Pavol Demitra -VIDEO

Pavol Demitra z Vancouver Canucks v piatok nepremenil trestne strielanie v zapase proti Coloradu Avalanche, avsak i napriek tomu si pripisal dva body za asistenciu a gol pozdejsie v zapase. 

Pavol hra vo formacii s Mats Sundinom a Ryanom Keslerom a podla ich slov, sa im hra spolu velmi dobre. 

pk64

SME video

Budaj o moznej ucasti na MS/talks about the Worlds

After this morning practice Peter Budaj expressed his interest to represent Slovakia at the IIHF world ice hockey championships in Switzerland. He said that he still needs to talk to Slovak GM Peter Bondra in next few days and iron out all the logistics and with his agent regarding his contract/no contract and the issues that linger from that scenario. Budaj also mentioned, that there is still eight games left in regular season, so for now he's focusing to finish that on good note... (video in Slovak  - i'll upload it later today, once the paper i write for has a chance to nibble on it first)

Po stvrtkovom rannom treningu v Pepsi Centre, som sa spytal slovenskeho brankara Petra Budaja na jeho moznu ucast na MS vo Svajciarsku. Peter vyjadril svoju ochotu a zaujem pripojit sa po skonceni zakladnej casti NHL ku slovenskej reprezentacii. Avsak, musi este prediskutovat celu logistiku a jeho konciaci sa kontrakt s jeho agentom i generalnym manazerom reprezentacie, Petrom Bondrom.

On the way out i saw a sad looking Paul Stastny limping out of The PepsiCan in a walking cast and we exchanged looks, nodded our heads, jojed a bit in Slovak ... He remains positive about all this injury crap that haunts him this season. Too bad, he was not able to get his 200th NHL game played this year (seven short), but he'll have hundreds more over next decade or so. Right?

I saw that the boys from EUROLANCHE are heavy all over this rag, so i'm sending my greetings of Ahoj, Nazdar, Čau, Hello, Zdravstvujte to all who come here to see the vids.

And, after last week's beautiful weather and temps pushing 70F, trees and all kinds of shrubbery blooming, we got dumped on today. Got 24 cm/2 feet of snow Thursday! Hey, got to love it. (i'll post some pics later, once i get all that snow scraped off our driveway) That's Colorado for ya, baby!

Prve (kratke) video je nepublikovane, to druhe exkluzivne pre hokej.sme.sk

pk64

SME video

Nove video: Budaj - 3. cast

posted April 1., 2009

original Slovak mix

Budaj faces a media 'firing squad' - VIDEO

Avalanche goalie Peter Budaj faced the media after yet another tough loss at home ice to Anaheim Ducks 2-7 on Wednesday night.

"First goal was my bad. It was a tough loss, a tough game." said Budaj, who got yanked after the first period and first three goals, yet got put back in for the last twenty, after backup Andrew 'Razor' Raycroft let in four in the second period.

A fluke? Your guess... 

Avs must have some nasty vortex sucking in the pucks into their goal, or like Milan Hejduk said "...a bad-ass strong magnet that pulls in all the garbage that floats around the net... I just can't believe what kind of garbage ends up behind our goalies, that is just beyond my understanding...", of course this is all off the cuff comments. so do not quote me on this, OK?!

Boods, this time on record: "...We got to do something about it, because it was a very unpleasant and embarrassing evening and performance for our team and the whole organization."

So there you have it my friends. When you thought it can't get any worst, it certainly does and than some...

And on top of all of this, Rusty gets hurt - hopefully not badly. Certainly a few bruises on his face and a bummed knee. What's next? A Pepsi ball falling off the fixture onto center ice???

good night!

pk64

Joe Sakic Skates with the team - VIDEO

Joe Sakic skated with the team in morning skate before the Ducks game. He took part in limited number of drills, mainly to get his legs moving and hands shooting... he was not available for comment, so it is just a visual treat for now.

enjoy! it is great to see The Captain back on ice!!!

