Slovakia: Slovak youth hockey thread (NT´s, home leagues, CHL, the draft etc.) part II

[slovakiasnextone]

Nice. There will be some movements between this teams. Mostly Up. I can imagine, that Slafkovsky, Petrovsky, Elias, Žabka will see some matche also in U17 team. Maybe also in U18.

Btw. Boris Žabka is the son of former national player Boris Žabka? The younger one was born in year 2004, the older one in 1977.

Mesar and Sotek also had some time with 2003 team already last year. But I think these camps are mainly to get the player info etc., so that's why there is no moving up players between birth years.

I would assume he is his son as Zabka Sr. was assistant coach for various Mlada Boleslav teams over the past few years and Zabka Jr. plays for their junior program.

 

[Outofbodyinhungary]

So who do you guys think is getting drafted this year, obviously we don’t have inside info with nhl scouts. This is who I think.
Maxim cajkovic (100% likely)
Samuel Hlavaj (90% likely)
Oliver Turan (70% likely)
Andrej Golian (60% likely)
Michal Mrazik (60% likely)
Dominik Sojka (50% likely)
Adam Liska (50% likely)

Unlikely to get drafted: Jellus, Ilencik, Hascak, Ferenyi

I think 6 Slovaks will get drafted. Cajkovic, Hlavaj, Turan, Golian, Mrazik and Liska.

 

[alko]

think 6 Slovaks will get drafted

That is very very optimistic. I see it dark.

Cajkovic is 100 %.

Hlavaj maybe. Unimpressive in USHL. But that was also Huska in his very first season. I will give him 50%.

Turan. At the beginning of the season he was a dark horse. He changed clubs in QMJHL. And had a chance to play top minutes in Acadie. But nothing special. He has the body, but overall, there isnt much to like. Now. I can change in the future. 20 %.

Adam Liska. There was an interview with scout Jiri Fischer on Hokejportal. He said, that he will be surprised, if Liska will be forgotten in this draft. So , lets give him 50 %.

Overall: 2, maybe 3 Slovaks this year -> Cajkovic, Hlavaj, Liska.

 

[Jakk123]

So who do you guys think is getting drafted this year, obviously we don’t have inside info with nhl scouts. This is who I think.
Maxim cajkovic (100% likely)
Samuel Hlavaj (90% likely)
Oliver Turan (70% likely)
Andrej Golian (60% likely)
Michal Mrazik (60% likely)
Dominik Sojka (50% likely)
Adam Liska (50% likely)

Unlikely to get drafted: Jellus, Ilencik, Hascak, Ferenyi

I think 6 Slovaks will get drafted. Cajkovic, Hlavaj, Turan, Golian, Mrazik and Liska.

That is very very optimistic. I see it dark.

Cajkovic is 100 %.

Hlavaj maybe. Unimpressive in USHL. But that was also Huska in his very first season. I will give him 50%.

Turan. At the beginning of the season he was a dark horse. He changed clubs in QMJHL. And had a chance to play top minutes in Acadie. But nothing special. He has the body, but overall, there isnt much to like. Now. I can change in the future. 20 %.

Adam Liska. There was an interview with scout Jiri Fischer on Hokejportal. He said, that he will be surprised, if Liska will be forgotten in this draft. So , lets give him 50 %.

Overall: 2, maybe 3 Slovaks this year -> Cajkovic, Hlavaj, Liska.

I agree, it doesn't look good except for Cajkovic. I would be shocked if more than 3 players get drafted. Hopefully Liska turned some heads during the WC.

 

[kudla]

Only Cajkovic will be drafted this year. Hlavaj and Liska are the darkhorses

 

[Outofbodyinhungary]

I agree, it doesn't look good except for Cajkovic. I would be shocked if more than 3 players get drafted. Hopefully Liska turned some heads during the WC.

Another year goes by with no first round picks. I mean what the hell is going on here. Somehow it’s worse now

 

[slovakiasnextone]

So some more informatiom on the u18 team:

- they will play in 2nd division/1.liga, maybe they will start in junior league the first couple months

- primary aim is to get back to elite u18 IHWC fast, long term is also to develop players for NHL drafts, for this aim they also want to attract younger players

- they claim players will have better conditions than many Tipsport Liga teams

- they also say that they will have better cooperation with schools, this point was a complaint in the past

- head coach will be Ivan Fenes, assistant coach Boris Zabka and manager Branislav Varga

- the whole thing will cost about as much as u20 team i Tipsport Liga

Which brings me to the question: wouldn't be it better to use that kind of money on a more long term solution that would reach more players?

 

[alko]

So some more informatiom on the u18 team:

- they will play in 2nd division/1.liga, maybe they will start in junior league the first couple months

- primary aim is to get back to elite u18 IHWC fast, long term is also to develop players for NHL drafts, for this aim they also want to attract younger players

- they claim players will have better conditions than many Tipsport Liga teams

- they also say that they will have better cooperation with schools, this point was a complaint in the past

- head coach will be Ivan Fenes, assistant coach Boris Zabka and manager Branislav Varga

- the whole thing will cost about as much as u20 team i Tipsport Liga

Which brings me to the question: wouldn't be it better to use that kind of money on a more long term solution that would reach more players?

That should ask also the guys in USA Hockey. The best solution is money to this project and money to long term solutions.

