The biggest surprise of the elimination stage so far has arrived. MAD Vipers shocked reigning champion Wild Thing Karaoke, swept the series 2:0 in games and, after a comeback in the second game (3:1), are headed for the semifinals. The cornerstone of the success was phenomenal goaltender Martin Šimášek, who rightly became Player of the Week. In the interview he describes the sweet feeling of eliminating the favorite, praises his teammates' sacrifice and hints at what Vipers will bring against the dominant regular-season winner from Petržalka.

Five points, a hat trick and a clear 7:1 win. Alexander Ftáčnik had his day against Mad Vipers, but he is not turning the success into a one-man show. In the interview he raised a smile by comparing his partnership with Nikolas Ketner to NHL stars (in a "slightly" slowed-down version) and revealed that honest “Ružinov pickup games” are also behind his form. Read why he thinks 3rd place in the standings is deserved and whom he named as the savior of the game.

A goal fest in RAHL1 produced not only 11 goals but also a new Player of the Week. In a crucial game against Mad Vipers, Vladimír Lantoš went 2+2 and kept Neanderthals theoretically alive in the race for the top eight. In a candid interview, however, the former professional doesn’t just assess the 6:5 win – he takes a critical look back at his suspension from the start of the season and frankly admits whether his team even deserves the playoffs this year.

The Player of the Week in RAHL1 is Ivan Bajza, who killed off White Sharks' hopes with three goals. Things did not look rosy for Jokers in the game, but team chemistry and fighting to the very end paid off. In the interview Ivan revealed the recipe for the comeback, praised goalie Vizzi and explained why there is no room for arguments in their locker room. And the most important news for his teammates? Three goals means something sweet will be served.

Uličníci hit their stride in December, and the perfect record was orchestrated mainly by Dominik Vaniak. With 4 goals and 3 assists he became Player of the Month. In the interview he revealed that more practice and a change in the team's mindset are behind his scoring – thanks to which they are finally playing responsibly for the full 40 minutes.

The latest round produced an upset at the expense of the strong Black Jokers. It was delivered by team AHS, which put in a disciplined performance backed by superb scoring. The central figure of the game was Róbert Dobrý, who put an incredible 5 points on the stat sheet, including a hat trick. In the interview he told us how his “lucky” goal came about, why the middle of the standings is home for AHS, and what unusual ritual outside the arena unites most players in the league.

The Player of the Week in RAHL 1 is HK Petržalka forward Patrik Hubek, who shone with a hat trick against defending champion Wild Thing Karaoke. In a season in which a strained groin has slowed him down and he has only been on the ice sporadically, he picked the perfect moment to make himself heard on the scoresheet, and three times at that, against one of the best teams in the league. He talked about the game, the injury and what the hat trick is now going to cost him in the locker room in a short interview.

Wild Thing Karaoke confirmed their excellent form in Round 8 of RAHL1 by handling the White Sharks team 3:1. Forward Miroslav Merschitz played a major part in the win with two accurate shots, showing that, despite the game’s early-morning start, getting up with hockey sometimes pays off. He told us more about his two-goal performance, the opponent and the traditional locker-room ribbing in a postgame interview.

The Player of Round 7 in RAHL 1 is Dominik Vaniak of the Uličníci team. In the game against a strong opponent, Black Jokers, he shone with two goals and an assist, playing a major part in his team’s valuable win. Uličníci managed to turn around a 0:2 deficit and pick up two important points. In the interview Dominik assessed his own performance and the team’s, and revealed what he thinks was behind the weaker start to the season and what the ambitions are for the games ahead.