Extraliga Preview Part Two: Revealing the contenders

Last week Velvet Hockey brought you part one of it's 2013/14 Czech Extraliga preview, looking at the teams who (in the author's opinion) will make up the bottom half of the league. A week on, and it is time to turn to the contenders. From the tradition of Sparta Praha to the youthful Hradec Králové franchise, read below for all the summer news and line-up discussion.

HC Sparta Praha – Is this the year?

Last season: 1st

Last season’s top scorer: Petr Ton (40yo, 50GP 35+32 +27)

Last season’s top goaltender: Tomáš Pöpperle (44GP 1.61GAA 93.6%)

Oh Sparta. Another season where they looked invincible in the regular season, only for it to unravel in the playoffs. It has now been seven years since they last won the Extraliga title, and the Tipsport Arena faithful are starting to get restless. Coaches have come and gone, and one must imagine that Josef Jandáč is on a short leash and the bosses will not be forgiving if results don’t go their way.

Will Jaroslav Hlinka thrive without Ton?
Photo: Atte Rissanen, CHL

There is a new dawn at Sparta. Gone is long time hero Petr Ton, Tomáš Rachůnek has moved to Metallurg Novokuznetsk and Tomáš Pöpperle will no longer tend the Sparta net after he signed with KHL newcomers HK Sochi. Joining from Slovak champions HC Košice is Rastislav Staňa. The veteran shot stopper was in inspired form with Košice, posting a 94.4% save percentage in the playoffs. Staňa has never played in the Czech Extraliga before, but has a wealth of SHL and KHL experience and will surely be an asset at this level.

Sparta have taken the adage of offence wins games but defence wins championships, as they have assembled what looks to be the best defence in the Czech Republic. The signings of Marek Ďaloga, Michal Barinka and Juraj Mikúš are a sign of shrewd recruitment, and means that it is going to be very difficult to score goals past Sparta this coming season. Karel Pilář, Jan Svrček and Jan Piskaček remain from last season’s roster, forming an incredibly promising top six.

Up front, the task has been to replace the goals lost by the departure of Petr Ton. Sparta look to be doing this by committee rather than the signing of one star player. Imports Robert Sabolic and Zack Torquato will add some welcome scoring touch, while Martin Réway, one of the most hyped Slovak prospects in recent years, joins Sparta at the tender age of 19 instead of returning to the QMJHL.

37 year old Jaroslav Hlinka may notice a downturn in his form with the loss of top line partner Petr Ton, but look for the former Karlovy Vary pair of Petr Kumstát and Lukáš Pech to add more points than they did last season. 6‘6‘‘ forward Kumstát tallied 18 goals in 2013/14, edging closer to the 27 goal career high he posted in 2011/12 with Karlovy Vary, which made Sparta so adamant to bring him and Pech to the Czech capital. Tomáš Rolínek will captain the side, the former Metallurg Magnitogorsk forward finally settling back in the Extraliga, while Jan Buchtele and new signing Lukáš Cingel will be on task to add further scoring depth. Buchtele scored 35 points in his first season with Sparta in 2013/14

With a number of top players entering their second seasons with the club following the rebuild in 2013, I can see Sparta being even more dominant this season, and with a strengthened back end, it could very easily be their year.

One to watch: Martin Réway (Forward. Last season – Gatineau Olympiques: 43GP 20+42 +13)

Martin Réway will look to impress with Sparta
Photo: Vaxjo Lakers, CHL

The former Sparta Praha junior has returned ¨home¨ as the Montreal Canadiens draft pick has put pen to paper to sign with Sparta and get his first taste of professional hockey. At 19 years of age, Réway still has a number of years of development ahead, and the raw skill that the Prague born forward has is off the charts. He may need a few years to truly make the jump from junior to professional hockey, but his prolific junior career is sign that Réway is one of the top European prospects at present. 10 points in 5 games at the World Junior Championships went a long way to earning Réway a call up to the Slovakia senior team for the senior World Championships, where he scored three points in seven games. He has made a positive start to his Sparta career, tallying two assist in the club’s first two Champions Hockey League games.

Predictions:

Position: 1st

Top scorer: Jan Buchtele

MVP: Rastislav Staňa

HC Oceláři Třinec – New arena, same goal

Last season: 2nd

Last season’s top scorer: Martin Růžíčka (28yo, 52GP 26+29 -8)

Last season’s top goaltender: Šimon Hrubec (43GP 2.15GAA 92.5%)

Třinec celebrate winning the Steel Cup.
Photo: Marian Ježowicz, hcocelari.cz

Třinec come from one of the smallest markets in the Extraliga, but have consistently produced Extraliga contenders for a number of seasons. A true hockey town, the new Werk Arena was presented to the team this off-season, and is a brand new facility to replace the crumbling old rink.

It is a new look team for the new rink as well, as it is out with the old and in with the new. Martin Růžíčka, who broke Ziggy Pálffy’s Extraliga playoff points record on the way to the 2011 title, leaves after signing a two year contract with Traktor Chelyabinsk. Radek Bonk, Jan Peterek and Václav Varaďa have called time on their careers, while David Květoň has signed with Mladá Boleslav.

Goaltending is the only area where there is some stability, as Třinec will put their faith in Šimon Hrubec, who impressed in his first season as an out and out starting goaltender. You have the sense that it is Peter Hamerlík’s last chance to prove himself at the Extraliga level this season, as the 2011 championship winning goaltender really struggled last season.

