September: What We’ve Learned So Far
As the first month of the season concluded this past weekend, the hockey world has become abuzz with excitement. With the NCAA now underway, every major league has resumed play with the exception of the PWHL, which is just a month away from beginning its training camp. In Europe, the SDHL, Aurora Liiga, and Swiss Women's League are in full swing, showcasing world-class performances from Czech players across the board.
In Switzerland, two national team stars have made immediate impacts in a league that is quickly becoming a premier destination for European players. Meanwhile, in Finland, a 17-year-old rising star is making headlines, currently ranking in the top 10 for points. Over in Sweden, Czech players are contributing significantly across multiple teams, with some intriguing developments at the bottom of the table worth eyeing as the season progresses.
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Let's begin our journey in Switzerland, where the additions of Michaela Pejzlová to HC Ambri-Piotta and Noemi Neubauerová to EV Zug have already yielded substantial returns for their respective clubs. This past weekend, Neubauerova notched two goals and earned a player of the game award, scoring in each of her first two weekends with her temporary club. Her dynamic and game-changing presence has certainly helped propel Zug to the top of the table with a perfect 4-0 record, the team amassing 21 goals in an explosive start. Although our glimpse of Noemi in the Swiss League will be brief, we eagerly anticipate her arrival in North America for the upcoming PWHL Training Camp beginning in November with plenty to look forward too based on what we’re seeing already!
Meanwhile, Michaela Pejzlová leads the league with 4 goals and 3 assists after just 5 games, her presence undeniable. This was highlighted by her hat trick during a close 6-5 loss against Fribourg-Gotteron on the opening weekend. The 27-year-old's announcement by HCAP prior to the season raised eyebrows, as she transitioned to the alpine nation following four immensely successful seasons with HIFK in the Finnish League (now Aurora Liiga). I had the opportunity to speak with Michaela about her transition to Switzerland and gained valuable insights. "Everything is going well, the team is good, the girls are super nice, and everyone welcomed us nicely. Living here…well, it's simply unbelievable!" she shared. While the scenic change from Helsinki to Switzerland was expected, I must admit that I initially struggled to understand her move to the Swiss League, partly due to my (admittedly) limited knowledge of the Swiss league before starting this project.
In a brief conversation with Michaela on Instagram, she provided clarity on the recent changes in the league and the competitive nature of women's hockey in Switzerland. Initially, I assumed that the SWHL was a step or two behind the SDHL or Aurora Liiga, based purely on the talent levels I had historically observed in national teams playing in this league. However, Michaela offered me a different view, stating, "This league has made some big steps in a short amount of time," attributing much of this progress to an influx of new players and the overall quality of the Swiss Women's Hockey program continuing to rise.
I must admit, the Swiss league remains one of the more challenging leagues to follow. As a North American consuming content primarily from teams' and leagues' social media channels, there is still much to be desired in terms of accessibility, reporting, and video highlights. Nonetheless, I look forward to continuing to explore this league, especially through the perspective of such an impactful player like Michaela.
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Turning our attention to the Finnish League (Aurora Liiga), the standout story is undoubtedly Barbora Juříčková and her phenomenal start to the new campaign with HPK. Currently, HPK sits in second place with a game in hand over Ilves, boasting a 6-0-0-1 record and the highest points per game (PPG) average at 2.71. This impressive statistic is, in no small part, due to the remarkable efforts of Juříčková. Over the past weekend, Barbora showcased her dominance by recording a hat-trick and two assists against RoKi and Karpat. The 17-year-old from Ostrava, the historic Silesian capital and renowned steel city in eastern Czechia, is on track to surpass the stats she achieved in her previous two seasons as a young player at HPK.
I had the opportunity to ask her a few questions about her hot start to the season and gained some wonderful insights from the young player. When asked about the keys to her success so far this season, Barbora mentioned that hard work in the offseason with her coaches—and her brother, who plays for the Finnish men's side Jokerit—played a significant role in her preparation. She feels more confident now than in any previous year. Notably, she has been playing high-level hockey in Finland with HPK since she was just 15. Excitingly, Barbora believes that HPK has a "powerful" feeling behind it this season. The influx of new players, combined with fantastic play from their goaltenders in the first few weeks, has really contributed to their early season momentum. Her early season success was truly capped off by her hat-trick this past weekend, which she believes (and as far as we know) is her first professional hat-trick. When asked about it, she mentioned that while it was an amazing feeling, she was just "...happy we took 3 points [back] to Hämeenlinna."
