HCD star Matej Stransky: “I fell in love with Davos”

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In 2019, Matej Stransky attended the Spengler Cup for the first time with his then team Trinec. He caught the attention of then Davos coach Christian Wohlwend. “I really wanted him,” Ajoie’s current coach remembers. But then sports director Raeto Raffainer did not share his enthusiasm for the Czech striker, feeling that he was too slow for our fast-paced competition and so the HCD refused to make an offer.

A year later, Raffainer was hired by SC Bern and shortly afterwards Wohlwend presented himself again to the new sports commission in the “Stranssky case”. Success this time: the Czech was signed for the 2021/22 season. “I have never regretted my perseverance. Matej is a sensational player and also an excellent person,” Wohlwend still says enthusiastically today.

Final against his compatriots

It was easy for Stransky to accept Davos’ offer: “I fell in love with Davos during the Spengler Cup and was overjoyed when I was able to sign the contract.” This infatuation has now become true love. In September he extended his contract early until 2027. “We are very happy here, the organization is great for us, we have made friends and the children are happy, that is the most important thing for me.”

When he took part in the Spengler Cup with Trinec, he immediately reached the final. However, this lost against Team Canada 0:4. «Now I have a new chance and hope that we can continue as we have done so far this week. The Spengler Cup is one of our big goals this season,” Stransky said on Sunday before the final (from 12.10 p.m., in the Blick live ticker) – against mainly his Czech compatriots from Pardubice.

The 42nd competitive match this season

For him, this highlight is also the end of the year after an extremely intense last weeks and months. It will be his 42nd league match this season: 32 with the HCD in the championship, four in the Spengler Cup and six with the Czech national team. “December in particular was very difficult for me,” admits the HCD top scorer, who will have to deal with a lot of ice time because he is deployed both in the minority and in the minority. “My energy level is already dropping a bit, but I now have to fight through it and do everything I can to help the team.”

Stransky is from Ostrava and played for Vitkovice there, but moved to North America at the age of 17. He joined the Saskatoon Blades in the WHL junior league, was drafted by the Dallas Stars in 2011, played for the Texas Stars in the AHL from 2013 to 2017, and won the Calder Cup championship with them in 2014. However, he was never had a chance in the NHL.

No NHL game, but learning to cook

“I gave it my all, but it didn’t work. But that doesn’t scare me to death, I’m completely at peace with myself,” Stransky says of his North American experience. He is happy that he tried it, and it was also a great experience for him outside of ice hockey, from which he learned a lot at a young age: “I had to cook for myself, learn to pay my bills and much more. of things more.”

After further stops in the KHL (Cherepovets), Sweden (Mora) and his hometown (Trinec), he ended up in Davos and is one of the best foreigners in the league. “I was able to develop further here,” says the goalgetter. Sports director Jan Alston also praises the fact that Stransky has become an important leader in the locker room. It was also the Czech who stood up in the dressing room during the third break after the 3-1 deficit in the penultimate championship match before Christmas against Biel and became noisy. The game was then reversed and HCD has only won since then.

He doesn’t like to be too quiet

He himself does not want to confirm his verbal outburst, but simply says with a mischievous smile: “No comment!” No nice words were said in the locker room, but they were necessary. “It was important to come together as a group in this way. Previously we were a bit too quiet.” This Matej Stransky can do much more than we see from him on the ice game after game.

Source : Blick