No set date yet for his full game return though.

pk64

Ruslan Salei - Colorado Avalanche - VIDEO

'Rusty', allaround good guy and always a funny dude, talks about plans to extend his hockey season - wearing the national colors of his homeland - Belarus - during upcoming IIHF world championships that will take place in Switzerland this year, from April 24 to May 10.

Slovak dub.

pk64

Milan Hejduk - VIDEO

Milan Hejduk talks (in Czech) about his disappointment with Avalanche season, personally unhappy the way he and his team performed this year.

"Hockey is a team sport. When the team is not doing well the individuals on the team are not doing well and no one can be happy with their performance. So I'm not happy.", said Hejduk.

pk64

Marek Svatoš - Colorado Avalanche - VIDEO

I got a chance to talk to Marek Svatos last week and to do this short video. 

Marek has been bugged by various ailments the whole season, and missed at least nine games so far, yet he's tied for third in Avs goal-scoring with 14 and sixth on the team with 33 points. He has been flying as of late, and his hunger and drive are very obvious, yet the goals are slow to come.

I asked him about HIS season, not the team's - since we all know, that the team is getting smacked around like a red-headed step child. 

Marek said that this season was not so great for him, he had a slow start due to his knee surgery last season and long recovery over last summer. "It would be great to have a season and not to be bothered by the lingering knee issues..."

'Svats' also said, that his scoring production was off this year from what he wanted it to be. He feels happy to remain in Colorado after the trading deadline March 4, mainly, because he's used to the system here and likes living in Denver (what he did not say, is that his wife Diana and him are expecting a little boy in June, and i'm sure, it would've made things a bit hectic if they had to move at this point.) There's one more year  left on Svats current Avalanche contract.

Yet from the player's perspective, i can see that Marek would not be to opposed to get a chance to play on a different team, where he could get more ice-time and fresh start. Personally, i'm glad he stayed.  So there's always next year, a new season could be completely different - especially in this tight market and how close the competition has been all year.

pk64

Jaroslav Halak - Montreal Canadiens

02/13/09

Bratislavsky odchovanec Jaroslav Halak, ktory takmer presne pred dvoma rokmi po prvy krat stal v branke NHL, si v tohorocnom kolotoci uz odkrutil dvadsattri zapasov v branke Montreal Canadiens. Jeho sanca prisla nielen koli zraneniu brankarskej jednotky Montrealu, Carey Pricea, ale hlavne koli presvedcivym vykonom pocas celej doterajsej sezony.

"Je pravda, ze som uz tuto sezonu odchytal omnoho viac zapasov nez som si sam predstavoval.", usmievavo komentoval Halak doterajsi priebeh sezony. "Musim sa vsak dalej snazit, aby to tak islo i v buducnosti."

Halak, spolu s brankarskym protajskom Petrom Budajom v drese domacich Avalanche, sa v piatok 13. februara zapisal do hokejovej historie, ked po prvy krat vNHL stali proti sebe dvaja slovensky brankari.

Halak sa vsak viac koncentroval na vykon v ramci svojho timu, ale pripustil, ze ako sportovec, isto s Budajom sutazil. "Aspon v duchu. Vsak je to historicka udalost. Nie som si isty, ci Stana niekedy chytal proti Lasakovi.", s usmevom povedal Halak.

Tento fakt bol vsak pre oboch brankarov menej dolezity, nez mozny zisk velmi potrebnych bodov do ligovej tabulky a pre obidve muzstva velka infuzia sebavedomia. To je momentalne uzkoprofilovym tovarom na oboch striedackach, lebo tak ako Avalanche, aj Montreal sa v poslednych desiatich zapasoch trapi s nedostatkom golov a vitazstiev.

 

Halak: "Neviem cim to je, ale v poslednych osmych zapasoch sme nehrali tak, ako by sa na nas tim patrilo. Mame vela kvalitnych hracov, avsak sa nam momentalne vobec nedari. Zvierame hokejky a bojime sa nieco vytvorit."

