In the aftermath of being eliminated from the Czech Extraliga playoffs, winger Robert Sabolic evaluated the series that just finished, his first season in a new league, and discussed the state of hockey in his native Slovenia. He's also looking ahead to next month's World Championship.

by Derek O'Brien

PRAGUE – On Monday night, Sparta Prague's bid to win the Czech championship came to an end on home ice with a 3–2 defeat to fellow CHL club Ocelari Trinec, ending the semi-final series in six games. 

Robert Sabolic did all he could to extend the series to a seventh game, scoring a beautiful goal in the second period to get Sparta on the board, then assisting on the team's second goal midway through the third period on the power play. He scored four goals and had one assist in 10 playoff games, following a regular season in which he recorded 29 points (15 + 14) in 51 games. He also contributed two goals and one assist in eight Champions Hockey League contests.

For the 26-year-old winger from Jesenice, Slovenia, it marks the end of his first season in the Czech Extraliga. Previously, he'd played professionally in Slovenian, Austrian, Swedish, Slovak and German leagues, and won the DEL title last season with ERC Ingolstadt. 

He was also a member of the Slovenian national team that made the quarter-finals at last year's Winter Olympics in Sochi and has played in three World Championships. Next month, he is expected to play in a fourth in the country that he will call home for at least two more years.

You played a strong game, Robert, but I'm sure that's no consolation for you after being eliminated from the playoffs.

No, I'm very disappointed, especially because I don't think they were better than us. They just got the goals at the right times, and we didn't. Not enough. We tried our best every game, that wasn't the problem, so I don't know . . . 

The whole series was quite a battle and every game was close.

Well, it was two good teams that wanted to be in the final. We knew it wasn't going to be easy. They (Trinec) are a good team, but it's still disappointing. We wanted to be in the final and we wanted to win the championship.

Last year you won the German championship with Ingolstadt and you scored 9 goals in the playoffs, this year 4 goals in 10 games. I guess you like playoff hockey.

Everyone likes to play in the playoffs. I just try to help my team by scoring goals and I would like to have scored more, but unfortunately, I didn't.  

It seemed you had good chemistry with (team scoring leader) Jaroslav Hlinka. What's it like playing with a player like that?

He's a good person. He's a very experienced player and he helps the whole team. It's a lot of fun to play with him and I've learned things from him too. 

Overall, how would you evaluate your first season in the Czech Extraliga?

This was something new for me, and it could have been better from a personal standpoint. And of course, I'm disappointed that we didn't make the finals. Overall, not bad but not perfect, either.

I think you have two more years left on your contract? What do you think of coming back to this team and to Prague next season?

Prague is a great city. I like it very much, and I'm glad that I'm coming back to this team. They're a good group of guys and we're all friends. And it's also a good team, so we'll come back next season and try to win it. We wanted to win it this year but we didn't. Everyone in the dressing room is disappointed, so maybe that's motivation for next season.

How would you compare this league to the German league you came from?

They're both good leagues. I think the level of Czech hockey is a little higher than in Germany. 

You're probably aware that Ingolstadt is now in the DEL finals. Have you watched any of their playoff games?

Yeah, I've watched a couple of games when I've had time. I still have a lot of friends on the team and I hope they win again but they'll have a really tough series against Mannheim. They're the two best teams in the league, I think, so it should be good.

Are there any players from the team you keep in contact with?

Sure, Ziga Jeglic (fellow Slovenian national team player who played with Sabolic in Jesenice and Ingolstadt, and this past season played for Slovan Bratislava). The whole team really, but mostly Jeglic.

Now that your playoffs are finished, I suppose you'll soon join the Slovenian national team. Is there a timetable for your arrival there?

Yeah, I think I'm gonna get some rest now. I'll be joining the team at some point to play in some of the pre-tournament games. 

And then you come back to the Czech Republic for the World Championship.

Yeah, I think it's great. I wish we played in Prague but our group is in Ostrava. To play here we'll have to make the quarter-finals, which will be very very hard, but you never know.

Do you think you'll play against any of your Sparta teammates in the tournament?

I think the Slovakian team for sure will have some guys from our team – maybe Marek Daloga, Juraj Mikus or Lukas Cingel, I don't know exactly. It'll be fun to play against them and we'll try to beat their team.

In recent years the Slovenian national team has done very well internationally, considering the number of hockey players. How popular is the sport in Slovenia?

The national team is very popular there and I think we'll see a lot of the fans come to Ostrava to support us. The national team is doing well now but there is a problem at home with the clubs, however – they don't have enough money. 

Your hometown club was Jesenice which, I think, has produced many Slovenian players, such as Anze Kopitar.

Most of our players are from there but the professional team doesn't exist anymore. As I said, there were money problems. Now there's a new club and I hope they're able to make it and come back to playing at a good level.

Well, good luck to Slovenian hockey, both at the club level and at the World Championship. And good luck to you, Robert, in your next two seasons with Sparta.

Thank you.