Will the grass be greener on the other side for Žejdl?
Photo: Marian Ježowicz, hcocelari.cz

Třinec have crafted a whole new forward line-up for the 2014/15 season, headlined by the Extraliga return of Zbyněk Irgl. The 33 year old Czech national team regular has not played in the Extraliga for seven years, after leaving Vitkovice, and moves to Třinec after scoring 20 points with Dinamo Minsk last season. Irgl still has plenty of gas in the tank, and while I think he will be a key part of Třinec’s success next season, fans will have to be patient as veterans returning to the Extraliga have often needed a season to become re-accustomed with the league.

Tomáš Plihal signs after a successful spell in Finland, while Vladimir Dravecký and Kamil Kreps will be looking for some stability in their careers with Třinec. Dravecký is a player I rate highly, and believe he should’ve got more of a chance at Slovan than he did. He was over a point per game with Swiss NLB side Ajoie last season, and he can really contribute up front. Another major summer signing is Lukáš Žejdl, from Slavia Praha, who I think is one of the best young forwards in the Extraliga.

Despite all the signings, it could be 32 year old centre Jiří Polanský who is the vital piece of the Třinec puzzle. Two straight seasons of 46 points show that he is truly in the prime of his career, and 5 points in the opening 2 games of the Champions Hockey League season show that the Brno native shows no sign of slowing down.

On the blueline, Rostislav Klesla makes his return to Třinec calling time on his 654 game NHL career. Klesla looked rather uninspired when he played for Třinec during the 2012 lockout, so the Steelers, who won the apt-named Steel Cup in August against Košice and Severstal Cherepovets, will be hoping for better things from their marquee blueline signing. Klesla will join the likes of Marek Trončinský, who gained notoriety during pre-season for scoring this goal during pre-season.

With the addition of Klesla, Třinec have a very strong defence on paper, and Lukáš Galvas, Tomáš Linhart and young gun Vladimir Roth all have the experience and quality to deliver another title to Moravia.

One to watch: Lukáš Žejdl (Forward. Last season – Slavia Praha: 47GP 6+20 +2)

Maybe it’s the Slavia fan in me, but Žejdl, in my opinion, is a top quality young forward who should be getting first line minutes this season. After scoring 26 points with Slavia last season, the big bodied physical forward made the move to the east to play for Třinec, where I think if given top six time, he’ll top 30 points, although that will change if he is forced onto the third line by the log jam of forwards.

Predictions:

Position: 2nd

Top scorer: Jiří Polanský

MVP: Jiří Polanský

PSG Zlín – Looking for the illusive repeat

Last season: 3rd (But won the Extraliga playoffs)

Last season’s top scorer: Petr Leška (38yo, 52GP, 6+38 +8)

Last season’s top goaltender: Libor Kašík (24GP 1.88GAA 93.6%)

Pre-season has been kind for Zlin so far
Photo: Jiří Zaňát, hokej.zlin.cz

Ten years after the Moravian club won their first Extraliga title, PSG Zlín reclaimed the Czech crown in style, mauling Kometa Brno in the 2014 Final. Captain Petr Čajanek lifted the Masaryk Cup to the delight of the Zimni Stadion Ludka Čajky, and capped what was a majestic year for the team that plays in blue and yellow.

It is perhaps unsurprising given Zlín’s devotion to developing home-grown talent, that only a few players have left the club during the summer months, and most have moved on to better leagues. Antonin Honejsek has earned himself a contract in Finland, whilst the New York Rangers signed young defenceman Petr Zámorský, who at 22 years of age, made his World Championship debut for the Czech Republic this year. Zlín moved quickly, penning a deal with veteran defenceman Tomáš Žižka. The 34 year old former NHLer has consistently been one of the top two way defencemen in the Czech Republic for a number of years. Radim Tešařík, after three seasons with Zlín, retires from the game on a high after winning his fifth Extraliga title.

Jiří Marušák will therefore anchor the defence, and his veteran presence will be necessary to help the next generation of Zlín blueliners. Martin Matějiček, Dalibor Řezníček, Patrik Urbanec and Tomáš Valenta are all in their early twenties and have the potential to form a true dynasty of Czech hockey. What makes it all the more special, and what makes Zlín such a likeable club, is that all of these defencemen are from the Zlín region and most were products of Zlín’s youth system.

Also a Zlín junior, Libor Kašík was voted the Czech Extraliga’s best goaltender after posting a 93.6 save percentage in the regular season, which he almost matched in the playoffs. The 22 year old goaltender, who had only played a handful of senior games before last season, truly shone in his first full senior season. Like Plzeň’s Matěj Machovský, Kašík may suffer a sophomore slump, but the ever reliable Luboš Horčička is arguably the Extraliga’s best backup goaltender. People thought Zlín would be in trouble following the departure of Jakub Sedláček to the KHL, but in Kašík, they may have uncovered an even better goaltender.

