TALENTED SLOVAKS COULD SURPRISE

They're the dark horse team at this year's world juniors with 13 returning players

To me, they're the most interesting team in the tournament.

They're not Russia, a team that arrives without any North American-based players and with an entire lineup, other than the goaltender, of players who shoot left.

They're not Canada, and they don't have a generational player like Connor Bedard, the first 16-year-old to wear the Maple Leaf at the world junior hockey championship since Connor Mcdavid, and a kid on a very short list that includes names like Sidney Crosby and Wayne Gretzky.

They're not the defending champion Americans, not the Swedes and not the Finns.

All 10 teams competing in the 2022 world junior hockey championship in Edmonton-red Deer, Alta., played their one and only pre-tournament games on Thursday. Two of them — Finland-u.s. and Russia-canada — were played at Rogers Place in Edmonton, the other three in Red Deer.

The most interesting team at the world juniors, I submit, is the low profile — some might say no profile — Slovakian team in Group B with the U.S., Russia, Switzerland and Sweden in Red Deer.

As the coronavirus pandemic do-over event heads to a Boxing Day beginning in front of crowds capped at 50 per cent capacity, the 10 teams involved will all feature a few players who played here last year, when all the games were held at Rogers Place with no fans in the stands.

Most teams have a handful of players who are back this year, thrilled to be playing in front of fans, even if it won't be the same as it would have been with both arenas in Edmonton and Red Deer sold out. Team Canada returnees include Canadian forward Cole Perfetti, defenceman Kaiden Guhle and goaltender Dylan Garand.

But none of this tournament's teams are more interesting than Slovakia, a squad icing an astounding collection of 13 returning players.

Think about that. The Slovakians allowed themselves to develop all those kids here last year with an eye on the return trip this year.

Three of the 13 were here last year as 16-year-olds and were so successful, winning a game against Switzerland and making it to a quarter-final match, that the nation that gave us Zdeno Chara decided to come back this year with two more 16-year-olds and seven players who are 17.

Quite candidly, they admit that not having to fear relegation here last year was a factor. Slovakia knew it had players with potential to be team leaders this year and for two more years after that.

But this year, they're not playing with a safety net.

One team gets relegated this year. The fifth-place team in Group A plays the fifth-place team in Group B in a best-of-three with Game 1 in Red Deer and Games 2 and 3, if necessary, in Edmonton. But Slovakia believes it can make it to a quarter-final contest and maybe beyond.

“We've never had such a young mix of players. Today we have nine players younger than 18. Never before have we played with a number that high,” coach Ivan Fenes said.

“Slovakia came to Alberta with maybe the youngest team we've ever had at the tournament. We have lots of young and gifted players with big potential. We watched them in many international games and they showed us they're able to play with teams at the top level.”

Yeah, but ...

Slovakia will compete in Group B in Red Deer, quite possibly as strong of a group ever assembled for a world juniors with Russia, Sweden and defending gold medal-winning U.S.A. in the same round robin. Fans attending those games should consider wearing blindfolds instead of masks.

“We used to come and play with most of our players being 19 years old. But these players we have here this year are here because they have big potential,” said Fenes of his returning players.

They are goaltender Simon Latkoczy, defencemen Simon Becar, Samuel Knazko, Simon Nemec, Marko Stacha, and Rayen Petrovicky as well as forwards Roman Faith, Martin Chromiak, Maros Jedlicka, Matej Kaslik, Filip Mesar, Oleksii Myklukha and Juraj Slafkovsky.

Three of them — Slafkovsky, Nemek and Mesar — the Slovakians believe, could be selected in the first round of the NHL Draft.

Maybe it's kind of a paradox that they have 13 returning players and at the same time also have the youngest team they have ever brought to a world juniors, but Fenes explains.

“It's a big honour for us to play in a group like this among some of the top teams in the world. Lots of people in Slovakia would say that this is the Group of Death for us, but not me.

“For our players, it's a very attractive group. Guys can show everybody their potential. We have our dreams to come true and playing in Edmonton in the medal round would fulfil that dream. Canada is the country where hockey was born and we are really impressed by having the opportunity to be here again and this time play in front of fantastic Canadian fans.”