This time the Hungarian Ice Hockey Federation media partner Nemzeti Sport had a chance to speak with young national team forward Balázs Sebők who just started his preseason training with his new team in Finalnd, KalPa.
In every school there is always at least one teacher who is nice enough not to pile on the homework right before a vacation or a long break. The Finnish ice hockey federation is like this as well, the federation officially does not allow off season training, of course hockey is a business and everyone is always trying to fin a loophole to get an edge.
“I wouldn’t say its trying to beat the system its more of just relaxing the rules” said Balázs Sebők “Last year it was a six week break this off-season they extended it to a seventh week, that’s why we are not training together as a team, at the bottom of the training schedule it even says that this is an individual workout plan, however the coaches are around.
For the 20 year old forward the team training might not be a bad idea as he is with a new club. The past three seasons he was under contract with Kärpät, the first two seasons he played with the junior team and last season he was on loan with second division team Hokki. He had a great season with Hokki has he ended up with 50 points in 57 games, despite these numbers he switched clubs because of the lack of expected playing time for the two time defending Finnish champions.
“I can’t really compare the two organizations since every time we were finished with the preseason I never really stayed with Kärpät, I would either get injured or last season I was out on loan,” continued Sebők “They could sign star players and since I was not ready to make the jump they let me go. I will always be grateful for the club, without Kärpät I wouldn’t be where I am now as a player without them. Its just unfortunate that I was not able to show them what I am really capable of doing, when I stepped into the KalPa locker-room I felt I was apart of the team right away.”
Last season KalPa finished the regular season in 6th place and in the playoffs they lost in the quarter finals to Lukko four games to two, who ended up losing in the next round. This season they look to be a playoff team again, a top six finish is the goal again, (teams 7-10 play for the final two playoff spots in a middle round) they have what looks to be a solid squad again however the roster is not set as it looks like they need to pick up one last winger.
“The does not play a simple dump and chase style but cycling the puck around, which really fits for me, since this is one of my strengths” said Sebők, he also mentioned that teams don’t go away to training camp as in the past “What we need is right there on sight, if we want to light some weights the gym is right there, if we want to run there is a track, if we want to be tortured there is a mountain.”