OHL Alumni Central

Ontario Hockey League grad Jaroslav Kruzik started the 2011-12 season with HC Litomerice of the Czech Republic Extraliga Tier 2. After moving over to the Slovak Extraliga a few days ago, Kruzik has now played his first game for HK Nitra.

Jaroslav played in the Ontario Hockey League for three years from 2007-08 to 2009-10. He began his OHL career with the Barrie Colts after Barrie chose him 49th overall in the first round of the CHL Import Draft in 2007. Previous to starting with the Colts, Kruzik played for Rytiri Kladno in his home Czech Republic.

After 50 games for Barrie in his first OHL season, Kruzik was shipped to Kingston after just one game with the Colts in 2008-09. He played 64 games with the Frontenacs that season, contributing 23 points from the blue line. In his final season with the Kingston Frontenacs, his point total dropped by one while playing five less regular season games. He got a taste of Robertson Cup playoff hockey with four games in the spring of 2010.

Kruzik returned to the Czech Republic for the 2010-11 season, once again playing for Rytiri Kladno, this time for their under-20 team. His game total was held to just eight.

Jaroslav played 12 games with HC Litomerice this season, scoring a goal and adding an assist for two points. Nitra can use some strength on defense. The team is off to a rough three win start and sits in tenth place in the eleven team league. Their goals against is the second worst in the league at the moment.

HK Nitra plays out of the 4,800 seat Nitra Zimny Arena in Nitra, Slovakia. The Slovakian Extraliga is currently dominated by former National Hockey League players, Zigmund Palffy and Miroslav Satan. The two sit one and two in league scoring.

HK 36 Skalica is known throughout the hockey world as the Slovakian team that houses former NHL sniper, Zigmund Palffy. HK 36 Skalica also had two Ontario Hockey League alumni on the roster for the 2009-10 season.

Vojtech Kloz played just one season in the OHL, 2003-04. The Czech defenseman played 62 regular season games and five playoff games that season for the Kingston Frontenacs. Kloz has since spent all his playing time in either his home Czech Republic or Slovakia. Vojtech played just 9 games with HK 36 Skalica this past season, adding 7 points on 7 assists.

Patrik Lusnak played two and a half seasons in the OHL with the Sudbury Wolves from 2006-07 to 2008-09. During the 2008-09 season, Patrik left to play in the Czech Extraliga with Trinec Ocelari. Over his final two seasons in the OHL, Lusnak was a point per game player. This past season with HK 36 Skalica, Patrik  was 9th on the team in scoring with 18 points in 43 games.

Skalica is located right on the border with the Czech Republic. The team plays in the Slovakian Extraliga and this past season finished 4th in the 13 team league. Each team plays 47 games during their regular season (I believe it should be 48, but the 13th place team seems to have folded after 36 games, leaving the rest with one unplayed game). The team plays their home games at the Zimny Arena which houses 3,180 spectators.

View Vojtech Kloz’s profile page on HK 36 Skalica’s official website here.

View Patrik Lusnak’s profile page on HK 36 Skalica’s official website here.

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