Wednesday, July 21, 2004
Is it that time of the month already???
It�s July 21st, the sun is shining, people are voluntarily putting themselves at risk for skin cancer, the NHL and NHLPA are having another �productive� chat, and training camps begin!
Well, only if you are a crazy-ass Czech.
Really, the training never stops for these guys. They�ve spent the last month and half doing dry land training like mountain biking, tennis, rollerblading, and Jazzercise.
Now that�s it is perfect(?) hockey weather, HC Trinec and many of the other Czech teams have taken their act inside and began on-ice workouts. They start now in preparation for August preseason games.
Yes...August!!
Of course, with the labour issues at hand, these Czech League (and other European leagues) teams will have some big names dropping in later in the summer.
Tomas Vokoun has been talking with Znojmo, while Martin Hamrlik is trying to convince his brother, Roman, to join him and Petr Cajanek in Zlin.
Trinec, which is close to the Polish border, has talked to Mariusz Czerkawski and Krzysztof Oliwa about joining their squad. Since most players realize that a lockout would likely be a short-term thing (The NHL is not crazy enough to lockout for a season or more), the players feel that playing close to home for a lesser salary is a wiser decision than playing in the rich Russian league or somewhere far from home. Consider it a nice vacation.
---
In happier and less crazy news, the Stanley Cup� has now made its way through Belarus (Khabibulin) and Ukraine (Fedotenko) and into Slovakia.
Martin Cibak has brought the cup to his hometown of Liptovsky Mikulas, where most of the town�s 35,000 people, cows and pigs are expected to come into the �Aquapark� and party hardy.
In addition to the obligatory beer garden, Cibak and a few other talented hockey players from the region will take part in an exhibition game. The winners get to have their picture taken with the cup, or something...
There is no truth to the rumour, however, that one of the teams will bring in rollerhockey goon Dominik Hasek as an enforcer.
Well, only if you are a crazy-ass Czech.
Really, the training never stops for these guys. They�ve spent the last month and half doing dry land training like mountain biking, tennis, rollerblading, and Jazzercise.
Now that�s it is perfect(?) hockey weather, HC Trinec and many of the other Czech teams have taken their act inside and began on-ice workouts. They start now in preparation for August preseason games.
Yes...August!!
Of course, with the labour issues at hand, these Czech League (and other European leagues) teams will have some big names dropping in later in the summer.
Tomas Vokoun has been talking with Znojmo, while Martin Hamrlik is trying to convince his brother, Roman, to join him and Petr Cajanek in Zlin.
Trinec, which is close to the Polish border, has talked to Mariusz Czerkawski and Krzysztof Oliwa about joining their squad. Since most players realize that a lockout would likely be a short-term thing (The NHL is not crazy enough to lockout for a season or more), the players feel that playing close to home for a lesser salary is a wiser decision than playing in the rich Russian league or somewhere far from home. Consider it a nice vacation.
---
In happier and less crazy news, the Stanley Cup� has now made its way through Belarus (Khabibulin) and Ukraine (Fedotenko) and into Slovakia.
Martin Cibak has brought the cup to his hometown of Liptovsky Mikulas, where most of the town�s 35,000 people, cows and pigs are expected to come into the �Aquapark� and party hardy.
In addition to the obligatory beer garden, Cibak and a few other talented hockey players from the region will take part in an exhibition game. The winners get to have their picture taken with the cup, or something...
There is no truth to the rumour, however, that one of the teams will bring in rollerhockey goon Dominik Hasek as an enforcer.
