys breaking out and collection of castaways from marginal leagues all over Europe. Yeah, EBEL has to be shaking. Surely championship contenders here. Have you tried looking up the quality of players real EBEL contenders like Viena or Salzburg have? Slovak league All-Star team could hardly mount a serious challenge

Just like your statements saying the contrary.

I have made plenty of statements regarding player quality which you didn't reply to. All you said was Slovak players don't play in the EBEL because they are underscouted even though the obvious rule of thumb is they all leave to Slovan, EBEL, Finland or Czech league after good seasons. After closer examination people who weren't good enough for Polish or Belarus teams can come back and be very successful so.. Yeah.

 

[stv11]

So we all agreed in the end on the topic of Slovan and Slovak teams capability of coping in EBEL. Good, now let's leave this thread for the Olympics, two days to go...

I suggest everybody takes a hint from the above post and stay on topic. There are threads discussing Slovan, Slovak hockey and EBEL in the relevant forums.

Further off topic posts will be deleted.

 

[tobu]

So Konrad in goal for the game against Russia.
Surovy the captain.

 

[QnebO]

What leagues are represented and how much? Read that only two from khl.. and you have your own KHL team. Anyways Sorry for not having work ethics now to just google every player off that roster. Exact numbers not needed, but are they mostly slovak extra league or czech?

I was watching the KalPa game against Tappara today, there was slovak fans with slovakian flags there. Was nice and surprising to see. Godla was playing and Zaborski I think so they didin't make the cut, who are better guys than Zabo lol

 

[Faterson]

Almost 100% Slovak and Czech league, roughly equally, no one from Slovakia's KHL team, Canadian coach, Šatan as GM. Remember Šatan as GM reached the finals of the Gimmick Cup with the Europe Leftovers team (and a different Canadian coach), so anything is possible.

 

[tobu]

Almost 100% Slovak and Czech league, roughly equally, no one from Slovakia's KHL team, Canadian coach, Šatan as GM. Remember Šatan as GM reached the finals of the Gimmick Cup with the Europe Leftovers team (and a different Canadian coach), so anything is possible.

You got it right. Just to clarify, there is 1 player from KHL and that is 56 Michal Cajkovský (Avtomobilist).

 

[tobu]

50% Slovak league just beat Olympic Athletes from KHL.

 

[kudla]

@SoundAndFury so players from a semi-professional league have just beaten Russia... hm you don't see that very often, do you?

 

[flemo]

who are better guys than Zabo lol

Zaborsky does not want to play for NT.

 

[tobu]

Found this gem on Twitter.
#drunkAmericanMeetsSlovakia

 

[Jaaanosik]

Who is #1 Konrad or Laco?

 

[QnebO]

Zaborsky does not want to play for NT.

Alright. Kinda strange tbh, never really labeled him having any kind of attitude problems even.

 

[vorky]

Alright. Kinda strange tbh, never really labeled him having any kind of attitude problems even.

Hockey officials have an opinion that he avoids NT events without a reason, that he prefers a club over NT. So, he is fed up to hear this words over years. He says there are objective reasons - an injury - for not appearing at NT events. That is info from 2014, when he annouced a retirement from NT.

 

[Faterson]

The downfall of Slovak hockey seems confirmed by this tournament, a flash-in-the-pan win against Russia notwithstanding.

Coach Ramsey and GM Šatan may be well-intentioned, but so far, no real improvements can be seen, honestly, during their tenure, either at this tourney or at the third-rate international tourneys that Slovakia is forced to play in over the course of the season.

Of course Ramsay and Šatan should continue for at least a few more years and we need to be patient, but for now, the fruits of their labor have been zip. And I'm not saying they're to be blamed. Perhaps it was unrealistic to expect anything at this very early stage into their tenure. They were bold in composing the Olympic team out of almost entirely the Slovak and Czech leagues, snubbing players from Slovakia's only KHL team, but the gamble hasn't paid off.

An 11th place in Korea, surpassing only the lowly Korea, is just as disappointing as the disaster of Sochi from 4 years ago, if not more so, given the diminished competition.

 

[caslava]

Do our players even care? Where is the emotion? All other teams players look angry and mad when they lose. We look like, “ah well we tried.” National football team is same way for most part. Where is the passion? [Mod]