Libor Kašík was voted the Extraliga's best goaltender last season
Photo: Pavel Hrabovský, hokej.zlin.cz

Up front, what would a Zlín team be without Petr Leška and Jaroslav Balaštík. Now 38 and 34 respectively, these two have been the first names on Zlín’s team sheet for nearly a decade, bar Balaštík’s sabbatical with Mláda Boleslav. Leška, who continues to top 40 points each season, is the true face of Zlín hockey, and while the goal scoring touch is starting to leave him, he is still one of the premier playmakers in the Czech Republic. Petr Čajanek returns, and last season’s top playoff scorer has finally become the Extraliga player Zlín needed him to be following his return from the KHL in 2011. Ondřej Veselý, Petr Holík and Bedřich Köhler provide an ample secondary scoring touch, while the signing of Roman Vlach, the son of head coach Rostislav Vlach from Karlovy Vary should easily cover the goals lost by the departure of Honejsek.

All in all, I don’t think Zlín will be able to consistently win enough games to finish top of the regular season table, but I think they have an incredibly good chance, come playoff time, to challenge for the repeat.

One to watch: Petr Holík (Forward. Last season: 51GP 7+16 -4)

 Now 22 years of age, Holík may be small in stature, but his high skill level certainly makes up for any deficit in height. The Zlín native dropped off slightly following his 35 point 2012/13 season, but still tallied 23 points and made his Czech senior debut in the Euro Hockey Tour. If paired with sharpshooter Roman Vlach, look for Holík to be pushing 30, if not 40 points this season.

Predictions:

Position: 3rd

Top Scorer: Petr Leška

MVP: Petr Leška

HC Pardubice – Charging up the table

Last season: 7th

Last season’s top scorer: Tomáš Nosek (21yo, 52GP, 19+25 +44)

Last season’s top goaltender: Július Hudáček (28GP 2.39GAA 92.3%)

What has gone wrong at Pardubice? The 2012 Extraliga champions have been simply awful in the last two seasons, and it’s up to head coach Zdeněk Venera to turn the tide and make Pardubice championship contenders once again. It has been a rough few seasons for Pardubice in the transfer market, as the likes of Petr Koukal, both Jan Kolářs and Robert Kousal have all been snapped up by KHL teams, and it has happened again this offseason. Last season’s top scorer Tomáš Nosek, still only 21 years of age, has been signed by the Detroit Red Wings after going undrafted in the last few seasons.

Tomáš Halasz has big skates to fill at Pardubice
Photo: hcpce.cz

Fortunately, Nosek is the only big time player to be leaving Pardubice, as they have managed to retain a strong core of young forwards now entering their prime. Lukáš Radil, Tomáš Zohorna and Radoslav Tybor are three great players to build around, whilst retaining the services of (forward) Jan Kolář was vital after the 33 year old failed to crack the KHL. Radovan Somík also remains, now entering his 8th season with Pardubice. Look for Radil to continue his development into one of the leading scorers in the Extraliga, as the 24 year old tallied 32 points and earned his Czech Republic national team debut last season.

Tomáš Marcinko is Pardubice’s big money forward signing, with the Slovak national team forward, who played at the Olympics, joining the club to provide a solid two way centre who works hard at both ends of the ice. Pardubice don’t need Marcinko to be a 30 goal scorer, they simply need him to be a solid pivot, which Pardubice have somewhat lacked over recent years.

Pardubice will go into the 2014/15 with a brand new tandem in goal though, as Tomáš Halasz and Slovene national team goaltender Robert Kristan join from Olomouc and Nitra respectively. Halasz, who helped Olomouc gain Extraliga promotion last season, has already impressed in a Pardubice jersey, especially after his miraculous performance in the Champions Hockey League against Linkoping.  Kristan, the definition of a journeyman joins after a very solid season with Nitra in Slovakia. This new look tandem should certainly do better than the trio of Hudáček, Salfický and Martin Růžíčka. The latter, who backstopped Pardubice to the 2012 title, will look for pastures new following his release after over a decade with his home-town club.

I think the losses of Jiří Vašiček and Marek Ďaloga will be a big blow to Pardubice’s blueline, but with Aleš Píša, Václav Kočí, Václav Benák and Blaz Gregorc returning, the Bohemian side should still be in good hands, and that’s before we even mention the return of one of Pardubice’s favourite sons, Petr Čáslava. The 34 year old defenceman has spent the last four seasons in the KHL, and returns after a pretty poor season captaining Severstal Cherepovets. The mammoth blueliner will not only be a rock on the blueline but will add some necessary scoring on the powerplay

Player to watch: Radoslav Tybor (Last season: 44GP 16+8 +11)

Slovak forward Radoslav Tybor. One to watch
Photo: hcpce.cz

At 24 years of age, Radoslav Tybor will enter into his second full season with Pardubice, and the Slovak forward who earned a spot on the World Championships team this year will look to improve as he carves out a niche as one of the Extraliga’s most feared snipers. The Trenčín native brings speed along with his deadly accurate shot, as Linkoping found out in the CHL. I think he’ll break 20 goals this season if he stays injury free.

Predictions:

Position: 4th

Top scorer: Lukáš Radil

MVP: Petr Čáslava

HC Kometa Brno – Ensuring stability

Last season: 6th

Last season’s top scorer: Vojtěch Němec (28yo, 50GP, 20+18 +6)

Last season’s top goaltender: Marek Čiliak (36GP 2.14GAA 91.3%)

The team from the Czech second city has come a long way in the past five years. Replacing Znojmo who sold their Extraliga licence in 2009, Kometa have been the one team in recent memory which has come up from the 1.liga and truly shown itself to be competitive. Kometa have made it to the Extraliga final twice in the past three seasons, but have fallen both times at the final hurdle. It has been agony for some of the most passionate fans in the Czech Republic, but a sign of how far hockey in Brno has progressed over the past decade.

