Ohradka's Odyssey to the Finals

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Ohradka's Odyssey to the Finals

 

 

To say this season did not go how Ondrej Ohradka expected would be an understatement. He came to Calgary as a VHLM All-Star, scoring consecutive seasons of 100 points, and as a Founder’s Cup Champion. He was ready to ignite the same magic with fellow Wild teammates, Mikko Lahtinen, Jacques Lafontaine, Edwin THE Encarnacion and former teammate, RJ Jubis.

 

The Wranglers were not considered the best team on paper but there was a good feeling in the locker room and Ohradka liked the attitude and work ethic displayed by his new teammates.

 

“The playoffs were always the goal this season,” said the Slovakian rookie in an interview after a practice during the Continental Cup Finals. “We knew we could keep up with any team in the league especially if our young guys kept developing. We have a good mix of hungry vets and enthusiastic youth and a lot of depth so we have always believed in our team.”

 

Ohradka, the Saskatoon Wild’s all-time leading goal scorer, started off his inaugural VHL campaign with vigor notching 10 points in his first 20 games, good for second among rookie players. But then he would go without scoring a point in 13 straight games, the worst slump of his career. After finally breaking the slump with his 5^th goal (his 11^th point) in his 34^th game against the D.C. Dragons, the damage, unfortunately, was already done. He would only manage six more points the rest of the season (38 games) to finish out of the Top-10 in rookie scoring with 17 points. Despite his offensive woes, he was still among rookie leaders in goals (8) and plus/minus (4) highlighting his commitment to his defensive game even when not scoring at his accustomed pace.

 

“OO7” shook his head when reflecting back on that slump. “I distinctly felt something changed at the beginning of when I wasn’t scoring. Something in my mindset was different,” he stated somberly. “I knew the VHL would be much harder and much faster and I tried to prepare myself at the beginning of the season, but yet, when I started not scoring after 4, 5, 6, games after starting so well, I started to doubt. I lost some confidence – that maybe I wasn’t ready to play in this league.”

 

As the streak of futility lengthened and Ohradka’s off-ice mentality suffered, he started to notice his normal routines and habits not having the effectiveness they usually did.

 

“I was aware, when I ate, when I was at the gym, I would eat a little less healthy, skip a workout here or there, do less reps. The fun was gone, I was thinking to myself, is this worth it? I would keep reminding myself, no, I’m at the bottom again and I have to keep working, but those thoughts weren’t enough to push me anymore. I don’t know if I was just mentally tired after such a high winning the Founder’s Cup and the whole season in Saskatoon or if I just wasn’t used to my role here in Calgary, but I hit a wall. It’s taken me, it seems, until the playoffs and the chance at winning another championship to bring myself out of my funk.”

 

In spite of Ohradka’s lack of offense, he still contributed defensively, chipping in physical play and generating scoring chances albeit at a lower rate then what he was used to. The VHL still took notice of the Wranglers all-rookie “Kid Line” of Ohradka, Lahtinen, and Kris Rice although as the season wore on, Lahtinen and Rice’s development curves shot up while Ohradka’s remained stagnant on the third line. The fact is not lost on him.

 

“I realize I missed some opportunities and I lost some chances to hasten my development, but in my state, I just couldn’t. And, the fact that I wasn’t scoring and wasn’t moving forward didn’t help. I don’t know if I was depressed as I wasn’t feeling dark, but my self-confidence was definitely at a low and it was hard to be happy.”

 

One Western VHL scout who saw a lot of the Wranglers this year says it’s not uncommon for young players to be overwhelmed by the demands of the VHL.

 

“The VHL is a huge step up from the VHLM,” points out the scout, who wished to remain anonymous. “I think the injuries that Ondrej Ohradka suffered back in the minors in Slovakia hurt his overall development and while extremely intelligent and talented, he has had to work harder to keep pace with his fellow rookies this year. That’s partially why he hit that wall after the first third of the season. Do I think he has the capacity to get past it and continue to succeed next year? Yes, I do. He is a good kid, humble, not pitying himself but still works hard even when it’s tough. He does the little things on the ice even when the puck’s not going in for him. He’s tenacious and gritty and a character person. By all accounts I’ve heard, he’s a great presence in the Wranglers’ locker room as well. Those type of players don’t stay down long. They push through until they succeed.”

 

The playoffs have been a whole other struggle for Ohradka as it took him until his 12^th playoff game in the series-clinching Game #6 against the defending champion, Seattle Bears, to pot his first goal and point of the post-season. At 9:46 of the first period, he would finish off a beautiful passing play from Cody Smith and Hiroshi Okada by snapping a signature wrister in the top corner over the glove of Bears goalie, Rayz Funk, to tie game at 1 and start a 3-goal first period by Calgary that Seattle never recovered from.

 

He has yet to get on the scoresheet in 5 games in the Finals. And with Moscow now leading the series 3-2, Calgary needs the young Ohradka to step up more than ever.

 

He knows it, too.

 

“I’ve been working harder than ever this last couple of weeks to make sure I’m ready and can do all I can to win. I’ve tasted victory before and I want to taste it again with my Wrangler teammates. We can do this.”

 

As Ohradka has finally climbed out of his mental “hole”, here’s hoping he can help to lift Calgary out of their series hole and claim the Continental Cup Championship.

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Note: This media spot reflects the player's story arc and has no connection my state of mental health. 

 

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