Athletistic / Hockey. Slovak national team goalkeeper Stanislav Skorvanek explained why he refused to join the KHL. The goalkeeper, after a successful World Cup, signed a contract with Czech Mountfield.
“At first I received suggestions from the KHL, but nothing more. Then there was a little communication, there was definitely interest in me. Now the situation is that few foreigners play in Russia, so they are looking at a wider range of hockey players. However, I replied that I was not thinking about joining the KHL at all. By that time, I already knew about Mountfield’s interest, and this was of decisive importance for me.
“I am well aware that playing in the KHL divides Slovak society; it is a very sensitive topic. I received an offer from the Czech Republic, so there was no doubt about it,” Škorvanek said according to isport.cz.
At the 2024 World Cup, hosted by the Czech Republic, the Slovak team lost to Canada in the quarter-finals with a score of 3–6.
It is worth noting that several star players of Slovak hockey play in the KHL, but the country’s Hockey Federation made the politicized decision not to call them up to the national team.
Source: Sport
I’m Emma Smith, a dedicated journalist and avid storyteller. I have been writing for news websites for the past 5 years, reporting on hockey news and delivering in-depth analysis of the sport. In my current role as Author at Athletistic, I write about hockey events from around the world to keep followers up-to-date with what’s happening in the sport.