Brno's home-town hero in pre-season
Photo: Vladimir Koláček, hc-kometa.cz

Last season saw Kometa lose in the final to Zlín, once again beating Sparta Praha on their march through the playoffs after finishing in 6th place. It was a strange season, as while Kometa’s big names really struggled to find any sort of scoring form, a number of players had their breakout seasons. Most notably, Vojtěch Němec, who at 28 years of age, had previously only managed to score 8 points in a season. However, the Češka Lipa native, more accustomed to spending time in the 1.liga, truly shone scoring 38 points as well as a further 14 in the playoffs.

Alongside Němec was Vilem Burian, who was also another 1.liga regular before tallying 21 points last season. Up front, Kometa have one of the deepest forward line-ups on paper, as Tomáš Svoboda and Jan Hruška have provided ample secondary scoring to the likes of Jakub Svoboda and Hýnek Zohorna over recent years. Last season was one to forget for the latter two forwards, as Svoboda only managed 25 games in an injury plagued season, whilst Zohorna could only muster 13 points last season. If Svoboda and Zohorna can turn things around, Kometa may be on to a winner, and that is even before we have discussed Kometa’s two big money summer signings.

Petr Ton crashes to the ice during the Rona Cup
Photo: Vladimir Koláček, hckometa.cz

Firstly, following his bust up with head coach Josef Jandáč, where the Sparta coach benched his top scorer in Game 7 of the playoff semi-finals, Petr Ton has added insult to injury by joining Kometa Brno. Ton, who was the Extraliga’s top scorer after racking up a massive 67 points in 50 games last season, will fit right in on Kometa’s top line, alongside other new signing Tomáš Vincour. The native Brňák struggled to match the high expectations placed on him at Ak Bars Kazan last season, and leaves the KHL to sign for his hometown team. If he stays for the whole season (he has KHL and NHL out clauses in his contract), look for Vincour to be top of the scoring charts. Vincour scored three goals for Kometa as they romped to victory in the Rona Cup in Slovakia a few weeks ago. The team scored fifteen goals in three games to take home the famous pre-season tournament. Most recently, a 2-2 draw with Slovan Bratislava certainly highlights Kometa’s credentials.

Kometa’s forward line-up is as good as any in the Extraliga, but unfortunately, their defence just does not stack up to the other top contenders. Tomáš Žižka has moved to Zlín but has been replaced by Františk Ptáček, and while Jozef Kováčík and Petr Kuboš provide a strong back line, it just lacks the defensive quality needed to lift the Extraliga title. Another area where Kometa will falter will be in goal, and not just because they have Martin Falter. Marek Čiliak was the starter last season, and a 91.3 save percentage will simply not cut it if Kometa want to raise the Masaryk Trophy. At 24 years of age, it is a make or break season for the Slovak netminder.

Player to watch: Michal Kempný (Defenceman. Last season: 51GP 7+8 +10)

At 23 years of age, Kempný, in my opinion, is one of the elite offensive defencemen in the Czech Extraliga. I saw a lot of him during his loan spell with Slavia in 2012/13, and in all honesty he impressed me more than Petr Kadlec, and his booming shot is a vital asset on the powerplay. With the added firepower Kometa have added up front, look for Kempný’s point totals to increase further.

Predictions:

Position: 5th

Top scorer: Petr Ton

MVP: Tomáš Vincour

HC Škoda Plzeň – The rebuild continues

Last season: 3rd

Last season’s top scorer: Radek Duda (35yo, 47GP 17+24 +6)

Last season’s top goaltender: Matěj Machovský (36GP 1.67GAA 93.6%)

Jozef Balej powers away in pre-season
Photo: Milan Podpera, hcskoda.cz

A couple of teams each year notice a significant drop off in performance in the Czech Extraliga. Last season, Litvínov fell from 6th to 11th, while Kladno were 7th placed finishes in 2012/13, before being relegated last season. Plzeň, who were champions in 2013, had a strong season in 2013/14, finishing in 3rd place with an aging roster. Head coach Milan Razym, who won the Extraliga in his first season with Plzeň, has a lot of work to do to prevent what I predict will be a tougher season this time round.

It is definitely a case of out with the old and in with the...still quite old. Radek Duda, Martin Straka and Tomáš Vlasák have all left the club in one way or another this summer, with 37 year old defenceman Petr Kadlec being one of the Plzeň’s major summer acquisitions. Kadlec has over 1,000 games to his credit with Slavia Praha before leaving in June. The signing of Lukáš Pulpan from Chomutov may also turn out to be a shrewd piece of business.

In the wake of these losses, Plzeň’s forward line up looks decidedly weakened. The elder statesmen, Václav Pletka and Ondřej Kratena remain after positive seasons for both, but at 35 and 37 years of age respectively, one might assume their performance will start to wane. Pavel Kašpařík and Tomáš Sýkora are also entering the twilight of their careers, but may still have one or two good seasons left in them. Additionally, the defence has taken a blow, as Tomáš Frolo, Tomáš Slovak and Jiří Hanzlík have all left, leaving Kadlec as the only defenceman over the age of 30.

