U-18 WJC: Mihalik Fills Sleeper Role

The Slovaks finished in sixth place at U-18 WJC after an average performance. Advancing to the playoffs was really a matter of luck rather than their quality of play and they were clearly hampered by a lack of players with elite smarts in the offensive end. Vladimir Kovac had a fairly solid tourney in net and Vladimir Mihalik showed why he may be a homerun pick in the draft. Center Mario Bliznak also emerged as a solid workhorse and team player, while left winger Juraj Mikus turned out to be the most lethal Slovak weapon.

QUALITY KOVAC

The Slovaks relied on one of their main strengths between the pipes in netminder Vladimir Kovac. He had a solid start in the tournament against Team USA and then basically stood on his head in the game against the Czech Republic and held the Slovaks in the game. Kovac couldn't maintain the same level of play throughout the tournament though and he had to be replaced by backup Branislav Konrad after a shaky performance in the quarterfinal game against Sweden. Still, he closed the tournament on a solid note with a steady showing against a dominating Russian team in the contest to decide fifth overall. The quick butterfly goalie ranked among the better tournament goaltenders and was a strong personality on the Slovak team.

BATTER UP

Teams looking for a possible homerun pick in the draft may look no further than gigantic Slovak defenseman Vladimir Mihalik. At 6'7", the tallest player of the tournament looked significantly more composed here than the Under-18 Junior Cup in August, proving that he made remarkable strides in his play during this season. Even if his skating is still far from polished, he is still surprisingly mobile for being such a behemoth player and with increased lower-body strength there is room for definite improvement. Mihalik was rather unimpressive against the U.S. and was fairly average for the rest of the round robin games, but from the quarterfinal match against Sweden on, he was a solid force. He tended to control the plays more and filled a steady defensive role with a minimum of mistakes. Plus, his upgraded mobility enabled him to support the offense and operate in front of the opponent's slot in the game against Russia. Although he still may have some glaring weaknesses in his game, Mihalik will likely be snatched higher than expected than in the draft.

ONE TOUGH COOKIE

Lukas Bohunicky is a name to remember from this tournament as far as the 2006 eligible defensemen. The late 1987-born defenseman displayed solid first-step quickness for a big man and was arguably the toughest Slovak cookie in the opening game against Team USA. Perhaps the best improvement he showed was limiting the number of his famous bonehead plays. Bohunicky was adequate on the defensive side of the puck in the games against the Czech Republic and Sweden, but couldn't move the puck effectively in the latter and was thinking of offense too often. His defensive gaffe in the last game against Russia cost the Slovaks a goal, but Bohunicky could at least partially make up for it with his take-no-prisoners style. When all was said and done, it was evident that Bohunicky grew steadier as the tournament wore on, even if he still needs to find a way to upgrade his reliability and positional play.

HIGH MARKS FOR MIKUS

The most impressive member of the Slovak team turned out to be creative left winger Juraj Mikus. Mikus really bounced back from his disappointing showing at the February Vlado Dzurilla tournament and was by far the most lethal Slovak offensive weapon. Mikus only lacks that elite first step and the physical strength to rank himself among the most impressive forwards of this tournament. He was smart and patient in puck possession during the opening two games and he was the only quality player on the attack in the quarterfinal game against Sweden. The last game against Russia was the only one where he could have shown up more and he really wasn't a noticeable force in the match. Only Phil Kessel's outburst in the gold medal game forced Mikus to settle for a tie as the tournament's best passer, but the smart forward still played arguably his best international tournament ever.

WORKING HARD

One of the unsung heroes of the Slovak team was center Mario Bliznak, who was a more effective force at forward than the more well-known but pathetic duo of Richard Lelkes and Marek Bartanus. Bliznak turned out to be one of the very few players who didn't disappoint in the opening game against the USA. He played a diligent, multi-purpose style and contributed adequately well defensively. He proved that he isn't blessed with elite talent or skills, but still emerged as a valuable workhorse and team player. Bliznak didn't keep his feet moving in the second game and thus didn't get the results he wanted, but he was still up to par with the rest of his team. The game against Sweden was solid for him and he found his two-way prowess again. He didn't create much in the last game against Russia, but that was mainly due to his lack of playing time. Overall, he definitely played himself well into draft consideration.

DILIGENT GRINDER

The last name that bears notice on the Slovak squad was left winger Ondrej Otcenas, who was hardly noticeable in the fast-paced tournament opener against Team USA. He played slightly better in the game against the Czech Republic, battling around the opponent's slot and playing a more gritty style. Otcenas had his best game of the tournament against Finland, scoring two goals and making the most of his scoring chances. He also didn't disappoint against Sweden; he filled his checking role and working hard to make life miserable for the Swedish players. Otcenas took a slight step back with his play against Russia because he wasn't the hard working pest he was in the previous game. Overall though, he played a solid tournament as a diligent grinder who was able to chip in offensively despite an average array of skills