Slavia and Dubina ready for EHL challenge
Slavia Prague captain Patrik Dubina is looking forward to his club showing their best hockey in Barcelona where they will face Saint Germain on October 9th in the EHL Men’s KO16.
They qualified for the EHL for the second time when they dethroned TJ Plzen Litice, giving them the chance to perform on the elite club stage following their debut in Hamburg in 2023.
The 23-year-old Dubina – a regular international for five years now – is one of the key figures and he is looking forward to the new term having missed last year’s Czechia final through injury.
His role in central midfield was superbly covered by the experienced duo Martin Capouch (30, former international with top-level experience since his teenage years) and Jan Brzák (23, and also a current international).
Beyond them, Slavia have some big talents that are looking to shine. One of the brightest prospects is František Toms (16), who models his game on Lamine Yamal and enjoys a remarkable on-field chemistry with fellow talent Štěpán Šmíd (18).
In goal, the side boasts Jakub Bogár, a Slovak goalkeeper with valuable international experience gained in the German Indoor Bundesliga. While the roster includes several promising youngsters, making the side less experienced overall compared to some rivals, the club views this as a clear investment into the future- blending rising talent with the know-how of seasoned internationals.
Among the most experienced figures is Martin Hanus, a veteran with seasons in the German Bundesliga for Gladbacher HTC and countless caps for the Czech national team.
He comes from a renowned hockey family: his brother Tomáš Hanus was a goalkeeper in Belgium’s top league and also appeared in the EHL.
Together, the Hanus brothers were central to the “golden generation” of Czech indoor hockey, playing in multiple European and World Cups. They twice comped in the outdoor top division of the EuroHockey Championships (2007 Manchester and 2013 Boom).
Coach Miroslav Ludvík is in his eighth season and he does have to manage a few departures with Martin Plachý going to DTV Hannover; he was the Czech league top scorer for two consecutive seasons.
Martin Babický has retired while Čeněk Zuna and Denis Tomeš returned to their boyhood club and Matěj Remiš, joined the army.
Nonetheless, they are in upbeat form after challenge matches against SV Arminen and WKS Grunwald Poznań complementing the team’s usual summer training block. The domestic season begins this weekend with a home date against President HC.
Dubina says of the situation: “Ahead of this season we lost some key players, but at the same time we have integrated young talents who bring great potential.
“After our preparation matches against Arminen and the Polish champions, we are really looking forward to competing at the EHL in sunny Barcelona. We know we will face very tough games there, but I hope we can show the best hockey from our side.”
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