With just about all the opening day rosters finalized it is a good time to take a look at the import players that the eight teams in the MOL League have signed for the 2014-15 season.
It is worth noting that teams can dress six import players instead of five that was the previous limit. In theory teams can have as many import players as they would like on their roster but a max of six are permitted to dress for each game.
Nové Zámky
The defending champions let little used Hungarian forward Richárd Hári sign with DAB, but resigned Czechs Martin Frolik, Vladimir Kames, Albin Podstavek and Pavel Kowalczyk who has picked up his Slovak citizenship and therefore does not count as an import player. Robert Blazicek was brought in to replace Jan Chovan as the number one keeper, who is Czech as well.
Imports: 4 (all Czech)
Import spots available: 2
Brasov
Romanian champions and MOL League runners-up brought back almost all their import players with one still up in the air. New Slovak coach brought in three Slovak players to join the countrymen that were already on the roster.
Joining starting goalie Patrik Polc and Martin Saluga will be Richard Filip, Jaroslav Obsut and Peter Klouda, all three spent the past season in the Slovakian Extra league. Juha Hietamäki is back under contract and this will be his 4th MOL League season and the third in Brasov.
It still remains to be seen if the other half of the top D-pairing, Kevin Wehrs will be back for a third season.
Imports: 6 (5 Slovakian, 1 Finnish)
Import spots available: 0
DAB
Unlike in the past the regular season champions will be starting the season with a surprisingly low number of import players.
What does help is that Slovakian goalie Peter Sevela became a Hungarian citizen which means that they can afford to dress at least one import goalie for each game in Janis Kalnins who was in the Olympic training camp roster for Latvia. The only other two import players on the roster are new additions Nathan Martine and Lukas Martinka.
Martinka had actually spent the 2010-11 season with DAB before spending the past two seasons in Kazakhstan, whereas Martine played last season in the ECHL. The two Slovakian imports from last season, Peter Huba and Henrich Jabornik have moved on to MOL League rivals Nové Zámky and HSC Csíkszereda respectively.
Imports: 3 (1 Latvian, 1 Slovakian, 1 Canadian)
Import spots available: 3
Miskolc
In some ways it feels like Miskolc will have a completely new team but in others it’s the same squad that the fans have come to love.
From last year’s team defenseman Matt Boyle is back for a second season and Tyler Metcalfe has become a Hungarian citizen, but everyone else has left the team with Juraj Faith being the only one who stayed in the league by joining Nové Zámky. Miskolc has brought in a Canadian at all three positions, goalie Thomas Heemskerk from the CHL, Jesse Dudas (CHL) and Kevin Sagert (ECHL) will be joining Boyle on the blueline and Keegan Dansereau will be scoring goals. Dansereau and American Zach Cohen where teammates in Sweden last season.
Besides Metcalfe Miskolc will have a second nationalized player in Tihamér Becze who spent the past four seasons in Csíkszereda.
Imports: 6 (5 Canadian, 1 American)
Import spots available: 0
HSC Csíkszereda
This season HSC looks to be back in the playoff hunt after just missing out last season. From all the import players that played for them last season only long time Slovakian veteran goalie Stanislav Kozuch was brought back for an eighth season in Csíkszereda.
Leaving the team and joining Ferencváros after four seasons and the leading scorer for HSC last season is Vaclav Novak. Joining Kozuch and the previously mentioned Jabornik is Slovakian Michal Sátek, the last two imports on the roster are Swedish Niklas Sjölund and Czech Petr Machácek.
Imports: 5 (3 Slovak, 1 Czech, 1 Swedish: 1)
Import spots available: 1
Ferencváros
Fradi is one of the two MOL League teams that did not bring back a single import player, in fact only one of the six players has any experience in the league. The lone experienced import is the previously mentioned Vaclav Novak, joining him is fellow Czech Ales Czerny.
After having a Scandinavian feeling last season FTC has decided to go with a Slovakian contingency this season which will be made up of goalie Robert Marton, Dominik Kramar, and Marek Mikusovic.
Vladimir Dubek and Dusan Sijka have each had dual citizenship for a number of years. Johan Lagemyr will be the lone Scandanavian on the roster this year.
Imports: 6 (3 Slovak, 2 Czech, 1 Swedish)
Import spots available: 0
Újpest
The other Budapest team looks to get out of the basement of the MOL League after spending the last couple of years there. One step has been bringing in established veteran imports. None of the imports are being brought back with David Coleman picking up his Hungarian citizenship.
Much like the other teams in the league UTE has turned to Slovakia for their imports with three coming from the northern neighbors. Miroslav Durák, Karol Csányi and Jozef Mihálik have joined the club with Csányi playing in Budapest for the Patriots of the MHL a couple seasons ago and Mihálek spent one season with DAB. Those two are not the only imports who will not be new to Hungary, Finnish forward Teemo Elomo spent one season in Székesfehérvár.
The last import is a young Latvian by the name of Reinis Demiters.
Imports: 5 (3 Slovak, 1 Finnish, 1 Latvian)
Import spots available: 1
Debreceni HK
The newcomers to the league has already had a couple of signings in bringing in established MOL League players but has brought in Russian players to fill out the import quota. In goal and on the blueline Debrecen has signed two young players from the MHL in Oleg Dyatlov and Andrei Yemelyanov. The other two Russian imports on defense will be Valeri Sadikov from the Russian 3rd division and Alexei Voronov from the VHL. Artur Kurilyuk is a young forward who will be spending his third season in Debrecen, it would be no surprise if he has his Hungarian citizenship by the end of the season. The other two forwards will be Danil Kaskov and Vitali Sychov, Kaskov spent last season in the Russian third division with Sychov in Kazakhstan.
Imports: 7 (all Russian)
Import spots available: 0
Words: Szabolcs Závodszky @Zavodszky
Photo: László Mudra