Slovakia: The Slovak Hockey Transactions and News Thread

[Krotak]

Not sure if that's the right topic, but I just found out at EliteProspects that Palffy returned again (had no idea) and .. just wow he dominates the league (83 pts and nearly 1,75 ppg at the age of 39??). Props to all Slovaks, what a talent and player.

You're from Opava and you didn't know this? It's similar to Petr Nedved in Czech Extraliga. He's 40 and he's also dominating the league.
Anyway Palffy is too good. Look at his elitprospects profile. The only league or tourney, where he wasn't over PPG average were Olympic games. That's only because of his not the best performance in Vancouver. You can see Å atan is playing in Slovak Extraliga this season and he's just slightly over PPG...

 

[kudymen]

You're from Opava and you didn't know this? It's similar to Petr Nedved in Czech Extraliga. He's 40 and he's also dominating the league.
Anyway Palffy is too good. Look at his elitprospects profile. The only league or tourney, where he wasn't over PPG average were Olympic games. That's only because of his not the best performance in Vancouver. You can see Šatan is playing in Slovak Extraliga this season and he's just slightly over PPG...

Palffy and as a matter of fact the whole Slovak league dont get much attention in the czech newspapers and I couldnt find any stats from Slovak league for months (checked hockeydb, hokej.cz etc until I tried eliteprospects) and I thought Palffy retired like 1,5 yr ago, thats why I didnt know that. I heard some rumors about his return - although as I said, couldnt find any proper source. Nedved's performance this year was a very pleasant surprise, but Palffy ruled him out for me this season. Simply another level for me.

 

[Kamzik]

Marian Hossa at 891 career points, just one behind Peter Bondra. He will likely pass Peter in career goals in 3-4 years. He has a chance to catch Peter Stastny in career points if he can put together 6 more 60 point seasons.

 

[Kamzik]

Marian Hossa at 891 career points, just one behind Peter Bondra. He will likely pass Peter in career goals in 3-4 years. He has a chance to catch Peter Stastny in career points if he can put together 6 more 60 point seasons.

With two assists last night, Maros passed Peter Bondra on the Slovak NHL scoring list, and is now only behind Peter Stastny [and Stan Mikita]. Next up is 1000 points which he will probably reach the year after next.

 

[Harv]

Hossa is playing some seriously good hockey right now.

I might be biased, but he's the best two-way winger in the game right now. Unreal in his own zone and deadly in the offensive zone.

Between him, Kovalchuk, and Kessel, it's a toss up for best overall winger. Then again that Gaborik guy aint bad either.

 

[Kamzik]

Hossa is playing some seriously good hockey right now.

I might be biased, but he's the best two-way winger in the game right now. Unreal in his own zone and deadly in the offensive zone.

I have argued for a long time that Maros is the best Slovak player ever. His two-way game, play-off success, and stats in a more defensive era put him ahead of P. Stastny. Just my opinion.

A bit ironical in that I believe he has never won a medal for SVK. He was part of the 4th place Olympic team though which was perhaps a greater accomplishment than the gold medal in Gothenburg - 3 points in the QF versus Sweden, Slovakia's greatest win ever.

 

[Zolik37]

I have argued for a long time that Maros is the best Slovak player ever. His two-way game, play-off success, and stats in a more defensive era put him ahead of P. Stastny. Just my opinion.

A bit ironical in that I believe he has never won a medal for SVK. He was part of the 4th place Olympic team though which was perhaps a greater accomplishment than the gold medal in Gothenburg - 3 points in the QF versus Sweden, Slovakia's greatest win ever.

Hossa is the best player of his generation, but claiming he is better than Å ťastný is a bit of a overstatement, Å ťastný in his prime was the 2nd best player in NHL (1st being Gretzky). One could argue that Demitra was better than Hossa too.

(not counting Mikita, even though I think of him as a Slovak player)

 

[Kamzik]

Hossa is the best player of his generation, but claiming he is better than Å ťastný is a bit of a overstatement, Å ťastný in his prime was the 2nd best player in NHL (1st being Gretzky). One could argue that Demitra was better than Hossa too.

(not counting Mikita, even though I think of him as a Slovak player)

I can understand the argument with Stastny, Peter being the second highest NHL scorer of the 1980s.

With all due respect to Demitra, I don't think Pavol compares to Hossa. Hoss has already passed him in career stats and still has years to go. Even stats aside, Hossa is so big, and so difficult to take the puck from - combined with his tremendous skating that allows him the great two-way game and the premier shorthanded threat of the NHL, I'm sorry but not even close.

 

[Harv]

Big Z 1000 games.

 

[slovakiasnextone]

SZĽH finally has a new website: http://www.hockeyslovakia.sk/sk

 

[Bojovnik]

Just read on EliteProspects that it looks like Adam Janosik's North American adventure is over for now. He has a try-out deal signed with Liberec.

