Slovak Draft Review

by Daniel Kysel
on

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Slovak Draft Preview

by Daniel Kysel
on

The 2000 NHL entry draft is right around the corner and I am back as I promised in my previous article. I will now focus on Slovak players who might be picked in this draft. I divided these players into four categories. The first category includes hot prospects who are ranked in the top 40 of the North American and European CSB lists. The second category includes kids who are ranked in the top 100. The third category mentions junior prospects who were not ranked. The fourth and final category specifies over-aged players who are in my opinion really solid prospects not only for the top European Elites but also for the NHL, even though they are not 18 or 19.

First Category

No doubt that Marián Gáborík (CSB Euro #4, 02-14-1982, 6’1″ 183 lb., LW, Trencín – Extraliga, 50GP 25G-22A-47Pts +1 34PIM) is the top Slovak and European prospect. He has a real chance to be the #1 pick. While CSB ranks him at #4 on the European list, a lot of scouts, GM’s, journalists, and fans do not dispute that he is the best prospect. It does not matter whether Marián will be selected as #1 or 2 or 3. He has all the potential to start in the best hockey league next season and prove his obvious talent. In the last two seasons he refused more serious offers from IHL and QMJHL (where he was picked in the import draft) and stayed to play in the Slovak Elite – Extraliga. However, next season will be a big challenge for him and he will make the account of that.

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NHL Drafts – Slovak Review (1988 – 1999)

by Daniel Kysel
on

As the date of the NHL draft comes closer, people look forward to this big day in the life of these 18-20 year old prospects. Slovak fans are no exception to this rule.

Many scouts and GM’s could take a lesson from past drafts in order to avoid missing out on some good Slovak prospects. I can draw your attention to the fact that many scouts think Slovakia is just Bratislava (Slovak capital located in western part of the country) and maybe 50 miles from there. They have omitted and still omit the kids from central and eastern Slovakia where some teams e.g. Martin, Poprad, Banska Bystrica, Kosice, Zvolen, are grooming very talented prospects – Svehla, Bondra, Suchy, Bartecko, Handzus, Zednik, Orszagh, Petrovicky, Nagy, Vaic etc. All these players grew up neither in Bratislava nor in western Slovakia. Dear scouts, do not forget to travel across Slovakia to see other rinks, not just Bratislava, Nitra and Trencin.

However, I do not want to write about new prospects (it will be in my next article). My target is to review the players who have already been drafted.

I will start in 1988 because the other players drafted before this year retired except for two 40-year-old veterans – Igor Liba (37 games on L.A. and N.Y.R.) and Miroslav Ihnacak (56 games on Toronto).

Explanatory note:

Name, year of birth, NHL team and No. of pick, position, team in draft year, mother team, last season team

1988

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Slovak Hockey Update

by Daniel Kysel
on

End of Regular Season 1999-2000

Slovak Elite (West Extraliga)

The Slovak Elite (Extraliga) regular season is now over and we now know which teams have
play-off berths, which team has been demoted as well as what new team will be in the
Extraliga for next season.

Please find below basic data of Extraliga:


Standings 
Team			GP	W	L	T	Scores		Pts
Slovan Bratislava	56	34	15	7	233:133	75
HKm Zvolen		56	31	16	9	219:161	71
SKP Poprad		56	29	19	8	182:162	66
Dukla Trencin		56	27	20	9	207:151	63
HK36 Skalica		56	23	22	11	159:175	57
HK32 L. Mikulas		56	20	20	16	157:184	56
HC Kosice		56	12	33	11	142:235	35
HK VTJ S. N. Ves	56	  9	40	7	114:221	25	


STATISTICS (after 56 games)

Leading scorers
	Name, year of birth, team		GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	PIM
1	Vlastimil Plavucha (68), Zvolen	54	43	29	72	+44	76
2	Zdeno	Ciger (69), Bratislava		51	23	39	62	+29	48
3	Arne Krotak (72), Poprad		56	33	28	61	+25	64
4	Richard Sechny (71), Zvolen		49	24	31	55	+29	48
5	Jan Plch (74), Poprad			56	24	31	55	+27	36
6	Petr Vlk (64), L.Mikulas		55	15	40	55	+3	62
7	Lubomir Kolnik (68), Bratislava	55	28	24	52	+35	30
8	Lubomir Hurtaj (75), Trencin		56	25	27	52	+33	18
9	Vasilij Pankov (68), Bratislava		55	22	30	52	+45	48
10	Jan Lipiansky (74), Bratislava		46	30	21	51	+39	18

Leading scorers - defencemen
	Name, year of birth, team		GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	PIM Read more»

Rinkside Reflections (Ukraine-Slovakia)

by Lasse Johansson
on

Team Ukraine sensationally won the first relegation game against Slovakia
by three goals to one. The Ukrainian netminder Vadim Seleverstov
was highly resposible for the win, as he didn’t get much support from his defencemen. Slovakia missed five or six “open goal” opportunities and should have won the game comfortably if Seleverstov hadn’t been playing like a god. Slovakia was the better team on every aspect of the game, except the two most crucial aspects; goaltending and goal scoring. The third Ukrainian goal scored by Artem Gnidenko was one of the flashiest goals I have ever seen.

Prospect Report:

Team Ukraine:

#1 Vadim Seleverstov G – Vadim was definately the MVP of this game making loads of extremely big saves. He plays a very spectacular game, and my guess is that he is somewhat inconsistent. You could compare him to Dominik Hasek because of his unorthodox playing style. He was lucky at times, but a good goaltender needs luck. His play reminded me of fellow Ukrainian goaltender Igor Karpenko, who impressed the scouts so much in the 1995 WJCs that he was drafted by the Anaheim Mighty Ducks.

#2 Denis Isaenko D – Captain of the Ukranian team and one of the few players in the offensive minded Ukrainian team who acted with maturity in his own zone. Physical with fairly good size in the otherwise small Ukrainian team. Posesses a hard shot from the point.

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