Tag: HK Spisska Nova Ves

Dvořák seals Poprad derby win at Spišská Nová Ves

By IceHockeyMan Editorial Team | Published:

Story Summary

Czech forward Adam Dvořák scored in the 56th minute to decide HK Poprad‘s 3-2 road victory over HK Spišská Nová Ves in the 12th round of the Slovak Extraliga. The result extended Poprad’s winning run to five games in the eastern Slovakia derby.

Key Facts

  • HK Poprad won 3-2 away to HK Spišská Nová Ves in the 12th round of the Slovak Extraliga.
  • Czech forward Adam Dvořák scored the decisive goal in the 56th minute.
  • Poprad recorded their fifth consecutive victory.
  • HK Spišská Nová Ves lost at home after winning their previous four home games.

IHM Discussion

This was a tight derby settled late rather than a comfortable road win. Dvořák’s 56th-minute goal gave Poprad the defining moment, while the visitors’ fifth consecutive victory maintained their momentum. For Spišská Nová Ves, the defeat ended a four-game home winning sequence.

Why It Matters

The result carries weight for both sides because it combined a derby victory with a continuation of Poprad’s winning streak. It also showed that Spišská Nová Ves’ recent home form could be broken in a one-goal game.

Nitra praised after dominant display against Spišská

By IceHockeyMan Editorial Team | Published:

Story Summary

HK Nitra assistant coach Dušan Milo praised his team’s display against HK Spišská Nová Ves, describing it as an excellent performance in which Nitra showed they could play hockey with authority.

Milo said Nitra controlled the match, moved well, forechecked effectively and directed their work towards the opposition net. He added that his side played simply and responsibly, with the shot count clearly in Nitra’s favour. His only stated frustration was the lack of a power-play goal.

Spišská Nová Ves assistant coach Branislav Rapáč accepted that Nitra had been the better side throughout and had controlled the puck. He said several players in Spišská Nová Ves’s young team had not previously encountered that level of pressure and forechecking, leaving them short of time on the ice.

Rapáč nevertheless did not dismiss his side’s effort. He said the team would learn from the experience and gain valuable knowledge, adding that they played the game Nitra allowed them to play.

Key Facts

  • Dušan Milo, Nitra’s assistant coach, called the performance excellent and said his side dominated the match.
  • Milo highlighted Nitra’s skating, forechecking and direct approach towards the net.
  • Nitra’s assistant coach said the shot count was clearly in his team’s favour, but noted the absence of a power-play goal.
  • Branislav Rapáč, assistant coach of Spišská Nová Ves, said Nitra were better throughout and dominated possession.
  • Rapáč said members of Spišská Nová Ves’s young team struggled with the time pressure created by Nitra’s forecheck.
  • Spišská Nová Ves intend to use the experience as a lesson, according to Rapáč.

IHM Discussion

The two coaching assessments point to a match shaped by Nitra’s pressure rather than a single isolated phase. Milo’s emphasis on movement, forechecking and getting pucks to the net describes a side able to establish territory and sustain its attacking habits.

Rapáč’s comments provide the other side of that picture. Spišská Nová Ves were repeatedly placed under time pressure, particularly by a forecheck that his younger players found difficult to manage. That is a meaningful test for a developing group: not simply whether it can defend, but whether it can make decisions quickly enough when possession is contested.

Nitra’s reference to a missed power-play goal also adds useful context. The overall performance pleased the coaching staff, but there was still one attacking detail they believed could have been sharper.

Why It Matters

For Nitra, the reaction underlines the value placed on a full-ice performance: skating, puck pressure, responsibility without the puck and a direct route to goal. For Spišská Nová Ves, the game offered a clear measure of the pressure level their younger players must learn to handle in the Slovak Extraliga.

Joona Jääskeläinen signs for HK Spišská Nová Ves

By IceHockeyMan Editorial Team | Published:

Story Summary

Finnish forward Joona Jääskeläinen has agreed to join HK Spišská Nová Ves for the 2026/27 Slovak Extraliga season. General manager Richard Rapáč described him as a difference-making forward with a strong shot and leadership qualities, after talks that had been under way since April.

Key Facts

  • Joona Jääskeläinen is a Finnish forward who will play in the 2026/2027 Slovak Extraliga season for HK Spišská Nová Ves.
  • HK Spišská Nová Ves announced the signing.
  • General manager Richard Rapáč said the club had been in contact with Jääskeläinen since April and that negotiations took an extended period.
  • Rapáč described Jääskeläinen as a ‘difference-making forward’ with several 20-goal seasons in the Slovak Extraliga, a good shot and versatility across game situations, and suggested he will act as a leader for the club’s young Slovak core.
  • Jääskeläinen turned 30 on 5 September.
  • Spišská Nová Ves will be his fifth club in the Slovak Extraliga.
  • He first played in the league in 2019/2020 for Banská Bystrica.
  • Since the 2020/2021 season, which he spent at Mladá Boleslav, he has been continuously active in Slovakia.
  • He has had one season with Slovan Bratislava, three seasons with Košice and spent 2025/2026 with HKM Zvolen.
  • With HKM Zvolen in 2025/26, he played 56 games, scoring 18 goals and adding 18 assists.
  • Across six seasons in the Slovak Extraliga he has played 357 games, recording 277 points (130 goals and 147 assists).
  • Reportedly, Jääskeläinen holds the records among Finnish players in the Slovak Extraliga for games played, goals, assists and points.

IHM Discussion

The signing gives Spišská Nová Ves an experienced forward with a substantial record in Slovakia. Jääskeläinen has played 357 Slovak Extraliga games and recorded 277 points across six seasons. Rapáč highlighted his shot, all-situations versatility and leadership, suggesting the club sees him as a player who can contribute both on the ice and within its young Slovak core.

Why It Matters

Jääskeläinen brings proven Slovak Extraliga production to Spišská Nová Ves, along with experience that the club believes can benefit its younger Slovak players. His move also keeps one of the league’s leading Finnish statistical contributors in Slovakia.

Mini Q&A

Who has Spišská Nová Ves signed?

They have signed Finnish forward Joona Jääskeläinen for the 2026/2027 season.

What did the club say about him?

General manager Richard Rapáč called him a difference-making forward with a very good shot, useful in any game situation and a positive leader for the club’s young Slovak core.

How long has Jääskeläinen been in Slovakia?

He first appeared in the Slovak Extraliga in 2019/2020 and, aside from a 2020/2021 spell in Mladá Boleslav, has been continuously active in Slovakia since then.

What are his Slovak Extraliga totals?

Across six Slovak Extraliga seasons, he has played 357 games and recorded 277 points, with 130 goals and 147 assists.

What Comes Next

Jääskeläinen will wear the Spišská Nová Ves jersey in the 2026/27 Slovak Extraliga season.

IHM Final View

Spišská Nová Ves have added a forward with a long and productive record in the Slovak Extraliga. His scoring history and experience make him a notable addition for the 2026/27 campaign.