The departure of Juha Silvander is still fresh in our memories so it is fair to say the news of a top new signing has come around a lot quicker than a lot of us expected. Alongside a trip to Poland, coach Ryan Aldridge has also been actively speaking with agents. He openly expressed his aspirations to bring in a new import as soon as possible. According to Jan, after his initial discussion with his agent it took just 4 days for all the paperwork to be signed. He was happy to commit quite quickly as he has been without a contract so far this season.
Until last season Jan played with Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic's Extraliga. This is the top league in his home country and the hockey is of a very high standard. So how does this compare to the EPL? The two leagues are not comparable but Jan thinks this is more because there is a very different style of hockey played in the UK. He has come across as confident and he is positive he will fit in to this style quite quickly and help to win games!
So how does he plan to do this? He is bringing with him a wealth of experience and it is clear when speaking to him that he is determined with a natural drive to succeed. 'I like to skate and shoot. I play hard in front of the net'
It is fair to say that there have already been some questions around whether or not he can really make a difference. His career stats being referred to as reflective of a player achieving less than the Wildcats need. Looking beyond the figures, his last two seasons with Karlovy Vary they put an 'A' on his shirt. In 2009 he took home a medal and the honour of winning the Extraliga Championship, an achievement which he has quoted as his career highlight.
Ryan Aldridge is still saying that he wants to see the Cats take home silverware this season. Will bringing in Jan Kostal be the move to drive the team forward? Here's what Jan said:
'I want to push the team forward but not just me the whole team needs to push it forward for the title.'
Jan will ice for the first time in red and white this Saturday in Slough, where traveling fans will get to see just what he can do.
Good luck Jan!
Greeting from Karlovy Vary.
ReplyDeleteYou've got a great player. In my opinion, he was the best defending forward in our team. Sadly, one of most underrated players too. He is a good goal scorer. However, his true role is different. He is one of the best penalty killers i've ever seen. Reliable, hard-working, experienced. He never missed a single match during years 2004 to 2010. That's more than 300 matches in a row. And the team record, btw. We were sad, when manager decided not to renew his contract. We only wish him well.