Player Discussion Martin Pospisil: 2018 4th round, 105th overall

[OvermanKingGainer]

Martin in USHL :
GP : 13
G : 7
A : 18
TP : 25
PM : 33

good stats.

Yes, although he is a near-19yo still playing in a league where most future stars tend to graduate at 17 (Gaudreau, Connor) or 18 (Boeser). Production is better than no production but we won't find out what we have until he plays NCAA or AHL. How awesome would it be if we got a power forward version of a Rantanen.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

Not even 2 PPG?

Bust.

 

[Volica]

Yes, although he is a near-19yo still playing in a league where most future stars tend to graduate at 17 (Gaudreau, Connor) or 18 (Boeser). Production is better than no production but we won't find out what we have until he plays NCAA or AHL. How awesome would it be if we got a power forward version of a Rantanen.

That being said, in terms of age, the other players did have the benefit of, well, being from the US.
It's a jump going from the Slavak/Czech junior program to the USHL. There are guys like Matt Tkachuk, Auston Matthews, Kyle Connor and Johnny Gaudreau within those ranks... not sure how many NHL stars come out of the Czech/Slovak U18 program nowadays.

 

[alko]

Lets see, what will he show on WJC. If he will be there. There was also an interview here in Slovak media, where he said, that Flames want to see him next season in NCAA and then they will decide, if he will get a chance in pro league.

 

[Outofbodyinhungary]

Well if you like honesty from your players here it is. I was pretty disappointed with Pospisil in the tournament but now I kind of understand why. Google translate will give non Slovak speakers a good idea of what he dealt with in the u20 team. He’s obviously very upset at what happened.

 

[Khrox]

Reading what he said (google translate isn't exactly the greatest, a few half-translated words and stuff), but you get the general idea. Translating a bunch of the comments actually gave me hope as well (with a lot of Slovakians praising Martin for his bravery in coming forward about this, and that both he and the team, deserved better coach/management).

 

[Anglesmith]

I have no idea what he was getting at, to be honest. To assume I can get the gist of it from the google translate would be disingenuous, I think.

 

[Unlimited Chequing]

I have no idea what he was getting at, to be honest. To assume I can get the gist of it from the google translate would be disingenuous, I think.

Yeah I have no idea what he was getting at either.

@slowslovak, could you provide some context?

 

[Ace Rimmer]

Sounds like frustration with how the team and personnel was administered during the tournament.

 

[Mr Snrub]

Felt he was pressured into playing when he was still recovering from illness, then not used properly. Not sure I really like it, regardless of your experience with the team you should be quiet and grateful for your opportunity to represent your country. Then again he's 19 and can't always be expected to be mature about these sorts of things.

Don't realistically see Pospisil as an NHL talent anyways so I'm not concerned to begin with.

 

[Anglesmith]

Felt he was pressured into playing when he was still recovering from illness, then not used properly. Not sure I really like it, regardless of your experience with the team you should be quiet and grateful for your opportunity to represent your country. Then again he's 19 and can't always be expected to be mature about these sorts of things.

Don't realistically see Pospisil as an NHL talent anyways so I'm not concerned to begin with.

That's my issue with the translation. Some of it reads like whining about pretty minor stuff, but I could just be reading it wrong. Some of it reads like exposing serious wrong-doing, but I could just be reading it wrong. Maybe it's somewhere in the middle?

 

[Mr Snrub]

That's my issue with the translation. Some of it reads like whining about pretty minor stuff, but I could just be reading it wrong. Some of it reads like exposing serious wrong-doing, but I could just be reading it wrong. Maybe it's somewhere in the middle?

At the very least he's clearly literate enough to write an essay about his time at the WJC, so he shouldn't be lacking in IQ

 

[Khrox]

Yeah I have no idea what he was getting at either.

@slowslovak, could you provide some context?

One of the things I got out of it, was the head coach was borderline abusive towards players (something that he was apparently warned about, as his brother had said the same thing, as well as a lot of Slovakian players who played under him once they retired). And while that may seem like he's going with what his brother said, it's not the first time this coach has been criticized for this kind of behaviour publicly (though it is one of the first time by a player who is still playing hockey).

 

[alko]

As a intro in this statement you all should know, that Ernest Bokros (National U20 Coach) is very unpopular between Slovak fans. There are rumors flying, that he takes his horses that are clearly bellow the level. The reason? One fathers firms builds him new cottage, another father will reconstruct his home and so on. Again, that are rumors spoken between fans.
And because that, the best possible team is impossible to build.

Nobody from former teams doesn't speak it loudly. But between friends it is common theme.

And now the two guys (Pospisil and Milos Fafrak) openly say, that he destroyed the team. Pospisil was almost cut, but other players stepped in and clearly said to coach, they want play with Pospisil. Methods from Ernest Bokros seems to come from communist times, because he doesn't respect any player and his methods are horridly bad.

Fafrak said also about the HK Orange team, where most of the U20 players play until WJC. And was the same. Bokros shouldn't be coach any more.

Many others former player, that came to contact with Ernest B, open their Memoares after this and also said, what an distributive person he is.

Today should be press conference. Im curious to hear, what will they say.

Its a big story here in Slovakia.

 

[Kahvi]

Today should be press conference. Im curious to hear, what will they say.
Its a big story here in Slovakia.

Thanks, would be great if you could summarize what they said in the press conference

 

[elMatador]

Thanks, would be great if you could summarize what they said in the press conference

Obviously Bokros denied any allegations wrtitten by Pospisil. Accused Pospisil of not writing down the post on his own. Also threatened another former junior player (family relative of Demitra) who made a public comment of a bribe on fb to take a legal action.

The main thing is that Pospisil had enough integrity for the state of hockey in Slovakia and leadership quality so he decided to speak up. Speaking of leadership a captain of Slovak junior team who was also at the same press conference today decided not to take any side.

There were several promising Slovak prospects during Bokros tenure with national team and none of them had the balls to do it publicly. Bokros is well known for his old fashioned Tichonov's style of coaching. Also he is known for telling to quit the hockey a junior prospect at that time as he would never be any good. That prospect had a different opinion than his junior coach, he decided not to quit hockey, made it to the draft, made a NHL team, became a captain, Norris trophy winner, Stanley cup champion. You might seen him, he is still active and 6'9'' tall.

 

[Mr Snrub]

Bokros sounds like a Slovak Bob Hartley.

 

[Flames Fanatic]

Bokros sounds like a Slovak Bob Hartley.

Eh... more old school Iron Mike Keenan for me.