VIDEO Without Hungarians, but still in the shadow of a pandemic: The new year of the Tipos Extraliga starts – Športky.sk

BRATISLAVA – Still in the shadow of a coronavirus pandemic, with strict hygienic measures, but with the participation of spectators and with the complete 1st round, a new year of the highest Slovak hockey competition – Tipos extraliga – will start on Friday. Last year, three matches could not be played in the beginning, now not a single club reports positive cases for COVID-19 in its staff before the start of the season.

The league will enter its 29th year and spectators can look forward to a complete six-match program on Friday. Last year, due to positive cases in Nové Zámky, Košice and Miškovec, only three duels were played at the beginning. The Extraliga has twelve participants in the 2021/2022 season. All clubs are Slovak, as the Hungarian representative of DVTK Jegesmedvék Miškovec decided not to continue in the extra league.

Detva is no longer on the league map, the club license has moved to Prešov. Acting champion HKM Zvolen will meet newcomer HK Spišská Nová Ves in the opening round of the basic part, HK Dukla Ingema Michalovce will host HC Mikron Nové Zámky, MHK 32 Liptovský Mikuláš will welcome HK Poprad, HK Nitra will meet HC Košice, on ice HC 21 Prešov will will present HC´05 Banská Bystrica and HC Slovan Bratislava is waiting at home HK Dukla Trenčín.

Each team will play fifty matches in the basic part. All teams will meet each other four times, twice at home and twice outside. In addition, each team will play two more matches with regional rivals. The first six teams after the basic part will ensure direct participation in the playoffs, teams on 7-10. place will be presented in the qualification. The season will end for the eleventh team after the Czech Championships, the twelfth will play for staying in the playoffs with the winner of the Tipos of the Slovak Hockey League.

A maximum of 5 legionnaires in the barracks

The final form of the barracks was announced by the competition management on Wednesday. Both teams will be able to place a maximum of five foreign players in the match, regardless of the position. The draw will be played for four winning matches and will start with two club ice duels from a lower competition. Tipos SHL teams can place a maximum of four legionnaires in the matches, which is one less than in the previous season. At the same time, the goalkeeper cannot be a foreigner. Extraligists can have up to seven legionnaires in matches, including goalkeepers.

“The representatives of both competitions have agreed on a compromise that a maximum of five foreign players can play for each club during the draw, while the number of foreign goalkeepers will not be limited.” said Rastislav Konečný, a member of the league boards of both competitions and the manager of the sports department of the Slovak Ice Hockey Association.

The SZĽH Executive Committee approved the rule that if the farm or B-team of the extra-league club wins the SHL, the defeated SHL finalist will advance to the draw. If it were also a farm or a “béčka”, the barrage would not take place. The term of the extra league play will start on the fourth day after the end of the SHL final.

Before the new season, most teams associated in the Association of Professional Hockey Clubs threatened to leave the highest competition. Of the participants in the highest competition, only HC Slovan Bratislava and HK Dukla Ingem Michalovce did not sign the memorandum on the establishment of the Professional Hockey League. The clubs had several demands for the association, but in the end they agreed and by the end of May they all signed up for the Tipos extra league.

The basic part will culminate, if nothing unexpected happens, with the final round on 15 March. The first matches of the preliminary round of the playoffs are on the agenda three days later, the start of the quarterfinals is scheduled for March 25. A decision on the new champion will be made no later than May 7, 2022.

The compilation and final form of the term list was influenced by the fact that HK Poprad is waiting for the Continental Cup in November and, in the case of promotion, also in January. HC Slovan Bratislava and HC Košice have the European Handball Championships in their halls in January, and HC Ban05 Banská Bystrica has to play the opening 22 rounds on the rinks of the opponents for the reconstruction of the winter stadium.

In the new season, the starting conditions of the legionnaires and juniors do not change. “As before, a maximum of seven foreign players, including the goalkeeper, can compete for one team in a match. Players under the age of 20 will have to have two guaranteed seats on the roster.” said Final.

In the shadow of a pandemic

The course of the new year may again be disrupted by a coronavirus pandemic. With the exception of a few matches, almost the entire previous one took place without the presence of fans in the stands. Currently, club representatives believe that the meetings will be seen live by as many spectators as possible.

“The clubs are ready to face the next challenge. From the partners’ point of view, it is important that the fans are in the stands. In the previous days, the clubs were able to join the call of the Sport Support Fund and get back part of the compensation for the first half of 2021. We hope that the next season will take place without any serious complications. prepared schedule and preferably also with the fans in the stands, ” Aneta Büdi, director of the Association of Professional Hockey Clubs, said that about 80 percent of players were vaccinated.

The rules of health authorities of the Slovak Republic apply to others: “The same regimes apply as in other areas, so the unvaccinated will have to be tested.” The league has scenarios in place even if it has to postpone matches for infection in teams, or if another lockdown comes. “We are still following the manual for professional sports, which means that as last year, in the event of a lockdown, the league could last and players will be able to play matches. In this case, we will try to bring it closer to fans on all platforms, networks and other platforms, “ said the director of APHK.

The league will rejuvenate again

The clubs again want to give more space to young home players and increase the level of competition. “In the last season, which was under the guise of a pandemic and matches had to be played, some did not even play, we had a lot of problems. However, our partners supported us and thanks to that we can move forward. to develop the talent of young players. We will work on it and I hope that we will strengthen it every year. “ added Büdi.

program of the 1st round of TIPOS Extraliga 2021/2022, Friday 24 September:

16.30 HK DUKLA Ingema Michalovce – HC Mikron Nové Zámky
17.00 MHK 32 Liptovsky Mikulas – HK Poprad
18.00 HKM Zvolen – HK Spisska Nova Ves
18.00 HK Nitra – HC Kosice
18.00 HC 21 Presov – HC ´05 Banská Bystrica
19.00 HC SLOVAN Bratislava – HK DUKLA Trencin

Important dates of the season 2021/22 in Tipos Extralige:

1st round of the basic part: September 24, 2021
final round of the basic part: March 15, 2022
start of the pre-round play off: March 18, 2022
quarterfinal start: March 25, 2022
the latest date for meeting the new master: May 7, 2022

• The author: © List
• VIDEO: TASR / Jaroslav Novak
• Source: TASR