2024 Korea Zenith Cup Seoul, South Korea 

(March 29-31,  2024)

The tournament in Korea proved to be a valuable experience for our players. It served as a reminder that continuous self-reflection and improvement are integral parts of the game.

I was pleasantly surprised by the skill level of the Korean teams and individual players. It’s intriguing that we don’t see more Korean players in the NHL today. When it came to individual gameplay, we were on par with their teams. However, we found ourselves trailing when it came to the team concept of the game and physical conditioning. This was particularly evident during changes in direction on the ice and one-on-one situations.

To address this, we plan to incorporate off-ice training into next season’s program. We also recognize the need to improve team play and puck passing, especially among our younger players, and will be focusing on these areas.

In conclusion, I would recommend our players to watch more ice hockey on TV. This will help them understand the movements and strategies of the best players in their positions. Overall, the tournament was a great experience, and I’m eagerly looking forward to next year’s event.

By Coach Petr

Our U13 team embarked on a journey to Seoul, Korea, with the aim to win every game and gain invaluable experience playing against top-tier Asian teams. The U13 division was composed of six teams from Korea, one from Taipei, and our Selects team.

The tournament kicked off with our first game against Taipei. We put up a strong performance and secured a 4-1 victory, setting a positive tone for the games to follow. After another win and a loss in the round robin stage, we faced off against Zenith. The game was a nail-biter, ending in a tie in both regular time and overtime. However, a penalty shootout tipped the scales in our favour, thanks to our excellent scoring and goaltending.

The bronze medal game was a closely contested battle that also resulted in a tie after regular and overtime. This time, we were unable to get the puck past the exceptional goalie on the opposing team and suffered a loss.

Despite finishing in fourth place, we have no regrets. The high level of hockey played in each game demanded the best from our players, and they certainly delivered. The kids played their hearts out and rightfully earned a top 4 seed. Their performance was a testament to their dedication and hard work.

By Coach Matti

Our journey to the U15 tournament in Korea marked a significant milestone, as it was my first U15 tournament with the team. From day one, we had our work cut out for us. In our initial meeting with the players, we outlined the system we intended to use throughout the tournament. We developed a comprehensive game playbook, detailing our offensive setup, defensive zone positioning with and without the puck, breakout strategies, and special teams setup.

Given the high calibre of most teams in the tournament, we opted for a slightly more defensive strategy. However, we continually encouraged our players to be confident and proactive with the puck.

Our first match was an eye-opener, revealing the high skill level of the Korean teams. It was a challenging encounter against teams that were a notch above us. We managed to hold our own for portions of each game, maintaining parity, but unfortunately, we couldn’t sustain this throughout the entire match. This resulted in us losing all but the final game.

We emphasized to our players that these experiences should serve as lessons. We meticulously analyzed each match on video, identifying mistakes, learning from them, and striving to improve as a team in each subsequent game. This approach yielded success in most cases. Throughout the tournament, I sensed a strong desire among the team to improve and a willingness to accept constructive criticism.

In conclusion, despite the challenges, the tournament was a valuable learning experience and a stepping stone towards future successes.

By Coach Karel