Extraliga implements roster regulations

31 Jul 2013 | Alan Ilijic (with quotes from IIHF.com)

The Czech ice hockey association apparently received enough signals that the domestic league's hockey level was falling further behind other major European leagues.

With no players picked from a domestic team and three in total at the latest NHL Entry Draft, Extraliga decided it was time for changes. And they are to be implemented in the immediate future, as off 2013/14 season.

The main change will consist in roster regulations, which were agreed upon with all 14 Extraliga teams. The changes are expected to have a refreshing effect and help further development of young Czech prospects. The changes are as follows:

· A maximum of 15 players born 1990 or earlier

· At least 3 players born between 1990 and 1993

· At least 1 player born 1994 or later

· Goaltenders are exempt from any of the rules above.

Along with above mentioned changes, teams will receive six import licences that may be used throughout the season. As soon as any non-Czech player has been registered on the roster one licence will be used regardless of them hitting the ice or not.

Ladislav Smid, drafted 2004, is the last player to leave Extraliga directly for NHL

The changes are a result of numerous workshops sponsored by Czech Ice Hockey Association, while Sparta Prague chairman Petr Briza, who had excellent insight into it being a part of the project, said to IIHF.com:

"We were asked to come up with solutions for major issues in Czech ice hockey. How to keep our players, especially youngsters, playing within the Czech Republic and how to stop the price from inflating any further."

During 2012/13 season 80 Czechs were playing in other major European leagues apart from Extraliga. What's more, and more frustrating, 55 Czech young talents were playing in junior leagues overseas, mostly in Canadian leagues or the AHL.

Two main facts are causing deterioration in domestic championship. First and foremost, the Extraliga is not among the financially strongest leagues, so players mainly leave for money. Furthermore, a lot has changed since Czechoslovakia fell apart. When there was a joint league it had 14 teams in the top division for both countries. Now the market is bigger, with 25 teams among Czech Republic and Slovakia, so players spread out more widely.

"Several ideas were tested, and we also wanted to implement salary cap or limit the roster to a maximum of 20 players. Neither was agreed with the teams for various reasons", Briza recalls. "The biggest problems we had with teams whose junior development programs were not as flourishing as of the others, and had to convince them it had more positive sides for Czech hockey in general than negative ones."

While last season youngsters had to battle for a spot on roster with veterans and older players, now they have a guaranteed spot on the line-up and will have to battle peers. A healthy competition for junior players. That makes it more fair for everyone. The changes in roster regulation will change the position of young players from the ground up, which is the main backbone of the plan.

Real results can't be measured shortly after installment, but hockey experts in the Czech Republic say the plan could be labelled as success when the number of Czech players outside Czech borders has decreased and yet Extraliga quality level hasn't decreased or possibly improves.

Zlin could taken as a perfect example that younger roster doesn't put you out of the title race. Playing with 5 players born 1992 or later Zlin reached the league's finals, losing to HC Plzen in seven games.