Plzeň celebrate a victory over Nurnburg in pre-season
Photo: Milan Podpera, hcskoda.cz

Razym has worked to add immediate replacements, bringing back Nick Johnson who impressed in his first spell with the club, as well as veteran Slovak forward Jozef Balej, but the bulk of recruitment has been focused on younger players. Dominík Kubalik and Matěj Beran both join Plzeň upon completion of their Major Junior careers, whilst the signing of former Sparta Praha forward Dominík Simon, who scored a beautiful penalty shot at the 2014 World Junior Championships to beat Canada, may turn out to be one of the signings of the season.

The true wildcard in Plzeň’s lineup will be 21 year old goaltender Matěj Machovský. The Opava native joined Plzeň after a three year spell with the Brampton Battalion in the OHL, and in his debut season in the Extraliga was simply faultless, finishing the season with the Extraliga’s top save percentage. Machovský backed up Patrik Bartošák at the 2013 World Juniors in Ufa, but took to the Extraliga like a duck to water. I think Machovský will struggle to replicate his numbers from 2013/14, and with Lukáš Mensator as his backup, any poor form will have direct consequences on the team’s result.

One to watch: Dominík Simon (Forward. Last season – Sparta Praha: 47GP 7+4 +5)

Simon is one of a number of young, exciting Czech forwards who have somewhat gone under the radar but look set to have great European careers. The 20-year old Prague native, a product of the Sparta system, has represented the Czech Republic at every youth level, and was the second top scorer for the Czech Republic at the 2014 World Juniors with 4 points in 5 games. Most notably, he scored this to beat Canada at the 2014 World Junior Championships

Watch for Simon to be one of the breakout stars in the Extraliga this season if he can get quickly accustomed to Milan Razym’s system.

Predictions:

Position: 6th

Top scorer: Vacláv Pletka

MVP: Matěj Machovský

HK Hradec Králové – Sophomore Slump

Last season: 5th

Last season’s top point scorer: Jiří Šimánek (35yo, 47GP 25+17 +19)

Last seaon’s top goaltender: Pavel Kantor (45GP 1.80GAA 92.4%)

Rastislav Dej made the move from Karlovy Vary last summer
Photo: Stanislav Souček, hkmountfield.cz

The MOUNTFIELD franchise upped sticks in summer last year, moving their franchise from Češke Budějovice to Hradec Králové in the wake of financial issues. While it left a void of hockey in CB, which thankfully was replaced by the Motor franchise, for HK it was a great move for a city which has been looking for top level hockey for a number of years. Last season’s fifth placed finish was a remarkable achievement, helped by an incredible defensive effort which saw the side have the second best defensive record in the Extraliga last season. A quarter-final loss against eventual champions PSG Zlín was unfortunate, with Zlín winning three of these games in overtime. In fact, HK went to overtime 17 times in the regular season alone in 2013/14.

Captain Jiří Šimánek was the symbol of HC MOUNTFIELD’s resurgence last season, and showed what a fresh start can do, as the 35 year old veteran centre scored 42 points and earned himself a spot back in the Czech Republic national team after an absence of three years. Jaroslav Kudrna also turned back the years last season, scoring 34 points in just 35 games after a disappointing year in Liberec last season. Both Šimánek and Kudrna return and are joined by new summer signings Dávid Skokan and Roman Kukumberg. Skokan impressed last season for Slavia, scoring 18 points and being a reliable two way player, and Kukumberg joins HK after a three year spell with Slovan Bratislava, two of those being in the KHL. However, behind these four and Tomáš Mertl, I think HK are a little light up front. Rastislav Dej is a solid two way player, but is never going to be troubling the top points scorers.

Slovak NT regular René Vydarený impressed last season
Photo: Stanislav Souček, mountfieldhk.cz

Therefore, it is integral that HK continue playing their defensive brand of hockey instilled by coach Peter Draisatl, father of 2014 NHL Draft first rounder Leon. The Slovak trio of Peter Frühauf, Peter Mikuš and René Vydarený were in top form last season, providing a solid backbone to which protect Pavel Kantor. The 23-year old was tasked with replacing Jakub Kovář in the CB net, but looked out of his depth in 2012/13. However, with a solid defence in front of him, Kantor looked every bit the Extraliga starter many predicted him to be from his days in the Češke Budějovice system. HK have also made strides to make their defence even better. Tomáš Slovak joins from Plzeň, along with Jiří Vašíček, who in my opinion is one of the premier two way defencemen in the country. Completing HK’s top six is Bohumil Jank, one of the best young Czech defencemen.

With only two wins out of five in pre-season, I think that on paper Hradec Králové have strengthened, but I can see them just falling short of last year’s standards. I think they lack depth up front, and are relying on players who perhaps overachieved last year. They will still make the playoffs, but will have to go through the play-ins

One to watch: Bohumil Jank (Defenceman. Last season: 24GP 1+2 +1)

Jank is not one to watch in terms of excitement, as the 22 year old blueliner plays a no-nonsense defensive brand of hockey. However the Milevsko native brought through the CB system has represented his country at every junior age level and his great performances last season were rewarded with his senior team debut in the Euro Hockey Tour. Standing at 6’2’’, Jank is the sort of defenceman that teams win with, and he is only going to get better.

