Slovakian goalie tears apart the IIHF's failure of a tournament
Slovakian goaltender Simon Latkoczy was playing in his second World Juniors and he had very high hopes for his country in this tournament. The Slovakian team committed a lot of resources last year to icing a very young squad with the intention of being prepared with an experienced team this year.
Slovakia had put up an extremely respectable performance in a 3-2 loss to the United States and a 3-0 loss to Sweden. Slovakia had already played the toughest teams in their pool and were ready for some more favourable matchups when the tournament was cancelled.
After the cancellation Latkoczy turned to his Instagram and made the following comments.
I would like to say few words about this wolds junior tournament. It is a joke. Nothing else is true.
How is this even possible? Every single player has been preparing for this tournament for a days, months, even the years. This is the best part of the junior hockey.
I was excited to play at this tournament because i know how many people watch that and how great experience it is. It is a celebration of hockey.
The best players at one place all together. Christmas time without the families? Hard to imagine right? We give everything we can to hockey every day, even spent the biggest holidays without our families. And can tell you one thing. It is hard. came here and tried to do my best and this is how it is done?
This goes on IIHF. They completely underestimated this tournament. The organization from the first day was terrible. felt like am participating at some basic youth hockey tournament. We all know that Covid is the main problem nowadays but this has nothing similar with Covid.
All of us know that last year WJC took place as well in Canada. Same city same purpose, and it was to avoid of covid and have fun of hockey. Even tho there was a team Germany that had couple guys tested positive but the other players still could play. And we all know that Covid was more dangerous last year. Last year we spent whole tournament in bubble just at our hotel and at the rink. It was crazy but it worked. The people who worked for us were in the bubble with us during all tournament. They did not go home at all. When I compare it to this year. We came couple days earlier to be quarantined at our hotel rooms to make sure there is no Covid after traveling. Great, everything went great, no Covid cases after traveling. So where is the problem? #nextpostcontinue #pokracovanievdalsompripevku
He added the following in a follow up post.
We all lived at the hotel where also lived normal citizens. In our hotel, was also barber shop, restaurant and boutique, where normal people were welcomed to come. That restaurant was packed every night. So we were in contact with people who were not part of the tournament all the time.
The funniest thing ever is that there was a wedding at our hotel today. What a joke. The people who worked at the hotel or waitresses who worked for us went home every night. True, every one has been tested every day but we know that the positive cases do not have to show up right after being in contact with someone. So how does it make a sense?
Only couple players from the teams were tested positive. It has never been whole team or half of the team. Why the negative players could not play? Why every one recommends vaccine when the rules are still same? Yes, I am vaccinated, end every single player of our team is, did not make a difference.
Why IIHF did not try to find the solution to continue with a tournament? They already lost a lot of money. Those money has been wasted for nothing. They could at least try to figure out something how to finish this tournament. They did not, they decided to end this tournament like it is some pointless couple games for some random guys who spent the holidays in Canada.
I would like to thank to @hockeyslovakia for doing their best and the way they treated us. felt like a pro. In the end, I would like to thank my teammates. This was the best group of people could have ever been part of. This team had potential to bring medal home. believed in us as every single guy on our team did.
LOVE YOU GUYS.
The coaches on this team tried to do their best with the conditions we had. This was suppose to be special, It is just sad end of our junior hockey ages. Thanks to the fans who cheered for us throughout those days. We have seen every single message and every sign you gave us, it was lovely and we all appreciate it. do not think have more words to describe this tournament. It is a joke by IIHF and people who tried to organize this tournament. We did our best, why they did not?
THANK YOU and am so sorry it had to end up like this.
This sentiment seems to be echoed by all participants involved in this tournament and hopefully some accountability comes from this failure of a tournament.
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