A joke between two Kärpät team mates resulted in one of the biggest success stories of the SHL so far this season. David Sklenicka is top 3 among defenders in scoring and has gone from unknown to highly touted by fans as well as experts. His own explanation? "It's just luck."
Up until the first national team break in november, David Sklenicka was third in scoring among defensemen in the SHL. Not bad for a stay at home d-man. At least that was the general opinion about him coming in to the SHL, but was that correct?
”Well, last season I was a stay at home d-man, focusing on my own end. When I came to Brynäs i got another role, starting playing on the powerplay from the start. That means I need to be one of the defensemen supporting the offensive guys all the time, and I guess I have started thinking more offensively than before”, David Sklenicka says, adding:
”But regarding the points I’ve been lucky. I have thrown pucks to the net and someone has deflected them in and stuff like that. How many points I score is irrelevant, what matters is how we perform as a team and that we reach a good position after 52 rounds.”
For many foreign players coming in to the SHL, there is a transition at first and that goes for David Sklenicka, too.
”All the players I spoke to before signing with Brynäs said that the SHL is a very fast and tough league to play in, and they were right. All teams press hard and skate so much.”
David Sklenicka is only 26 years old, but has already built a pretty solid CV, playing in the Czech league, the KHL, Liiga and the AHL before arriving in Sweden.
”Compared to the Czech and Finnish leagues, the SHL is played at a higher speed and with more intense forecheck. In both Finland and Czech Republic there are teams playing trap system, closing down the neutral zone. The KHL is a bit different, every game has it’s own system, it’s hard to compare.”
You can thank the match making skills of Rudolf Cerveny, Brynäs fans
Last season David Sklenicka spent with Jokerit, until the war broke loose and Jokerit withdrew from the KHL. Sklenicka was one of the players who immediately found a new club as he transferred to Liiga powerhouse Kärpät.
”After spending three years in Finland I wanted to change country and Sweden was my first choice”, David says. ”I spoke to Rudolf Cerveny who played in Brynäs 2019 and we joked about the fact that he played with their current GM Johan Alcén, and that he would put in a good word for me. He texted Alcén and we started talking. I signed the contract in April, before the World Championships.”
With the signings of for example Johannes Kinnvall, Niklas Friman, Hannes Björninen and Johan Larsson, Brynäs raised the expactations going in to this season. Now was the time to leave the lower racks of the standings and reach the playoffs.
”We started a bit slow, but started playing better after six games or so”, David says. ”It’s been too much up and down, we win a game and loose two. This team has all the components and I know we can play a lot better than we have shown so far.”
It’s not only on the ice things are different when moving from Finland to Sweden, life outside of the rink also takes some time getting used to.
”Yeah, me and my girlfriend didn’t really know what to do when we first came to Gävle, but lately we’ve started playing table tennis and badminton. When we need to forget about hockey and try to live a normal life that’s what we do”, David says laughing.
”There are a lot of beautiful places in Sweden, but almost all of them are way up north, like Kiruna and Swedish Lappland for example. It’s not like we can get in the car and drive ten hours to get there between two games”, he adds.
If you need a Halloween costume in Gävle, just ask Anders Lindbäck
Speaking of unwinding, after playing against Rögle, with the national team break coming up, the players of Brynäs arranged a get together which David and his girlfriend appreciated.
”Yeah we had a Halloween party. I went as a priest and my girlfriend as a bloody nun, haha. It was nice to see everyone’s costumes and spend some time together outside of the arena. I think that will help us as a team.”
The only question reamaining is… where do you buy Halloween costumes in Gävle?
”Haha, I always ask Anders Lindbäck about those things. We played together in Jokerit and he’s helped me a lot here in Gävle. I ask him about restaurants and yeah, about where to get a Halloween costume also”, David laughs.
Historically there’s been quite a few Czech players in the SHL. Some of them have had real impact, like ”The Blue Line” – Pavel Patera, Martin Prochazka and Otakar Vejvoda – in AIK, Jaroslav Hlinka and Jan Hlavac in Linköping or Pavel Brendl in David Sklenicka's club Brynäs.
”I know all of them and followed them when they played in Sweden. Actually Patera, Prochazka and Vejvoda are from Kladno like myself. And when I played in Beroun I met Pavel Brendl and he told some stories about his time in Brynäs.”
Praising Rögle addition Lukas Klok
Recently David Sklenicka teamed up with four other SHL players in the national team. Or actually, they were five.
”Lukas Klok signed with Rögle during the break and I know him well. He’s been a defensive D-man like myself, but has started to score a lot of points the last couple of years. First in Lukko Rauma and last year in Nizhnekamsk of the KHL. He can play in any situation and will be a very good addition to Rögle I think.”
Rögle is one of the teams battling with Brynäs for the playoff spots. But if you ask David Sklenicka there’s no doubt his team will have the upper hand.
”My expectations for the rest of the season is that we can find a better balance, win a few games in a row and be successful. We can beat any team in this league, we just need to be focused and play to our strengths.”
That probably sounds like sweet music to the ears of Brynäs fans, but that's not all. David Sklenicka just signed an extension with the club, meaning he will stay in Gävle until 2025.
"I'm not thinking about the NHL. I tried North America when I was younger but honestly I wasn't ready. My only focus right now is here with Brynäs", David Sklenicka says.