Z piatkoveho zapasu nakoniec vitazne vylkzol Halak, ked sa jeho spoluhracom v poslednych dvoch minutach podarilo vyriesit zauzlene skore 2-2 a navrch pridat este aj gol vo vlastnom oslabeni v poslednych sekundach zapasu a upravit tak na konecnych 4-2.

"Velmi sme tuto vyhru potrebovali. Ako sol. Pre nas su to nielen dolezite dva body, ale nam to isto posilni aj sebavedomie.", povedal po zapase Halak. "Do poslednej chvile som veril, ze dame este gol a vyhrame v riadnom case. Preletelo mi hlavou, ze by to mohlo ist i na osobne najazdy, ale nakoniec to pre nas dopadlo stastne v poslednych minutach zapasu."

Stastena sa v piatok priklonila k Montrealu. Hoci Halak musel zastavovat 47 striel, za jeho chrbat presli iba dve. "Mali sme dnes stastie, ale musime sa nadalej snazit. Uz si ani nepamatam, kedy som naposledy odvracal tolko striel. Mozno niekedy na farme... to si uz ani presne nepamatam."

Hrat za legendarny Montreal Canadiens je vzdy velmi zlozite. Hraci su neustale pod drobnohladom neuprosnych medii a reporterov a velmi hokejovo vyspelych a na svoj tim hrdych fanusikov. Vedenie klubu takisto citi historicku zodpovednost a vyzaduje od hracov nasledovanie tradicii a slavy. Tohorocna storocnica timu je propagovana celou NHL, a vsetci sa tejto doktrine dobrovolne podriaduju a klanaju. Pre Halaka isto zlozitejsia pozicia, nez by zazival v inom muzstve. Ale on si to tak nepripusta.

"Isto, sme pod dohladom, hlavne fanusikov. Ale je to skvely pocit byt v takom time akym Montreal je, s tou ich bohatou historiou. Verim, ze sa nam bude i nadalej darit, ale my musime hrat naplno, po celych sesdesiat minut. Ja ten tlak az tak nevnimam. Nezalezi, v ktorom time som, ono to nie je lahke chytat v tejto lige. Kazdy jeden hrac je dobry strelec, kazdy hrac vie dobre nahrat puk. Je na mne sa dalej snazit. A ked mi budu pomahat i spoluhraci predo mnou, dufam, ze v tomto muzstve, ci lige by som mohol vydrzat i dlhsie. Prve dva roky boli zatial super.", dodal Halak.

©2009, p64

Boris Valabik - Atlanta Thrashers

03/10/09

Boris Valabik sa v tejto sezone udomacnil na supiske Atlanta Thrashers a po odohratych styridsiatich zapasoch v NHL patri k obrannym oporam svojho timu. Vdaka jeho vzrastu a vyske (201cm) ho hokejovy experti casto prirovnavaju k dalsiemu slovenskemu zadakovi, Zdenovi Charovi. Valabik vsak s porovnanim velmi nesuhlasi.

"Sme sice kamarati, ale ja tomu vela vahy nepripisujem. To porovnavanie sa so mnou uz vlecie od draftu. Nechcem, aby si niekto namyslal, ze zo mna bude druhy Chara. Ja len s karierou zacinam a Zdeno je uz Pan Hokejista. On je jediny svojho druhu.", vysvetluje len 23 rocny odchovanec nitrianskeho hokeja. 

Valabik je uz vo svojom mladom veku zdatnym bojovnikom na ladovych plochach v NHL, kde sa uplatni hlavne jeho fyzicka hra, ktorej sa poducil v juniorskej severoamerickej lige, kde hraval od svojich sedemnastich najskor za Kitchener Rangers (OHL) od 2003-06 a neskor na farme Atlanty za Chicago Wolves, ked si ho Thrashers vybrali v roku 2004 v prvom kole vstupneho draftu ako desiateho hraca. 

