VHLE Could Help Grow Game in Europe - Hlozek

[Bojovnik 487]

 

PRAGUE, May 10 (CZHockey) - The Victory Hockey League (VHL) is set to undergo a massive shake up in the coming seasons as the league’s commissioners announced that a new developmental league, the Victory Hockey League Europe (VHLE) is set to be launched to ease young players’ transition to the topflight of world hockey.

 

The announcement will see a third league created, giving more top line minutes to players who have outgrown the old traditional league, the VHLM, but will find themselves at pains to assert themselves during their first one or two seasons in the VHL.

 

The decision should help young players still in their development stage to be fully primed and ready to contribute at a high level once they step into the VHL. Additionally, by basing the league entirely in Europe, the plan has the potential to further grow the sport on the European continent.

 

One of the top young European players in the VHL, Jan Hlozek, told CZHockey that he would have welcomed the chance to play in the VHLE if it had been in place last season.

 

“I think it’s a great decision. I definitely would have liked to have played in the VHLE, because at times the quality in the VHLM was a little, and I not mean to be insulting, low,” Hlozek said.

 

The Czech blueliner has had a mixed bag during his rookie VHL season with the Riga Reign. Despite playing two full seasons in the VHLM, scoring at almost a point-per-game clip, Hlozek said that the jump up to the VHL was massive.

 

“It’s an entirely different game up in the VHL. The players are much better. They are much stronger, and they are much faster. Also, it’s a different style of game for me. I went from playing almost 30 minutes a night with top PP time, to know around 20 minutes of tough minutes. I think I would have benefited if I had the chance to play in a league with guys in the same position against me, rather than being thrown out against the Lee Xin’s and Aloe Dear’s of the VHL,” the Topolna native remarked.

 

Hlozek, who has 28 points in 44 games for the seventh-placed Reign, said that he was struggling to find consistency in his game at the moment, despite scoring 3 points in the Latvian side’s most recent overtime loss against the Los Angeles Stars.

 

“It’s a bit of a strange time at the moment. I have some games where I feel like I’m really chasing the play, struggling to keep up. But that game against Los Angeles was a good one for me. Obviously, the most important thing is that the team is winning, but I also need these sorts of performances to build confidence so that I can become a contributor on this team, to get the team more wins,” he said.

 

Prior to the S77 VHL Draft, in which he was selected 8^th overall, Hlozek said that he was hoping to be drafted by a team based in the European Conference so that he would be closer to his family and friends after two seasons in North America with the Saskatoon Wild and Miami Marauders.

 

Commenting on the league’s decision to base the league in Europe, Hlozek said that this could be vital for young European players who may find themselves struggling to adapt on the other side of the Atlantic.

 

“You have to remember that a lot of the guys going into the VHLM are leaving their home countries for the first time, going thousands of miles away at the ages of 18, 19, 20. It’s difficult for them, as it was difficult for me going to Saskatoon in my first season. Your family can’t really watch your games, you struggle with the language, it’s difficult to socialize. So, I think after having one season in North America, it’s a good thing that these Euro guys get the opportunity to play at home, at least for one season, if they have been selected in the draft by one of the Canadian or American teams,” Hlozek said.

 

There is much excitement throughout the VHL community as the league is poised to announce the cities in which the VHLE teams will play.

 

Hlozek, a native of eastern Czech Republic, said that he hoped some of the cities close to his home settlement of Topolna would be selected.

 

“I know that it might be unlikely that another Czech team is selected, because Prague play in the VHL, but Brno is a great city that loves its hockey. Alternatively, my home town is only about 60 kilometers from Bratislava in Slovakia, so that would also be a great place to put a team,” Hlozek said.

 

The Riga Reign blueliner also shared some love for the other Baltic countries of the region, as well as a dark horse contender in the form of Vienna.

 

“Austria is also a great hockey country, and who wouldn’t want to play in a city as beautiful as Vienna? Furthermore, it would be great to have a couple of other teams in the Baltics to help grow the game there. I mean, having a team in Vilnius or Tallinn would be great for the region, as I know how passionate the people are here and how much they want to grow the game of hockey,” Hlozek said.

 

The trade deadline in the VHL is approaching, and the Riga Reign look set to shake things up once more. Recently, the team welcomed Jolly Greene Giant and Oh Sens to the roster, with Addison McLaren and Han Jae Kuk heading in the other direction to Toronto.

 

“I mean, we have to do something to try and give us a boost for the playoff push. We’re in contention, we just need to string some wins together to give us every opportunity we need. I don’t think my name has been in any trade rumours, but of course, you never know. I’m fully committed to bringing success to Riga though, and I hope I get to stick around to see it happen,” Hlozek concluded.

 

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[Bojovnik 487]

Week 2