With the start of the MOL League right around the corner icehockey.hu is doing its annual preview series that will cover each team in the league starting with the new club MAC Budapest.
Along with the Gábor Ocskay Jr. Hockey Academy in Fehérvár the MAC Hockey Academy has been the top youth hockey system in the country for the last few years. It has gotten to the point that they have produced a number of young players that a full senior roster could be assembled. MAC years ago competed at the highest level in Hungarian hockey, but the rebirth of MAC hockey is going with a different concept.
The plan that the team is using to build a winning organization had been seen in the MOL League, before when the Budapest Stars won the MOL League with a core group of grizzled veteran players, surrounded by a roster full of players in their late teens and early twenties with a charismatic coach behind the bench.
MAC general manager Balázs Kangyal, head coach Gergely Majoross and assistant coach Bence Svasznek were three of the veteran players on that Stars team. Majoross has mentioned it on numerous occasions, that is the concept that we would like develop. Today's young player need to interact with older veterans on a regular basis so they can learn from them what it means to be a true pro both on and off the ice.
THE SQUAD
Last season Majross won the Hungarian title, MOL League and the Hungarian Cup as the coach of Miskolc with Bence Bálizs as his goalie. This season the national team goalie followed his coach from last season to MAC. Bálizs looks to replicate his outstanding season in the Hungarian capital. Bálizs will also be somewhat of a mentor to the second half of the MAC goaltending duo, Gergely Arany. Arany has been a staple in the Hungarian national youth system for a number of years, the MOL League was the next logical step for the young goalie who is still 18 years old.
On the blueline Balázs Kangyal brought in former Fehérvár and Hungarian team captain Viktor Tokaji, to basically play the part on this MAC team that he himslef played on that particular Stars team. Tokaji is coming off of a season that saw his playing time dwindle as well as finishing up the season injured. If the veteran can strap on the skates he is always an advantage to have both on and off the ice. Joining Tokaji is Tamás Pozsgai who is in the prime of his career and is coming off of an excellent world championships. Look for him to anchor the blue line with two imports Drew Olson and Michael Quinn, rounding out the unit will be István Mestyán and 18 year old Bence Stipsicz.
Just like on defence the forward unit is also made up of a mixture of national team players, experienced imports and players coming up from the youth system. The import line will carry the goal scoring workload for the club, which will most likely be made up of Tomas Klempa, Ian McDonald and Niko Saarenpaa. Look for Jeff Hayes and Dávid Szappanos to also help in with the scoring There are also a couple of young forwards who are tenacious forecheckers and could really get under the skin of other teams in Krisztián Nagy and István Terbócs.
COACH'S CORNERGergely Majoross: "It's hard to say what should be expected from the team, we have six imports that we have only seen play in preseason games, there are also a number of players who will be playing in new roles that they have not played in before. From what I have seen from the point of moral and work ethic I am sure we will improve from week to week, we’ll see how far this will take us."
EXPERT OPINION*
"MAC is an interesting question, did they bring in the right type of imports who are goal scorers and can be the difference maker in a tight game? I think they will have a young team that will compete hard, be filled with energy and will skate well."
*Recently retired former MOL League player
New additions: Bálizs, Nagy, Roczanov (Miskolc), Mestyán, Szappanos (Dunaújváros), Olson (Lillehammer, Norway), Quinn (Cincinnati, ECHL), A.Németh, Tokaji (Fehérvár EBEL), Hayes (Carleton CIS), Horváth, Á.Németh (Debrecen), Klempa (Piestany, Slovakia), McDonald (Briancon, France), Saarenpaa (Hokki, Mestis)
Departed: None
Photo: MAC Budapest facebook page