Valabik vie, ze jeho pozicia v time je zarucena hlavne koli jeho prisposobeniu sa severoamerickemu stylu hokeja, ale uvedomuje si, ze na zotrvanie v NHL musi byt vsestrannym obrancom. Nielen 'tvrdym muzom' na modrej ciare, ale ako sam poukazuje, "...musim sa snazit vyuzit svoju poziciu aj pri golovej produkcii."

Uspiet v dnesnej NHL nie je pre ziadneho novacika jednoduche. Valabik zbiera skusenosti a rady od starsich spoluhracov. Brankar, sved, Johan Hedberg mu dal asi najdolezitejsiu radu - 'nebud si sam sebe nepriatelom'.

"Pre mna je hokej skoro az na devatdesiat percent zavysly na mojej psychike. Zo zaciatku, a hlavne v treningovom tabore, som vsetko velmi prezival, analyzoval a velmi som si na lade nedoveroval. Az do takej miery, ze som zabudol ako sa hra hokej. Zabudol som hrat s nadsenim a z radosti. Poslali ma spat na farmu, kde som si tento fakt uvedomil a zorientoval sa, vsetko sa potom nahle obratilo na dobre. Odvtedy pracujem na tom, aby som si na lade viac veril. Myslim si, ze sa mi to zatial dari. Treba si uvedomit, ze su dolezitejsie veci v zivote, nez je hokej."

Valabik ma v sucastnej sezone odsedenych vyse 101 minut na trestnej lavici, co ho radi na druhe miesto v muzstve. V decembri minuleho roku, pri jednej z pastnych potyciek, si Valabik zmeral sily prave i so Zdenom Charom, kde kapitan Bostonu chranil jedneho zo svojich spoluhracov.

"My sme kamarati, bavili sme sa potom o nasom suboji, no ani jeden si z toho moc nerobime. To sa v hokeji stava, v zapale hry casto ani neviem, kto ma zdrapil za dres. Na lade je to biznis, k sportu patria emocie. Mimo ladu by som sa vsak nikdy nepobil ", upresnuje Valabik.

Na margo decembroveho zakroku Sydneyho Crosbyho z Pittsburghu, ked hviezdny milacik NHL sekol slovenskeho obrancu do slabin, Valabik dodnes len nechapavo kruti hlavou.

"To som videl a zazil prvy krat v zivote. Crosby ukazal, aky je v skutocnosti clovek. Bol som aj ja sam velmi prekvapeny. Z jeho strany to bolo dost trapne. Dufam, ze si to potom prebral v hlave a hanbi sa za ten skutok. "

Mlady Valabik sa teraz snazi hlavne dosledne plnit si ulohy, ktore dostava od trenerov. "Boris je velmi nadany a talentovany mlady hrac. Velmi prijemne nas v tejto sezone prekvapil. Ma silne predpoklady byt jednym z najlepsich obrancov v tejto lige.", povedal o Valabikovi jeho trener John Anderson. 

Na to, ci sa vyplnia Andersonove slova a vedenie Atlanty odmeni Valabika v letnom obdobi novou zmluvou, si vsetci priaznivci tohto nadejneho obrancu budu musiet spolu s hlavnym akterom este par mesiacov pockat.

"Toho roku mi konci prva dvojcestna zmluva a tak uvidime, co bude dalej. Mne sa osobne v Atlante i v time velmi paci a rad by som tu daky ten rok pobudol, zabojoval i v pripadnom playoff...  Zmenil som aj agentov a namiesto Jirku Crhu som zaangazoval Jerry Johansona, a tak dufam, ze sa dohodneme na priaznivej zmluve pre obe strany. Je to vsak vo vacsine na mne, aby som vedeniu ukazal, ze som pre tento tim platnym hracom."

©2009, p64

Tomas Kopecky - Detroit Red Wings

Slovensky utocnik Tomas Kopecky si v sluzbach Deroit Red Wings uziva uz tretiu sezonu, zatial svoju najproduktivnejsiu.