 

[alko]

Just read on EliteProspects that it looks like Adam Janosik's North American adventure is over for now. He has a try-out deal signed with Liberec.

IMO it is only a summer camp. He will be back in Tampa pre-season camp and then AHL.

 

[Indian]

It seems Julo Hudáček signed with Frölunda.

 

[Harv]

Just realized that this year will be the first that the Stanley Cup won't be going back to Slovakia this summer since 2008..

Z last year, Majo in '10, Miro in '09, and Kopy in '08..

Good run..

 

[Bojovnik]

L'ubo Visonovsky has been traded to the Islanders

 

[alko]

L'ubo Visonovsky has been traded to the Islanders

interesting. IMO it is a good team. they had some really good players with a lot o potential. The question is, if these players will reach the potential in this season. Probably the last from Visnovsky in NHL.

 

[Harv]

L'ubo Visonovsky has been traded to the Islanders

Love the guy, but he's going to have a tough time in the Atlantic.

 

[Kamzik]

Love the guy, but he's going to have a tough time in the Atlantic.

I think he is OK with the trade. He loves playing in cities where people could care less about the sport, and he has previously expressed his dislike of Canada. The only thing missing is his monthly statement of how tired he is and how he is going to retire soon.

 

[Harv]

I think he is OK with the trade. He loves playing in cities where people could care less about the sport, and he has previously expressed his dislike of Canada. The only thing missing is his monthly statement of how tired he is and how he is going to retire soon.

I meant the Atlantic Division.

If he's paired against guys like Crosby, Malkin, Giroux, Gaborik, Kovalchuk, etc 24 times a year his plus/minus rating isn't going to be pretty.

 

[Kamzik]

I meant the Atlantic Division.

If he's paired against guys like Crosby, Malkin, Giroux, Gaborik, Kovalchuk, etc 24 times a year his plus/minus rating isn't going to be pretty.

He said in an interview with SME today that this will be his final season in the NHL. The following year he said he would like to play for Slovan Bratislava of the KHL.

He is not a shut down defenseman, so stopping those guys isn't really his job. He creates offence and is one of the best skating defenders in the world. I think he'll be fine on an up and coming Islander team. They have some players too that other teams need to be concerned about.

 

[croAVSfan*]

What is future of Kosice ? Will they follow steps of Slovan and apply to join KHL ? With Slovan left now basicaly they lost their lone rival for title in past five-six years.

 

[slovakiasnextone]

I doubt KHL is anywhere in their close future since they don´t have the money and I don´t see anyone providing it.

US Steel has cut down the support for them for this season, so even they haven´t come out of the financial crisis in Slovak league unscathed. Back in June their president mentioned "two Central European alternatives" for Košice in the near future, so they probably don´t see their future in Slovak league either. (Also, in the same interview the pres said that Slovan in KHL won´t last or something along those lines, so that really doesn´t sound like there´s anything about Košice and KHL).

One of these alternatives (considering the way things are looking in Slovak league) I suppose is EBEL. Not sure what the other is as they (along with Slovan) have already been rejected by the Czech clubs during last season.

 

[Bojovnik]

I think that Košice might end up jumping ship to the EBEL, especially if the Slovak Extraliga continues to decline, and the EBEL continues to arrive.

From what I believe though, any new team to the EBEL has to pay the travel fees for teams travelling there for the first two years of their entry (some Hungarians told me this at the Division 1 World Championships in Ljubljana). I don't know whether they would want to have to pay those costs.

 

[croAVSfan*]

I think that Košice might end up jumping ship to the EBEL, especially if the Slovak Extraliga continues to decline, and the EBEL continues to arrive.

From what I believe though, any new team to the EBEL has to pay the travel fees for teams travelling there for the first two years of their entry (some Hungarians told me this at the Division 1 World Championships in Ljubljana). I don't know whether they would want to have to pay those costs.

AFAIK it was only case when Alba (today's Sapa) played their first season in EBEL, as they were most dislocated club...or some similar reason. But as I said that was only for first season. In case of Kosice, I think they wouldn't have to pay like Hungarians did because they would be huge upgrade for EBEL league.


If Kosice goes to EBEL it could pull out domino efect, with Dukla,Banska and Zvolen joining EBEL as well...who knows...it will be interesting to see what is going to happen in few years from now.

 

[Harv]

Bumping this thread.

Stanley Cup will be heading back to Trenčín once again this year with Chára on one team and Hossa on the other. Let's not forget that Michal Handzuš is on Chicago, a native of Banská Bystrica.

Pretty cool seeing there are only 12 Slovaks left in the NHL.

10 years ago there were 30.