Slovak national team defenceman Vladimir Mihálik will be in a HC SLOVAN Bratislava jersey for another two seasons, after signing a new contract with the club.
Mihálik spent the whole of last season with HC SLOVAN, making 19 appearances (regular season and playoffs), and getting on the score sheet three times. The towering defenceman was arguably the most improved HC SLOVAN player last season, as under coach Rostislav Čada, Mihálik has gone on to become a national team regular, leading him to play in all eight games for Slovakia at the 2013 IIHF World Championships.
While not built for an offensive style of play, Mihálik’s frightening size (203 cm, 111kg) has ed to him being one of the most reliable and feared defencemen in the KHL, especially on the penalty kill. Mihálik excelled in the second half of the season, especially when the team was down a man.
Before moving to HC SLOVAN Bratislava, Mihálik spent most of his career overseas. He was one of the last Slovak players to be drafted in the first round of the NHL draft (2005), and featured regularly for the Tampa Bay Lightning and their AHL affiliate the Norfolk Admirals. After six seasons in North America, Mihálik returned to Europe, first with Lev Poprad, and then with Swedish Elitserien club Timra.
The club is delighted to welcome Vladimir Mihálik back to the club, and hopes that he can build on the fine end to his 2012-2013 season and lead HC SLOVAN’s defensive unit in 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 |
