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.

Frosty air, fast ice and emotions within arm’s reach. This Saturday, 31 January, Hlohovec becomes the venue for a special celebration of hockey. The municipal rink on Bezručova Street will welcome the RAHL Winter Classic, an event that pulls players and fans out of the routine of indoor arenas and brings hockey in its purest, rawest form. A lot is at stake in the three games across all league levels: from a fight for sheer survival in the season to the definitive confirmation of championship ambitions.

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.

The game against Uličníci had a special flavor for Alpha's goaltender. At the other end of the rink stood his good friend Luke Ďurža. But Richard Kazík set friendship aside during the game, withstood the favorite's pressure and, after a 1:0 win, is celebrating a shutout. Read how he rates this prestigious “mini-duel” and why he modestly insists that shutouts are not his doing alone.

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.

The Player of the Month for October in RAHL2 is HK Petržalka goaltender Milan Vizner. He played three times in October and kept a shutout in two of them. He has lived through it all with the team since the start of the season, from the struggles in the opening rounds to a streak of seven straight wins and closing the gap on leader Uličníci. In the interview he talks openly about what was behind the turnaround in the locker room, why he takes the numbers mainly as the team’s result and how he sees the pressure on the top of the standings.

Teodor Kintler was the central figure in the game against HC Senec. He was the only one to score, and did so twice; after the game he took the “golden helmet” home from the locker room, and after Round 10 his team holds second place in the RAHL 2 standings. In the interview he openly assesses his own performance, highlights the performance of his teammate in net, Jirko Šajár, and also talks about why he would most like to avoid the HK Petržalka team in the playoffs.