"Upon the request of the Hungarian News Agency (MTI) Hungarian sports federations pick their best atheletes of the year since 1964" - that is how an MTI-release runs in every december. And this is how our Weekend Read starts this week.
As the holiday season draws close people run around like madmen trying to pick up gifts. However, not only family members get boxes with red ribbons, sometimes sportsmen do as well. In this case, Franciska Kiss-Simon, Imre Peterdi and Miklós Rajna are the happiest, as they were voted best ice hockey and inline players of 2015. Deservedly so.
BEST MALE ICE HOCKEY PLAYER OF THE YEAR: MIKLÓS RAJNA
Rajna was born June 22nd 1991 and had a great year in 2015. At the start of the 2014-15 it seemed like that he would split playing time with Zoltán Hetényi. However, Hetényi's brain fever meant that Rajna had been left alone. But not for long of course, as Josh Robinson then Christian Engstrand joined the club and was a starter for stretches, and for long stretches in Engstrand's case. This is how the club season went for Rajna, who battled relentlessly and took his place back in the cage for the 6th - and last - game of the EBEL quarter-finals against eventual runner-up Vienna Capitals.
Then came the Division 1/A World Championship in Krakow, where he had been tasked with being the number one goalie of Team Hungary. He took the ice for four games, four wins nonetheless, had a 1.50 GAA with 92.4%!
"It's kind of hard to think about calendar years as we hockey players are living our lives season by season - Rajna told icehockey.hu. - However, it was a senstational season as we got promoted to the A-pool, plus I had increased ice time in Fehérvár as well. I feel comfortable where I am. I am playing better and better and I’m not really considered a young player anymore. Patience is a big part of my development, you have to wait for your opportunity and take advantage of it when you get the call."
Rajna picked up in this season where he left off in the previous one: now he is the starter in Fehérvár, has 22 games under his belt already with 91.9%. Besides he was handed the toughest job in Stavanger where Team Hungary first played hosts Norway in the EIHC tournament: he finished the game with 27/31. Obviously he has a big year ahead in 2016 as well.
"We will have an eventful year that's for sure - Rajna continued -, with Alba Volán we would like to make the playoffs and make a deep run. In February we will have an Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Budapest, we love to play for the national team on home ice, and it would be great to win the tournament but we know that it won’t be easy since we will be playing Poland as well. Poland has development tremendously in the past couple of years and we know that everything can be deiced during one game. We know this is important for the federation as well as it will give us a nice confidence boost.
The icing on the cake will be the A-Pool World Championships in May, it is the dream of every Hungarian player to make the World Championship roster and everyone will have to bring their best game. Anything can happen in one single game and we have to believe in ourselves and enjoy every minute of it."
PREVIOUS TEN WINNERS
2005 Palkovics Krisztián
2006 ifj. Ocskay Gábor
2007 Szélig Viktor
2008 Palkovics Krisztián
2009 Palkovics Krisztián
2010 Ladányi Balázs
2011 Ladányi Balázs
2012 Sofron István
2013 Bartalis István
2014 Hetényi Zoltán
BEST FEMALE ICE HOCKEY PLAYER OF THE YEAR: FRANCISKA KISS-SIMON
Kiss-Simon was born on 7th November 1995 and she is undoubtedly one of the greatest female hockey players in Hungary at the present time. She captained the U18 national team when it won promotion to the elite at the very beginning of 2012, and wore the C when Team Hungary upped its achievement by staying in the A-pool the next year.
Since then Kiss-Simon made the step up to senior level and was one of the better players of this year's selection at the Division 1/B Worlds having 2 assists and being the 13th most productive defender of the tournament. Therefore she was voted best player of Team Hungary, and now, best player of the country in 2015.
"I was really surpired when I heard about my award as there were many others who could have won as well, however, I was really flattered - Kiss-Simon told icehockey.hu. - I switched teams in the summer and I have a different task list now. My conditioning got better as we had an extensive training camp and we do have a lot of practices during the season as well. My shooting ability is starting to resemble my best form, so I'm quite a confident player now. As for 2016, I would wish to finish the club season in a really good position, and personally I wanna become an even better hockey player."
PREVIOUS WINNERS
2006 Palotás Mónika
2007 Szlaby Gyöngyi
2008 Pintér Zsófia
2009 Huszák Alexandra
2010 Medgyes Dorottya
2011 Rónai Alexandra
2012 Huszák Alexandra
2013 Huszák Alexandra
2014 Németh Anikó
BEST INLINE-PLAYER OF THE YEAR: IMRE PETERDI
Imre Peterdi was born on 31st May 1980 and while he still plays ice hockey he helped Team Hungary at this years inline Worlds on the side. In Tampere, he scored 3 goals from 12 shots, had 4 assists, and 7 points. Besides he was one of the role models of the squad having played for almost two decades now in Dunaújváros, Újpest, Poland, Fehérvár, the Budapest Stars and Ferencváros. The highlight of his career must be those two Worlds in 2008 and 2009, when Team Hungary won promotion to the elite and eventually played in the A-Pool. Being the best inline player of the year is just another piece of Peterdi's illustrius silverware collection.
"I haven't even thought about it! - Peteri told icehockey.hu when noticed about his newest achievement. - There are one or two inline tournaments and the Worlds itself and that is the inline season. I played pretty good during these events and I've been trying to help the inline guys for a couple of years now so this award might be just a payback..."
Peterdi burst into laughter while speaking, and he is a versatile athlete: besides ice hockey and inline he played street hockey as well. While being on the roster of Hungary's ice hockey team he had no time for sideshows though - that changed after retiring from the national selection.
"Good things are happening with me: I got voted team captain in Dunaújváros and we have quite a competitive team there - Peterdi added. - I also coach the U14s and want to continue playing inline, I already let the board know about that. If the idea comes into fruition and there'll be a Europan Champoonship, I'd like to be there! I like the idea of meeting with athletes from different countries and cultures, I missed that since retiring from the ice hockey nation team. And the power is still with me!"
PREVIOUS WINNERS
2008 Vas Márton
2009 Lencsés Tamás
2010 Kiss Ákos
2011 Kiss Tamás
2012 Feil Arnold
2013 Kiss Ákos
2014 Revák Zoltán
Fotó: Mudra László