In the aftermath of Tuesday's CHL Draw, club representatives were left to evaluate the group they were drawn into and their chances of advancing to the next round. HC Kosice general manager Juraj Bakus is pleased with his club's situation, and shared his thoughts about the two Central European opponents.
by Michal Belsan
ZURICH – At the Champions Hockey League Group Stage Draw, eight-time Slovakian champions HC Kosice were drawn into Group M with Swiss champions SC Bern and Austrian semi-finalists Black Wings Linz.
Kosice's general manager, 55-year-old Juraj Bakos is really looking forward to this opportunity. “It’s going to be interesting. Bern is one of the best Swiss teams, this season they were the champions in their domestic league, so they will be difficult.”
As for Linz, Bakos recalled the two close encounters with Klagenfurt last year and said, “We know about the quality of Austrian teams. It will be tough. I think we have a really good group.”
In each of the first two CHL seasons, Kosice qualified as the Slovak champions. Last year they advanced to the Round of 32 against Swedish powerhouse Skelleftea AIK. After opening with an exciting 4–3 win on home ice, they fell 3–0 in northern Sweden to lose on aggregate.
This year they qualified as their's league's regular season winner, although they were eliminated in the semi-finals. Heading into the CHL their plan is simple – qualify for the playoffs again. “I can admit that’s our goal. As we did last year, we want to play in the second stage of the Champions Hockey League.”
Bakos's connection to Kosice goes back to his playing days. From 1977 to 1988, he played defence for the team which won two Czechoslovakian titles – the only two championships the club won prior to the split of the federal state in 1993. From those memories, he was hoping to be grouped with a particular opponent before the Draw.
“We are in the CHL for the third time and my wish was to play against Sparta Prague,” Bakos laughed. “When we used to have a federal league, Kosice and Sparta always had a big rivalry. But it didn’t happen, never mind.”
The Slovakian general manager says fans are looking forward to CHL games too. “We are very happy to be part of this league. These games are always high-calbire and the fans can’t wait for them. In Kosice, we only think about this league just in positive sense.”
And because of that, the club is planning some special marketing activities for the coming season.
“There will be some teasers,” Bakos hinted. “This league will be promoted well in Kosice, both of the games. We believe a lot of fans will come to arena, even if it happens in August. The teams we will play against are really high-quality.”