Predictions:

Position: 7th

Top scorer: Jiří Šimánek

MVP: René Vydarený

Back with a bang: Why Martin Růžička is the best player in the Extraliga.

Martin Růžička - The best in the Extraliga?
Photo: Marian Ježowicz

Records don't get broken all that often. When in 2011, Martin Růžička broke Ziggy Pálffy's playoff points record which had stood for nineteen years, people knew that he was a special talent, possibly destined for better things than playing in Silesia. A KHL contract followed, and the 26 year old flew halfway across the world to ply his trade for Amur Khabarovsk, but alas things didn't work out all that great for him. Despite having two of the best Czechs in the KHL as teammates in the form of Jakub Petružálek and Petr Vrana, Růžička's tally of just 15 points in 33 games led many to believe that his miraculous playoff run was just a flash in the pan. However, he's back in Třinec, and boy has he still got it.

There's nothing much better that signalling your arrival home than scoring six points in the first two games of the season. Růžička beat up on Pardubice and Karlovy Vary as the team better known as the Steelers quickly vaulted to the top of the Extraliga tree. Nothing is more endemic of just how good of a scorer Růžička is at Extraliga level than looking at his points picked up during the ten games played so far. Not only has he scored 12 goals, but he opened the season scoring in nine straight games, only being blanked in his side's most recent loss to Zlin on Sunday. Not since his 33 points in 18 playoff games in Třinec's 2011 Championship run has he scored at such a rate of knots.

KHL: A step too far?
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Another feature of his play is his ability to single handedly dominate a game. In Třinec's 5:0 victory over České Budějovice a week ago, Růžička had a hand in all five goals, finding the net three times, and picking up assists on the other two. It was a performance reminiscent of Game 5 of the 2011 semi-final series against Slavia Praha, where on the brink of elimination, he found the net four times in a 6:1 victory for Třinec, turning the momentum around in the series as the Silesians would go on to win Games 6 and 7 and advance to the final after a stuttering start against Slavia.

For many, that playoff performance was his great 'introduction' into the upper echelons of Czech hockey. His first entry in a journal which could possibly span for a good 8-10 years more. However, many will know that this type of production has been expected from the Beroun native. Of course, no expected him to shatter Palffy's record in the way he did, but he had been on the cusp of the national team for a good number of years following his break-out year in 2009-10, where he scored 47 points in the regular season, after going scoreless in 11 playoff games the season before. This got his name noticed and gained him a spot on the Czech Republic roster for both the EuroHockeyTour and the World Championships, although he failed to  really make a mark at either of these events.

After all the notoriety of the lockout, with the likes of Jagr, Plekanec and Sobotka returning to the Extraliga, it might be strange to proclaim Růžička as the best player in the Extraliga. However, Růžička offers that something a little bit different. He's a gamechanger. A dynamic forward who can change the direction of a game in a split second. After a season of indifference last year, Třinec now sit in third, behind a Kometa Brno side not feeling the effects of a finals hangover, and Zlin, who always start well, but you can guarantee will not make it past the playoff quarter-finals come March. After a mammoth fall in his production last year, linemate and former NHL veteran Radek Bonk has blossomed once more, with 13 points in 10 games, and on pace for his best season since his return from the NHL back in  2009. Of course it can be argued now that Třinec are a one man team, and to use a football metaphor, he is very much like Robin van Persie was at Arsenal. However, he's a damn good player to be your solitary man. He may be overshadowed by the NHLers returning back to the Extraliga, and looking at performances, players like Plekanec have been scoring for fun.  However the threat of the lockout ending will loom over Kladno and other teams for the remainder of the season, and even then, I believe that come playoff time, Růžička will out-perform any of the NHLers (if they are still in the league, that is.)

Who knows what the future holds for him, as if he continues in this rich vein of form, surely offers from Russia or Switzerland will winging their way to the 26 year old. For the moment though, Třinec won't care, as in Růžička they have the best player in the Extraliga, and could very well be on their way to a second championship in three years.

Around the league:
Although we are only ten games into the season, a look at the Extraliga table is fascinating. After running away with the President's Trophy last year, HC Sparta Praha sit rooted to the bottom of the table with only five points. The season seemed to start out okay as they picked up two straight wins, but then the wheels have fallen off. Eight straight losses have put the capital side rooted to the bottom of the table. Michal Neuvirth has lost all of the six games he's started in, whilst Petr Ton is "slumping" with only eight points in ten games.

Chomutov's goaltending tandem
Photo: Jan Pidrman

However, for a number of other big teams, the 2012-13 season has been a cruel one so far. Bílí Tygři Liberec have had a shocker of a start, and are only three points better off than Sparta. With arguably the best goaltending duo in the league on paper in Marek Pinc and Ondřej Pavelec, and the return of Petr Nedvěd, big things were expected of the White Tigers, but they have flattered to deceive. Pavelec's stats are mindblowing bad. A 4.62 GAA and a 0.863 save percentage were not what the club. and the fans, would have expected. He's falling into Lukas Sablik territory.

While Kometa are looking as fresh as a daisy at the top of the table, their opponents in last years final HC Pardubice are still looking drunk from the party. Wallowing in ninth place, the losses of Jan Kolar and Petr Koukal look all the more devastating the way they have looked in front of goal. The reigning champions have looked nothing of the sort so far, but you would be a fool to count out Pardubice, no matter how bad they appear to be at the moment.

