DVTK Preview

Last team in the MOL League preview series icehockey.hu covers teh defending champions, who have gone through a bit a of a make over both on and off the ice and may look stringer than last season.

On the management side the club went through an enormous change that infused a new cash flow to the club. The owners of the local soccer team DVTK have also joined the ownership group, which has lead to the PolarBears dropping the city name of Miskolc in favor of the soccer team adriviation DVTK.

Behind the team has a new coach, but one who is familiar with the squad. Gergely Majoross, who won the MOL League, Hungarian title and Hungarian Cup with the team last season is now with a new MOL League team MAC Budapest. Taking his place is Péter Mayer who in the past has filled in as interim coach.

ROSTER

In goal the team will have a clean cut number one in Mark Guggenberger who will most likely play close if not over 40 games. There isn’t much depth behind the American goalie, Coach Mayer will have the choice of two 18 year olds in  Attila Adorján and Bence Kiss, both in total have 0 senior games on their resume. If Guggenberger goes down with an injury it will be a great opportunity for either of the talented players to gain some valuable experience.

For the exception of Matt Boyle the league’s best defensive unit come back pretty much intact. On the blueline, these players not only shut down the other teams scoring threats but also are able to help out with the scoring. Jesse Dudas averaged over a point a game and scored a hattrick in the championship clinching game. Kalvin Sagert and Hungarian national team defenceman Balázs Gőz both came back to defend the title. With the addition of Jarkko Leppanen and young D-man Mátyás Vojtkó improving on last season DVTK has five very good defenseman that will keep the other teams top two lines very busy.

Miskolc last season had hands down the highest scoring team in the league, except that they will need to replace three out of their top five scores. MOL League’s leading scorer Keegan Dansereau is back for another season and so is Roland Hajós and Adrián Tóth who after last season were called into the national team. The team also brought in a trio of forwards from Dunaújváros in Nikandrosz Galanisz, Attila Pavuk and Balázs Somogyi, all of whom are goalscorers. With the addition of imports Jon Booras and Justin Cseter the team has three deep lines and will be hard to wear down them. The team will be playing in the Continental Cup along with the MOL League.

Péter Mayer: The defence of our three titles is our goals for the year, we brought in some good players and we have a good chance to achieve our goals. Something new this season is playing well in the Continental Cup as well and which gives us a chance to show ourselves in an international competition and a chance to develop and to advance as far as we can. This will require a lot of work throughout the season.

Expert Opinion*

On paper they have the strongest roster, it will come down to how hungry the players are during the season after last year, also how well of a fit the new coach is. If this all comes together they have a good chance to defend the title.

*Recently retired former MOL League player

Additions: Adorján (HSC Csíkszereda), Guggenberger (Perth, AIHL), Leppanen (Piestany, Extraliga), Booras (Tulsa, ECHL), Cseter (Huntsville, SPHL), Galanisz, Pavuk, Somogyi (Dunaújváros)