Marko Daňo sitting on the board and celebrating a goal, Marián Studenič to the right, next to him Róbert Lantoši. Marián Studenič currently plays for Färjestad Bollklubb in Sweden and is among the best players in the league. (source: TASR)
Last summer, Slovak ice-hockey player Marián Studenič gave up hope of playing in NHL and after six years returned to Europe. In addition, the 26-year-old packed up and left the August qualification for the upcoming Winter Olympics after being told he would be the 13th forward.
This effectively shut the doors for him to be a part of the Slovak national team, at least for the time being. So far, he did not receive invitation to take part in the Deutschland Cup as well as the Kaufland Cup in Slovakia.
Nevertheless, Studenič quickly found himself a team - he joined the Färjestad Bollklubb team playing in the top Swedish Hockey League. In 32 matches he scored 30 points, which earned him a position among the top 10 players. Also, the team is currently first in the league standings. Last week, he helped his team win in all three games; in one he scored two goals.
A Slovak leads the Czech league
Three players are also making a name for themselves in the Czech Extraliga.
Matúš Sukeľ, captain of the HC Verva Litvínov, is leading the current season in points with 29 points, a two-point lead on second Slovak Róbert Lantoši playing for Bílí Tigři Liberec. Last week, Sukeľ scored two goal and two assists. However, his team is currently on a four-game losing streak.
Forward Marko Daňo from the HC Oceláři Třinec team also scored four points in three games. His two goals against Škoda Plzeň effectively helped his team turn the tables and win. With 16 goals, he is leading Slovak scorer in the Czech league.
Goalkeeper Stanislav Škovránek from Mountfield HK based in Hradec Králové won the two last games, effectively ending the team's losing streak. His performance helped them to get to the fourth place in the current season. So far, he played in 23 games and won 14.
