“The Slovaks have a team that, compared to others, was most affected by the decision regarding the ban on representing players working in the KHL,” pravda.sk quotes Aittola, who knows Slovakian hockey very well. For two years, he worked in extra-league clubs in Michalovce and Spišská Nové Ves. He stayed in touch with several players and officials.
He also knows that the participation of representatives from the KHL was discussed for a long time in Slovakia until a negative opinion was reached.
“We can sympathize with such an attitude or applaud it,” Aittola further noted, but in the same breath reminded that it also offers a second perspective. “No one can expect admiration for doing the right thing,” continues the forty-year-old Finnish expert.
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At the same time, Finland and some other countries dealt with this issue quickly and uncompromisingly: No one from the KHL is entitled to the World Cup. But unlike the Slovaks, for example, there were much fewer Finns in Russia.
The stop sign for players from the KHL in the Slovakian team manifests itself most prominently in the goalkeeper position. According to Fin, anyone from the trio of Patrik Rybár, Adam Húska or Július Hudáček, who is catching in Russia, could be the number one Slovak at the World Cup.
But everything is different. Coach Craig Ramsay has to rely on goalkeepers from the extra league who have little experience in international hockey. And they often face demonstrative expressions of mistrust.
Fin is not happy about them either. “Dominik Riečický always gave great performances when he was not under a lot of pressure. But I don’t think he could handle the position of number one at the World Cup,” evaluates the goalkeeper from Košice on pravda.sk.
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“Samuel Hlavaj is young, and the position of the three suits me better,” adds a look at the goalkeeper of Slovan, from whom he will head to Pilsen for the next season.
The third in the party is Stanislav Škorvánek from Michalovci. “He comes out as the clear number one for me, because he caught the most matches during the season and was in excellent form in the playoffs,” highlights Aittola, the last Slovak option to fill a key position.
In the last KHL season, in addition to the trio of goalkeepers, the Slovaks also had defenders Michal Čajkovský and Christián Jaroš as well as forwards Michal Krištof, Tomáš Jurč and Adam Liška. The decision about their non-participation in the WC was finally made at the end of March.