While it is likely that her current pace will temper as the season progresses, we remain thrilled with her outstanding start and eagerly anticipate what the future holds for this emerging young player.
Another exciting storyline and exciting narrative worth noting involves 21-year-old Anna Kalová and 19-year-old Dominika Malická, both playing for RoKi. Despite RoKi's challenging start to the season, finding themselves at the bottom of the table with an 0-8 record and struggling offensively with just 10 goals scored as a team, there is a silver lining. The team's three Czech players, including Magdalena Felcmanová, have accounted for six of the team's ten goals. Anna Kalová leads the team in points, while Malická leads in assists. Although we hope the team can rally as the season progresses, RoKi has given us ample reason to cheer them on, particularly as we follow the development of their young talents.
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Vendula Přibylová - MoDo
As we conclude our coverage of the European competitions, we turn our attention to the continent's premier league, the SDHL. With most teams having played 5-6 games thus far, the sample size remains relatively small. However, there are some intriguing observations to note in the early part of the season, bearing in mind the limited data available. Currently, only one Czech player, Adéla Šapovalivová, finds herself within striking distance of the Top 10 in points for the league, having scored 3 goals to start the season. Beyond Šapovalivová, no other Czech player has amassed more than 2 points in these initial games. While this does not indicate any concerning trend, it does prompt curiosity about which players might emerge as standout performers as we transition into the second month of the season.
In our view, the most likely candidates for a breakout are standout players from the struggling Djurgårdens team. Both Tereza Plosová and Hana Haasová each finished with over 20 points last season, and although their early season production has been limited, we anticipate a breakthrough, provided the club can overcome its early season challenges. Another player to watch is Tereza Pištěková, who had a very strong pre-season and was widely regarded as a top acquisition after making the jump from Finland. Additionally, blueliner Sara Čajanová, who scored her first goal of the season over the weekend, has looked solid defensively for a Brynäs team still searching for its identity.
We will be closely monitoring all 14 Czech players (not forgetting about Viktorie Švejdová in goal for HV71 who secured a big shootout win on Sunday) representing their teams in the Swedish league as we move into October. Despite the lingering questions, we anticipate that our recap in four weeks' time will present a much different narrative.
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Natálie Mlynková - Celebrating her first goal with Minnesota
As we wrap up our coverage from around the hockey world, we conclude our first month's recap with a few highlights from the opening weekend of NCAA games. Our focus was naturally on national team star Natálie Mlynková, who made her season debut with the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers. And what a start it was! Minnesota burst out of the gate with a 4-1 victory over Top 10 ranked UCONN on Friday night, followed by a thrilling come-from-behind win in overtime on Saturday. The excitement was heightened as Natalie showcased her explosive speed and finishing ability, netting her first goal of the season, a promising sign of what we hope to see in the coming months!
However, the most exciting performance of the past weekend came from Andrea Trnková of the RPI Engineers, who scored the only two goals in their win over Holy Cross on Saturday afternoon. Trnková was physical and logged heavy minutes in both games, clearly a sign of what’s to be expected of her role on the blueline for RPI this year. As a sophomore, Trnková is clearly being utilized in a larger capacity this season, and the results are already evident with her two-goal performance. If you haven't already, check out the highlights of Saturday's game below and watch Trnkova's power-play goal (her 2nd of the game) —you won't be disappointed!
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As we end this month's recap, we look forward to bringing you more in-depth coverage and exciting updates from the world of Czech women's hockey. We'll be providing recaps at the end of every month, ensuring you stay informed about the latest performances and developments! We also have some thrilling player interviews and articles lined up, offering unique insights into the lives and careers of these exceptional athletes! Thank you for joining us, and we can't wait to share more stories and highlights with you in the coming weeks!
