Michal Krištof
| Michal Krištof | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
October 11, 1993 Nitra, Slovakia | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) | ||
| Weight | 157 lb (71 kg; 11 st 3 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| Liiga team | Sport | ||
| NHL Draft | Undrafted | ||
| Playing career | 2013–present | ||
Michal Krištof (born October 11, 1993) is a Slovakian professional ice hockey center playing for Sport of the SM-liiga. Michal Krištof made his SM-liiga debut with Sport during the 2014–15 season.
Playing career
Early years
About 4 years old Michal Krištof first stepped on the ice when his parents took him to an ice rink near his home in Nitra in Slovakia. He later started playing and practicing together with his three-year older cousin. Kristof played minor hockey in the local club HK Nitra.[1]
Krištof's childhood idol was Steve Yzerman, "I do not really know why exactly him. I liked his playing style and took example of him".[1][2]
Junior years in Finland
As a 17-year-old Krištof received a phone call from his agent about an opportunity to go to Vaasa, Finland where Sport's junior A team held a ten-day-long tryout camp during the summer. The young Slovak convinced the coaches and was added to the team's roster. During his first season in the junior's SM-liiga (2011–2012) Krištof scored 37 points over 42 games. During the 2012–2013 season Krištof was among the top three points scorers for a long time, but ended up in sixth place after being injured.[3]
Senior career
The 2013–2014 season was Michal Krištof's first on the senior level, playing for Sport in Mestis. Krištof had a good start to the season but coach Pasi Räsänen eventually moved him to the junior A team after 37 games.[4]
After Jokerit's decision to move to the KHL for the 2014–2015 season, Sport was added to the SM-liiga. Krištof signed a one-year-long contract with the now SM-liiga team. After starting the season on a loan to Peliitat in Mestis where he scored 3 goals and made 8 assists in six games, Krištof was called back to Sport. On October 3, 2014 Michal Krištof made his debut in the SM-liiga in a 3–2 away loss against Pelicans, where Krištof played right wing alongside centre Lassi Kokkala and left wing Teemu Henritius.[5] Krištof recorded 11 minutes and 43 seconds of time on the ice, had one shot on goal, a zero plus-minus and zero penalty minutes in his first SM-liiga game.[6]
Awards and honours
| Honours | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Jr. A SM-Liiga All-Star Team | 2012–13 | [7] |
References
- 1 2 Hanhikoski, Herkko (March 3, 2014). "Slovakian lahja Vaasalle: Michal Kristof". Jatkoaika (in Finnish). Retrieved October 3, 2014.
- ↑ "En oikein tiedä, miksi juuri hän. Tykkäsin hänen pelityylistä ja otin hänestä mallia"
- ↑ "Meri ja Mestis maistuvat slovakille". Pohjalainen (in Finnish). September 10, 2013. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
- ↑ Nordman, Mikael (January 9, 2014). "Kristof petad till A-juniorerna". Vasabladet (in Swedish). Retrieved October 3, 2014.
- ↑ "Kokoonpanot Pelicans-Sport 3.10.2014 Liiga". Liiga (in Finnish). October 3, 2014. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
- ↑ "Ottelutilastot Pelicans-Sport 3.10.2014 Liiga". Liiga (in Finnish). October 3, 2014. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
- ↑ http://www.eliteprospects.com/awards.php?award=Jr.%20A%20SM-Liiga%20All-Star%20Team