Ilavsky rodak odohral v sucastnom rocniku NHL odohral zatial sestdesiatstyri stretnuti. V kanadsko-americkom bodovani si uz vyrovnal minulorocny uspech strelenim piatich golov a v prihravkach nazbieral dalsich trinas bodov.

S koncom tejto sezony sa Kopeckemu konci aj jeho platna zmluva s Detroitom, a takisto ako i jeho krajan a spoluhrac Marian Hossa, bude netrpezlivo cakat na novu pnuku od vedenia Red Wings do dalsich rokov.

"Samozrejme si uvedomujem, ze mi kontrakt toho roku konci, ale nesnazim sa s tym rozptylovat sa. Je pravda, ze sa mi v poslednych tyzdnoch dost strelecky darilo a tak sa snazim z toho vytazit maximum.", objasnuje svoje pocity Kopecky. "Momentalne sa viac sustredujem na jednotlive zapasy. ", dodal.

Zvysena produktivita je i v time, akym je Detroit, vzdy vitana, hlavne ak ide o hracov tretej ci stvrtej utocnej rady.

"Tomas hra hokej s prehladom. Vie, co od neho vyzadujeme a ocakavame a vzdy sa pridrza nasho herneho planu. Vzdy sa da na neho spolahnut.", povedal na adresu Kopeckeho jeho trener Mike Babcock.

Dvadsatsedem rocny Kopecky by rad i nadalej zotrval v Detroite, kde sa jemu i jeho rodine paci a hokejovo dari.

"Mame vyborny kolektiv a vieme hrat hokej na najvyssej urovni. Pri tom vsetkom nas ta hra aj velmi bavi. Mame silne muzstvo, vieme sa prekusat a spamatat i z tych neradostnych prehier a nepodarenych zapasov, v ktorych sme doslova vybuchi. Mna ten hokej tu, v Detroite, hrat velmi bavi.", vysvetluje Kopecky.

Ci sa tomuto talentovanemu Trencianskemu odchovancovi podari ziskat novy kontrakt prave v Detroite a zotrvat mozno i dlhodobo v time, ktory je opat jednym z najsilnejsich uchadzacov o Stanleyho pohar, je zatial iba spekulacia. V dnesnej ekonomickej situacii nie je nic ani v NHL iste. 'Kopimu' je vsak jasne, ze musi sam preukazat vedeniu klubu, za co si novy kontrakt bude narokovat a za akych podmienok bude on jednat.

"Moj agent dostal odo mna presne instrukcie, akym smerom by som sa chcel uberat. Predebatovali sme si urcite parametre a hranice, co by sme chceli dosiahnut a ake mame ciele. Nesnazim sa na to velmi mysliet. Nechal som to skoro vsetko na agentovi. Ja sa snazimskoncit sezonu co najlepsie, aby sme pri jednaniach s vedenim klubu mali co najsilnejsiu poziciu.", objasnil Kopecky.

Tomasa Kopeckeho si Detroit vybral v druhom kole vstupneho zrebovania NHL v roku 2000 ako 38. hraca v celkovom poradi.

Covering NHL Hockey

Part of my life revolves around hockey and since 1995 I've worked as a freelancer for several newspapers, magazines and media outlets covering NHL action. 

Periodically i will post some of my stories on hockey and players here. Just like the one from yesterday. Time permitting, i'll translate the Slovak articles into English. 

ciao

Gaborik skates again - VIDEO

Today, Marian Gaborik of Minnesota Wild, skated for the first time along with his teamates in a full morning practice  since his left hip surgery January 5.

"I think it went really well", said Gaborik after the practice while visiting with his team in Denver, CO. "The hip feels great. Sure, there is still some pain, but this is a major first step toward returning into the game shape and into the lineup.", added this 26-year old Slovak forward.

"I'd like to return to the game soon, to help my team and for personal reasons, to get my confidence up after a long lay-off. But I have to take it a one day at a time, and if it keeps feeling good, instead of getting worst, than I'll be playing soon.", explained Gaborik.

©2009, pk, all rights reserved