However, it would be wrong to just focus on the bad. After three truly awful seasons, have Litvinov finally turned the corner? Currently they sit in sixth place, and finally look to have picked up some solid netminding as 22 year old youngster Pavel Francouz looks to have made his name in the Extraliga. It will be interesting to see if they can keep it up, and whether or not they wheel Jiří Šlégr out of retirement one more time. Still, if Viktor Hübl continues with his incredible scoring pace, then they probably wouldn't need him! Another team defying expectations is KLH Chomutov, not least the fact that they seem to be playing remarkably well defensively. Veteran Slovak netminder Matúš Kostúr is looking a worldbeater with his .954 save percentage at the moment. However the season is still young, and they could still soon get 'found out' at the top level. Radek Duda still looks to be as good as ever, and the performances of Extraliga veteran David Hruška have been extraordinary. With seven goals, he's joint second in the top scorers race.

Dominik Pacovsky - The only light
in a dark season for Sparta so far
Photo: hc-kometa.cz

For the past number of seasons, the Extraliga has become somewhat of an old geezers league, not least because most of the prime Czech talent in Europe between the ages of 24-32 gets swallowed up by either the KHL, NLA or Scandinavia. Despite the likes of Tomáš Vlasák and Radek Bonk in the top scorers charts, there are a couple of relatively younger players who are certainly impressing. Leading the charge for Kometa at the moment is Jakub Svoboda. The 22 year old who bagged 15 points in last seasons playoffs currently has 14 points in 10 games so far, and is one of a trio of Svoboda's leading the charge for the side from the second city. Thank goodness Coach Venera doesn't put them all on one line. Another 22 year old who broke out last season and is keeping up the good work is Jan Kovář. The Plzeň forward bagged 51 points last season, and has racked up 12 so far. Very much a playmaker, he'll be key to Martin Straka's teams fortunes this year. One player who has impressed despite his teams rotten performances has been Dominik Pacovský of Sparta. Also 22 years of age, he got his first regular shift in the Extraliga last year, picking up 27 points, and is currently his teams top scorer with 10 points. We seem to see it every year, and once again, due to lack of budget, Zlin continue to pump out brilliant young forwards who make an almost instantaneous splash in the Extraliga. Last years hotshot Petr Holik may have struggled to find the net, but he does have seven assists to his credit, and this year, it looks like Antonín Honejsek will be the one to watch. The 21 year old returned to the Extraliga last year after a spell in the WHL, and after taking a while to adjust to the rigours of Extraliga hockey, the summer looks to have produced a completely different player, as he has 8 points so far, and looks to be another great Zlin prospect.

And finally, a special mention to Kometa's Jan Hruška. While no spring chicken at the age of 26, the Brno native has been waiting a long time for his shot at Extraliga hockey, spending a large amount of time between Hradec Kralove in the 1.liga and Technicka Brno in the 2.liga. However, after a very good season in Slovakia for Skalica last year, his hometown side Kometa Brno decided to take a punt on the centre, and their gamble looks to have paid off dividends. Sitting with 12 points (6+6) through ten games, Hruška looks to be another shrewd signing by the Kometa management, who have done wonders ever since the team moved up from the 1.liga.

The lockout may be overshadowing some of the performances by players mentioned, but in Europe's most competitive league, it remains the domestic Czech players who are putting on the performances that are making this the best league in the world to watch.

2011 in review

The Christmas carp has finally settled, and the New Year's festivities are coming to an end, and 2012 is set to be a thrilling one in the Czech Extraliga. 2011 brought us excitement, drama and most of all great hockey, and 2012 looks set to be another great year for Czech hockey.

However, things aren't all shipshape in the higher levels of the league, as the big news that came out of the Extraliga in mid December was that the Union of Extraliga teams tore up their agreement with the Czech Ice Hockey Association, as the teams ramp up their efforts to 'close' the Extraliga, which would result in the termination of the end of season playouts for the teams that finish in 11th-14th place in the table. It would also mean an end to the possibility of teams from the 1.liga getting promotion, which would certainly anger the likes of Slovan Ústečtí Lvi and Piráti Chomutov who are sitting atop of the Czech second tier, as well as making it that more difficult for one of the greats of Czech hockey's history, Dukla Jihlava, from getting back to the top division. No concrete agreements have been made yet, but it could prove to be a very difficult situation if the Czech Ice Hockey Association lose their control of the Extraliga.

The other story that has cropped up a few times in the latter months of 2011 is the possibility of teams from Slovakia joining the Czech Extraliga. Slovakia's national league has already been placed somewhat in the shadow by the presence of Lev Poprad in the KHL, and the bigger spending teams in the Slovak Extraliga, such as Slovan Bratislava and HC Košice are hoping to spread their wings. Slovan have been linked with joining the KHL numerous times, although it remains to be seen whether or not they could raise the funds necessary to compete, as well as the issue of having Lev Poprad just next door. It remains to be seen what will happen to Slovakia's biggest teams, as their proposal to the Czech Extraliga was resoundingly denied, receiving no support from the Czech teams at all, whose concerns at the prospect of more teams sharing from the Extraliga cup resulted in thirteen no votes, and one abstention sealing the Slovak clubs fate. For Slovan, it appears that they will either have to stump up for the KHL, or remain as a big fish in the Slovak Extraliga, which may not be sustainable, especially as the rent on their brand new arena won't be cheap. Another option is joining the EBEL, which has already expanded into Hungary, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Croatia, but at the time of writing, there are no major inroads being made in this area.

