Where is he? I remember hearing he'd gone to camp with Shawinigan, but now it seems he's playing in the Slovak league? Does anyone know what's going on with this kid?
Unfortunately he injured his back. GM of Shawinigan Cataractes Martin Mondou invited him to Canada and offered him a health care (NHL doctor), but Patrik refused. He want to stay in Slovakia until he will be healthy and then he'll decide. Dukla Trenčín in Slovak Extraliga or Shawinigan Cataractes in QMJHL.
The injury must not be too severe because he's played in all 6 games for Trencin's junior team as well as in 2 games with the senior team. Given that he's only got 3 assists in those games it's possible he's not at 100% but it seems to me that he'd likely be better off just staying put for the season and making a decision on whether or not to go to Canada next year.
He was supposed to visit Shawinigan in early September and perhaps play a pre-season game or two and then decide on QMJHL vs Slovak junior league.
I remember seeing a picture of his Shawinigan jersey #8, but he never showed up because of injury.
He has played a bunch of games so far in Slovakia, doesn't look like he'll show to Shawinigan this year. Too bad because, the Cataractes suck, he would have probably gotten 30 minutes of ice time per game. For 68 games, that would have been amazing for his developpment.
Then next year (his draft year), Shawinigan would have been better, and he could have lead them like a boss.
It will be interesting to follow his developpment, I hope he shows up next year.
He was supposed to visit Shawinigan in early September and perhaps play a pre-season game or two and then decide on QMJHL vs Slovak junior league.
I remember seeing a picture of his Shawinigan jersey #8, but he never showed up because of injury.
He has played a bunch of games so far in Slovakia, doesn't look like he'll show to Shawinigan this year. Too bad because, the Cataractes suck, he would have probably gotten 30 minutes of ice time per game. For 68 games, that would have been amazing for his developpment.
Then next year (his draft year), Shawinigan would have been better, and he could have lead them like a boss.
It will be interesting to follow his developpment, I hope he shows up next year.
If the only choice for him in Slovakia would be junior league, there's no doubt he would already be in Canada. However GM of Dukla Trenčín Andrej Kollár offered him a spot on senior team of Dukla and Patrik has already played there.
IMO he has got two totaly different choices how to start his pro career (don't forget he was drafted to KHL by Slovan Bratislava):
1. Do it like Martin Reway and play junior hockey in Canada.
2. Do it like Marko Daňo. Play the whole season for your home team in senior Slovak Extraliga and then try to make it to Slovan roster/KHL.
Both ways can help his development and his chance to be drafted pretty high to NHL.
PS I posted an english version of the article and there's even a photo of his Shawinigan's jerseys
If the only choice for him in Slovakia would be junior league, there's no doubt he would already be in Canada. However GM of Dukla Trenčín Andrej Kollár offered him a spot on senior team of Dukla and Patrik has already played there.
IMO he has got two totaly different choices how to start his pro career (don't forget he was drafted to KHL by Slovan Bratislava):
1. Do it like Martin Reway and play junior hockey in Canada.
2. Do it like Marko Daňo. Play the whole season for your home team in senior Slovak Extraliga and then try to make it to Slovan roster/KHL.
Both ways can help his development and his chance to be drafted pretty high to NHL.
PS I posted an english version of the article and there's even a photo of his Shawinigan's jerseys
Nice pic!
I personally think he should go the CHL route. It has a proven track record of producing good NHL talent and Slovakian's are no exception. I actually can't think of the last Slovak player who played exclusively in Europe before coming to the AHL that actually MADE the NHL. Tomas Tatar could be that player.
However, plenty of guys come here and do very well. Martin Marincin, Richard Panik, Martin Gernat, Peter Ceresnak, Marek Tvrdon, Tomas Jurco, Jaroslav Janus, Marek Viedensky, Marek Hrvik have all been in junior recently and look to have bright futures (not all will obviously make an impact at the NHL level); and current NHL players: Zdeno Chara, Marian Hossa, Andrej Sekera, Andrej Meszaros, Peter Budaj, Tomas Kopecky, Jaro Halak all came to the CHL and have had productive careers or look to be doing so over here.
I personally think he should go the CHL route. It has a proven track record of producing good NHL talent and Slovakian's are no exception. I actually can't think of the last Slovak player who played exclusively in Europe before coming to the AHL that actually MADE the NHL. Tomas Tatar could be that player.
However, plenty of guys come here and do very well. Martin Marincin, Richard Panik, Martin Gernat, Peter Ceresnak, Marek Tvrdon, Tomas Jurco, Jaroslav Janus, Marek Viedensky, Marek Hrvik have all been in junior recently and look to have bright futures (not all will obviously make an impact at the NHL level); and current NHL players: Zdeno Chara, Marian Hossa, Andrej Sekera, Andrej Meszaros, Peter Budaj, Tomas Kopecky, Jaro Halak all came to the CHL and have had productive careers or look to be doing so over here.
I understand what you're talking about and I agree with you. However you should understand CHL is not the only way anymore. Slavomír Lenér and Ján Filc were talking about it at the meeting in Toronto last year. A lot of Czech and Slovak kids left to CHL in the last decade, but just small number of them made it to NHL. If kid is a real deal, he'll make it to NHL even from Europe. Višňovský, Gábrorík and Tatar did it from Slovak Extraliga. You should acknowlidge in Sweden it constantly works on regular basis.
Now with these 3 new factors there's a good way of development even in Europe for Slovak kids:
1.HK Orange (U20 team) in Slovak Extraliga,
2.Teams in Slovak Extraliga give a chance on young players more than in the past (for various reasons I don't want to specify here),
3. Slovan Bratislava in KHL.
e.g. Marko Daňo made it this way and he's doing pretty well in KHL right now. That can only help him for his future in NHL.
PS All young Slovak hockey players want to play in NHL, because it's the best league in the world. However it doesn't mean, they must play in CHL.
I don't think his skating is a huge problem. Definitely not so big as his size and softness. His skating style is crazy, for sure, but he belongs to the group of the fastest skating Slovaks among his peers. On the other hand, in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. And the Slovak juniors are definitely "blind".
Anyway, he should play in Bratislava this weeknd with his U20 team. I try to stop him for an interview and discover more.
