Miroslav Šatan: Catastrophic measures attract children to the Czech Republic and Austria – ŠPORT.sk

The head of the union then looks forward to the upcoming championship within twenty years, where he does not want to put even more pressure on the young team.

We are ready to solve the problem with Tomáš Tatar’s visas, they just have to travel to Ottawa, says MIROSLAV ŠATAN

What do you expect from the tournament in Switzerland?

“We want the players to show up and then the coaches will be able to get a picture of the Winter Olympics. However, the fact that we will be able to count on hockey players from overseas will play the biggest role there. ”

Didn’t you want to have a stronger team in Vispe?

“I think that Marek Hrivík or Peter Cehlárik and other players were convinced of their performances. The coaches don’t need to see them. We want to save them for the two highlights of the season, which are the Winter Olympics and the World Cup. Now we want to give the hockey players a chance to be nominated. ”

Are you specifically curious about any of the nominees?

“For example, Patrik Rybár, who did not catch the national team for a long time. I am also curious about the three newcomers Varga, Baláž and Golian. We will see how I manage the pace and level of the game. A few players were surprised at the German Cup, so we called them again. We want to see if they are able to deliver constant performance. ”

Adam Liška, who did not fit into the lineup for the Olympic qualification, is returning to the national team. What do you say about his season in Cherepovets?

“Adam will have a chance to show his form from the KHL, as will David Bondra, whom we have not seen in the national team for a long time. He traveled to China, the Czech Republic and returned to Slovakia. ”

How do you react to the case of Simon Nemec and Adam Sýkor a few days later?

“I am most sorry for my next goal for hockey. I’m glad that as the case burned, it ended quickly. It is sad that the managers of HK Nitra, a club that praises the work of young players Craig Ramsay or me, cannot understand that the national team is paramount. One of them is also an employee of the association. The communication on our part was diplomatic. From December 2, they knew there had been a change.

I, coach Feneš, and managers Sýkora and Pšenka communicated in writing, also by phone for several days. Other clubs have adapted to this. Nitra argued that they work well with young players and have already told us that they will not let them go, so they have the right to keep them longer. At the same time, we only followed the Covid-19 protocol and the requirements of the IIHF, or the valid statutes, which were approved by the clubs themselves. It was all useless. ”

Positives prevail in the debate on the current under-20 national team. Do you feel that he can achieve success at the upcoming championship in Canada?

“There are many promising hockey players for the future, but we still need to realize that our team will be one of the youngest in the tournament. There is no need to put a lot of pressure and expectations on them. Many can continue to play in the championship in the future. We hope that they will combine their talent with the needs of the team and the requirements of the coaches. However, if they only play the quarterfinals, I will not be disappointed. ”

The imaginary day of Slovak hockey was the year 2017, when the senior national team almost dropped out of the elite category of the world championships, even for a boycott. Has our hockey risen since then?

“A lot of work has been done to stop the downturn that has been here for years. I think that the public has also perceived this since the last World Championships, the Hlinka Memorial, or the successful advancement of the Olympic qualification. We are on the right track, even though we still have a lot of work to do. ”

Fans and experts alike are always looking forward to the turn of the year, as the fastest hockey awaits them in the junior national duel. Do you have similar feelings?

“Yes, I always like to watch the championship. It is the most interesting hockey, where players do not have much experience yet. There are more mistakes in it, there is a higher commitment and emotions. ”

There is currently a case in the NHL about the negative comment of former coach John Tortorell on the great goal of the pair Trevor Zegras – Sonny Milano from Anaheim Ducks. What do you say to the fact that similar things are increasing?

“Our generation of players who came to the NHL in the 1990s has changed the way we look at hockey in America, even if they don’t admit it out loud. She changed their work with young people. Quality has increased. Already in my time, I felt that the older generation, which was fighting in the eighties, refused. However, I have a completely different opinion. The skills of today’s modern players belong to hockey.

They enrich the game with them and the fans want to see it. It attracts other young players. Lacrosse goals were once controlled by two or three players in the world, and today the teenagers know that. Similarly, a goal when a player puts a hockey stick between his legs. The generation is already growing with it and similar goals will increase. It doesn’t matter if the older coach doesn’t like it. ”

It is constantly being debated whether NHL hockey players will travel to Beijing for the Winter Olympics. What do you think about it?

“Just because they have the right to veto is worrying. These further highlight the latest information that a positive player could spend three to five weeks in quarantine in Beijing. We have to wait until January 10 for the final decision. We work with variants of NHL players, even without them. A long quarantine is a serious concern. ”

At the beginning of the NHL, Tomáš Tatar told us that he did not have all the papers that would allow him to travel and return to America without any problems. Are you working so he can come to Beijing?

“We have help ready for Tomas. We are in contact with his club, including the embassy in Ottawa, where they can issue him all the necessary documents. During some non-match day, Tomáš has to travel to the embassy in agreement with the club. Everything is ready and we believe that it will be resolved successfully. ”

A month ago, you said you were still letting NHL hockey players focus on the season. Did you communicate with them about the Olympics?

“We are waiting for a collective decision. We will communicate with everyone accordingly. We will not move anywhere without a decision. ”

The Slovak comet of the overseas year is Martin Fehérváry. Were you surprised by his performances?

“I am pleased to. I remember when Craig Ramsay and I pulled him out at the World Championships in Denmark in 2018. We really liked the commitment with which he started and played at eighteen. We also appreciate his life story. Only a few years have passed and his progress is on track. It turns out to be a stable back for the Washington Capitals. ”

Men’s competitions are played, but there are youth competitions in Slovakia. How do you feel that for the second year in a row, children cannot train or play matches?

“The situation is catastrophic. Youth sports in Slovakia are on an ‘arena’. There is a huge dissatisfaction in the hockey movement and in the whole youth sport in Slovakia with the current state and decisions of competent experts. I think clubs and parents are angry at right. After all, everywhere in the surrounding countries everything works in compliance with safety conditions and regular testing.

In the last two weeks, we have seen the efforts of the parents of our little hockey players to re-register them in Austria or the Czech Republic. The damage caused by the measures in sport today cannot yet be quantified. At the same time, little would be enough. Copying the OTP regime from neighboring countries and the same security protocol as the extra league, for example, could work in the youth. ”