Slovak forward Milan Bartovič, who praised the fans after Thursday’s victory against Spartak Moscow was coy in regards to whether or not he’ll keep the captain’s ‘C’ for the upcoming season.
Bartovič wore the ‘C’ for HC SLOVAN Bratislava’s first preseason match against Spartak, which they won 2:0 in front of a near sold out SLOVNAFT Arena. The 32-year old already has experience as HC SLOVAN’s captain, as he took the reigns when injury forced both Miro Šatan and Ján Lipiansky out of action briefly last season.
‘This is the second game I have had the C, but I do not know if I will keep it. We will see. It’s the coach’s decision.’
Speaking after the game, played in the midst of Central Europe’s fierce heat wave, Bartovič thanked the fans for their support. ‘It was great. I probably cannot find a word to describe it other than awesome. Each player is playing well and there was a good atmosphere today. I thank our fans and believe it will continue for the coming season.’
| P | Tím | Z | B |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | CSKA Moscow | 38 | 81 |
| 2. | Jokerit Helsinki | 38 | 68 |
| 3. | Lokomotiv Yaroslavl | 40 | 77 |
| 4. | Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod | 39 | 67 |
| 5. | HC Sochi | 39 | 65 |
| 6. | Dynamo Moscow | 39 | 65 |
| 7. | SKA St. Peterburg | 38 | 62 |
| 8. | Dinamo Minsk | 38 | 56 |
| 9. | Medvescak Zagreb | 40 | 56 |
| 10. | HC SLOVAN Bratislava | 40 | 55 |
| 11. | Spartak Moscow | 39 | 50 |
| 12. | Vityaz Podolsk | 39 | 46 |
| 13. | Dinamo Riga | 37 | 46 |
| 14. | Severstal Cherepovets | 38 | 40 |