Candles for the Czech trio in Staroměstské náměstí, Prague
Photo: idnes.cz

2011 was a brutal year for hockey fans around the world, with the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl tragedy impacting every hockey fan in the world. The Czechs lost three of their greatest players in modern years, as Jan Marek, Karel Rachůnek and Josef Vašíček perished on that fateful flight. Slovakia was also struck by the disaster, as Pavol Demitra, the former captain of the national team before his retirement after the 2011 World Championships lost his life. Mourning took place all across the two countries, with remembrance services taking place in numerous towns and cities.

It was the culmination of what had been a terrible year for fans of Slovakian hockey, as the juniors flattered to deceive in the World Juniors, with arguably their best team for a number of years failing to reach the quarter finals, whilst on the biggest stage that Slovakia has played since their independence, they flopped at their World Championships, disappointing the fans in the brand new Apollo Arena and being sent into the relegation rounds. It marked the end of the road for Canadian Glen Hanlon, who could not repeat his relative success during his tenure as the Belarussian head coach for Slovakia, and the Slovak Federation moved quickly to appoint two time Russian Superliga winner,Vladimír Vůjtek as their head coach. In his first challenge as coach, Vůjtek steered the Slovakian team to the Deutschland Cup, their first victory in the tournament since 2006. 2011 could have been a great year for Slovakian hockey, and a great chance to build on their momentum after some of the performances during the 2010 Olympics, but the signs of life may be there for the Slovaks, and their spirited performances in this years edition of the World Junior Championships may be a boost that the national program desperately needs. In May it will be ten years since the great team of 2002 defeated the Russians in Gothenburg to win the World Championships.

Handed a horrible group in the World Juniors, it was no surprise that the Czech juniors ended up in the relegation rounds in 2011, and they scraped their way to survival. After three years out of the job, Alois Hadamczik returned to the head coach position of the National Team, replacing Slavia Praha head coach Vladimír Růžička, who left the position as his contract expired on a high, after capturing the 2010 World Championship. However, the Czechs were in no position to repeat this glory, getting outclassed by Sweden in the semi finals, but did end up with a bronze medal to their name as they beat the Russians in the consolation game. As the year concluded, the spotlight is back on the juniors of the Czech Republic, and although they are not the force they once were, the Czechs still know how to put on a performance, as their defeat of the United States showed that they still have a sting in the tail, as well as some characters, as Petr Mrázek fist pumped his way to victory, gaining numerous fans in the process.

Radek Bonk hoisting the Czech title.
Photo: Jan Belej

Domestically, the Czech Extraliga playoffs were as thrilling as ever, as Oceláři Třinec claimed their first ever title since their inception in 1929. The top seeds, with former NHLers Radek Bonk, Lukáš Krajíček, Václav Varaďa and Ladislav Kohn to their name. However, the man that stole the show was Martin Růžička, whose form in the playoffs earned him a contract with Amur Khabarovsk for the 2011-12 season. Růžička broke numerous records last season, as he smashed the record for goals in consecutive games, putting up a 10 game goal streak in March, as well as breaking Zigmund Palffy's playoff scoring record, as Růžička put up 33 points (17+16) in just 18 games. However, it wasn't all plain sailing for Třinec, as they were behind by 3 games to 1 in their semi final series with unlikely contenders Slavia Praha, as well as being down 3-1 in game six, but each time they managed to battle back, not least in game five, as Růžička scored four goals, to go with his sixteen in the seven game series. In the final, they dispatched of Vitkovice 4-1, the Ostrava club's second straight trip to the final, and their second straight defeat.

The 2011-12 season started with the league as competitive as ever, but after clearing out the old (David Výborný, Martin Ručinský and Ondřej Kratěna all moved to pastures new), Sparta Praha ended 2011 with a rather comfortable lead at the top of the standings, whilst their cross city rivals, still smarting from the losses of their best players over the past four seasons ended the season in 12th place. Slavia were shut out at home in four of five home games during November, and the o2 Arena is a very empty place these days. Sparta have finally found the goalie they have been searching for ever since Petr Briza hung up his blocker, as after a few indifferent years, Tomáš Pöpperle seems to be entering his prime, and with a goals against average of less than two, he is giving Sparta a chance in every game they play. Defending champions Třinec, rocked by numerous losses to the KHL sit in seventh place at the turn of the year, suffering from inconsistent goaltending from their tandem of Peter Hamerlik and Martin Vojtek. The contenders to Sparta this year come in the form of České Budějovice, who have added Aleš Kotalík to their line up, and are back stopped by young Jakub Kovář, whose getting better with each season. Pardubice are also up there, as well as Plzeň, who still have Martin Straka on their roster. At the bottom of the table, it is a similar story as last year, as Mlada Boleslav end the season propping up the table. The additions of Výborný and former Zlín ace Jaroslav Balaštík has given them a bit more of an attacking bite, but they simply ship too many goals. Karlovy Vary are only a place above them, after a dreadful start to the year. The 2009 champions look a shadow of their former self, but their performances have improved since signing veteran goalie Dušan Salfický off of Litomerice.

All in all, 2012 promises to be a fantastic year, and I'll be here to blog about it!