 

[slovakiasnextone]

That should ask also the guys in USA Hockey. The best solution is money to this project and money to long term solutions.

The thing is that there us enough money in US hockey for both the USNTDP and the grassroots program. We don't really have that kind of money in Slovakia.

Additionally the other US players have plenty other routes to go if they want to make it to men's level via either their own USHL/NAHL/NCAA development route and they have 8 teams in the CHL. In Slovakia if we will take out the players who are already abroad + 25 players in the U18 team and then also the u20 players who will be required to play in Tipsport Liga that will only further diminish the junior league. Realistically any player who isn't on a Tipsport Liga team or in the u18 team and who has serious aspirations to make it at the men's level will also try to leave at least to CZE.

 

[Outofbodyinhungary]

That should ask also the guys in USA Hockey. The best solution is money to this project and money to long term solutions.

We don’t have the same amount of money that the US does. Additionally, proportionally we still have less to put into hockey than they do. Collaboration with the schools is most important. Skating facilities and training is not something that can be overlooked. I know a lot of schools in Canada have skating programs.

 

[Outofbodyinhungary]

More training facilities such as these are required. These are just a few pics of what was put into place. Accessibility is huge, if we can get the young ones coming and training consistently, the quality will improve

 

[Outofbodyinhungary]

Welp looks like it’s gonna be 6 consecutive years and no first round selection. To the other Slovaks here serious question, who do we really think will be the next Slovak prospect taken in the first round. Don’t do “oh well if ____ happens” . Just give me the name of the player.

 

[alko]

Welp looks like it’s gonna be 6 consecutive years and no first round selection. To the other Slovaks here serious question, who do we really think will be the next Slovak prospect taken in the first round. Don’t do “oh well if ____ happens” . Just give me the name of the player.

Serious? 2022 - Juraj Slafkovsky. Its a 50 : 50. Still many years ahead of him.

 

[Outofbodyinhungary]

Somehow it’s worse now. One pick this draft. How many next draft, zero?

 

[alko]

Somehow it’s worse now. One pick this draft. How many next draft, zero?

There were years with zero. Think positive. It could be only better.

 

[Jabs102501]

Somehow it’s worse now. One pick this draft. How many next draft, zero?

Next draft we will have at least two players drafted, with Knazko and Chromiak. This year we didn’t really have any good prospects outside of Cajkovic, so I don’t know what you were expecting.

 

[Elvs]

Yeah, Cajkovic was the only sure pick. I thought Golian and Hlavaj would possibly be picked in the 6th or 7th round, but it's not surprising that they didn't.

On a positive note for Slovakia, many other countries had a poor draft. Switzerland only had one player picked (7th round), Latvia only had one as well (6th round), Germany also only had one, albeit a high pick (Sieder #6 overall). Denmark had two players picked, but both are goaltenders. Belarus had two as well (2nd and 3rd round selections). Good draft for them, but Belarus is still way behind Slovakia.

Even the Czech's, after a few strong draft years, had their first guy picked in the 3rd round only a couple of picks ahead of Cajkovic. Lukas Patrik, a goalie. They didn't have a skater selected until #100 overall.

 

[Elvs]

Surprisingly, outside of Nico Hischier Switzerland has had no players picked in the first three rounds since 2015.

 

[Outofbodyinhungary]

Talented 02 goalie Simon Latkoczy will be playing in the ushl next year. Good move, will most likely be starter at hlinka Gretzky Cup.

 

[alko]

On a positive note for Slovakia, many other countries had a poor draft.

Whaat? I dont get it. That is simply a silly opinion.

 

[Elvs]

Whaat? I dont get it. That is simply a silly opinion.

Why? I'm not celebrating that other countries did poorly as well. I want the sport of hockey to grow in more countries.

But from a pure competition standpoint, Slovakia didn't really lose any ground against the likes of Switzerland, Latvia or Denmark in this draft. That's all I'm saying.

 

[Outofbodyinhungary]

Why? I'm not celebrating that other countries did poorly as well. I want the sport of hockey to grow in more countries.

But from a pure competition standpoint, Slovakia didn't really lose any ground against the likes of Switzerland, Latvia or Denmark in this draft. That's all I'm saying.

We really ain’t had a Slovak called in the first round since marko dano.

 

[Elvs]

We really ain’t had a Slovak called in the first round since marko dano.

No one expected Cajkovic to be picked in the first round though, so nothing really changed from what we already knew. He was drafted pretty much where he was expected to. He did play for a super weak team in the QMJHL this season though, so one can hope that he turns out a bit better than his draft position would indicate.

All in all, I'm not saying things have been positive for Slovakia, or that this was positive either. Nothing suggests that Slovakia is closing the gap against the top six questions. All I said was "on a positive note", meaning a comforting thought is at least that Slovakia didn't lose ground to some of the other countries. The last few years at least suggests that the worst bleeding is over. At one point it looked liked Slovakia might even fall out of the top WC division in a not too distant future. But now it looks more and more likely that Slovakia will at least stay in Germany's and Latvia's tier.

 

[Jabs102501]

Chromiak selected by Kingston 2nd in the import draft

 

[Outofbodyinhungary]

Chromiak, Okuliar, Hlavaj, Krajc, Myklukha, Knazko selected.