F Sebastian Taliga - Lukko-U16, Finland (Draft 2027)
- Thread starter czech
- Start date
Do you know why he moved to Finland? I understand if 17-18 yo guys move abroad to play, but he's only 14.
He's dad wanted him to play this season in Finland or Sweden. Sebastian joined then Lukko after try-out in summer.
He is currently 168-170 cm so not maybe Slovaks best talent from his age group because of small size. Solid player still.
Such a young kid playing abroad far away from home, hopefully Lukko has arranged a good host family for him.
I think he lives with mother in Rauma. You can see his mother weekly at the games.
(Translation) The Martin native Sebastian Taliga (2009) is currently leading the scoring in the top Finnish U16 league
He has yet to make an appearance for the Slovak national team, although the coaches for the 2009 age group have already tried over 70 players. So far, they haven’t invited anyone from abroad and are only developing players from domestic competitions...
(Translation) The Martin native Sebastian Taliga (2009) is currently leading the scoring in the top Finnish U16 league
He has been by far the most important player for Lukko U16. He handles the puck well, is a fast skater, positions himself on the ice very well to get a lot of puck and has scored many goals with accurate shots. His hockey IQ isn’t his biggest strength cause he often ends up making the wrong decisions, but it’s not a too big weakness either. However, his size is the biggest weakness when thinking about the future.
He played decent on the U18 team during the preseason also, but he didn't really get to use his strengths in the U18 level yet. Just basic stuff, nothing remarkable.
Looks like its official Sebastian Taliga decided that he will represent Czechia in the future.
Reason no interest from the Slovak side. (Players playing abroad are not allowed to represent Slovakia)
"At the beginning of the summer, Vladimír Dravecký Jr. joined the Czech national under-18 team. The U16 squad can now benefit from Sebastian Taliga, who is making waves in Finland. The forward grew up in Třinec and Plzeň, and since Slovakia doesn't invite young players from abroad to its national team, this influenced the thinking of both the player and his family toward the Czech Republic. "Nobody spoke to us, so we decided to take a different path," explains the forward's father, Michal Taliga."
@Czechboy
Czechboy
Češi do toho!
- Apr 15, 2018
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Honestly, that sucks. I'd rather Dravecky and Taliga continue with Slovakia, make NHL and help the Slovak NT. I get both sides... he wants to develop elsewhere and Slovakia won't reward that it seems. Rock and a hard place!
I do know Czechs tried this approach 20 years ago when all our guys went to CHL and they'd purposely leave off the ones that left. It resulted in consistent 6-0 quarterfinal losses.lol Now the Czechs embrace absolutely everybody... hell, in 2 years we will have 2 Slovaks, a USHLer, an NCAAer, CHLer, Liiga, SHL and Extraliga guys. I doubt a NT will have more leagues represented than us.lol
kudla
Registered User
Antiillafire
Registered User
I’m sure if he was playing in the Russian junior league, he would be #1 priority for Slovak federation to represent Slovakia
salwan
Registered User
- Nov 4, 2023
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"The Slovak Hockey Federation has not issued any official document stating that it is not interested in young players from abroad. They have simply stopped nominating talented players, who chose to improve outside Slovakia, for the U16 selection. This sends a certain message to their own movement: everyone should stay at home, or else they will be left out at the national level."
galaxy brain policy from satan. great job, thank you.
galaxy brain policy from satan. great job, thank you.
I mean I like Slovak prospects are getting good again, but I certainly dont mind stealing some of them lol. We also really dont have so many great prospects to just overlook this and be like "cmon guys dont do it, let also the smaller nation have a chance" .. we are still the smaller nation who are behind, so I welcome any prospect who will represent Czechia and has potential to be an NHLer, dont care if he is Czech, Slovak, Hungarian or freakin Australian, the more the merrier lol.
This guy certainly looks very interesting, so great news for us, sucks for Slovaks, but it is what is is. I dont have to write here how many interesting Czech prospects Canadians and Americans stole already lol.
Pavel Buchnevich
"Pavel Buchnevich The Fake"
Is he a big loss for Slovakia? I get that he may be able to improve on the players they have, but it doesn’t seem to me like he’s trending towards being a high draft pick in 2027, if he even is to get picked.
Any loss is a big loss for Slovakia. We cant afford losing players even if they never make it to the nhl.
salwan
Registered User
- Nov 4, 2023
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I mean, with all the young talent leaving the country by the thousands to settle in Czechia, we will see more and more players with Slovak parents or even Slovak citizenship playing for the country they grew up in (as in Czechia). It's time to get used to it.
However, if the opportunity arises, the Slovak Hockey Federation should be smart and attract those kids with a potentially easier path to international hockey and build relationships with their parents instead of shutting the door on those kids.
However, if the opportunity arises, the Slovak Hockey Federation should be smart and attract those kids with a potentially easier path to international hockey and build relationships with their parents instead of shutting the door on those kids.
Official statement from the Slovak Ice Hockey Federation:Did the SZĽH issue a ban on calling up players who play abroad to youth national teams?
The SZĽH (Slovak Ice Hockey Federation) has not issued any such ban. Any player with a Slovak passport and the necessary athletic ability to handle the demands of international competition can represent Slovakia. For players aged 14 and 15, their performance is evaluated by SZĽH regional instructors, who also serve as coaches for the under-15 category. Each season, the federation organizes a series of "AAA" tournaments to scout around 300 players from each birth year. After these tournaments, the best players are nominated for one-day training camps at the regional level for the under-15 team. From these camps, the coaching staff selects a broader group of players from domestic leagues for the newly forming under-16 national team.
Why do domestic players dominate the under-16 national team?
They go through a scouting process, as described above, and the coaching staff of the under-16 team is most familiar with them. In the past, there have been cases where 15- and 16-year-old players from abroad joined youth national teams but were not adequately prepared. They lacked sufficient playing time abroad and, compared to players in domestic leagues, lagged behind in performance. While countries like Sweden, Finland, or the Czech Republic, where Slovak players often go at a young age, have high-quality youth leagues and development programs, it doesn’t mean every Slovak player abroad is automatically better than their peers who play regularly in Slovak youth leagues.
Can young Slovak players abroad join Slovak youth national teams?
Yes, if they meet the necessary criteria and are patient, they will receive an invitation to Slovak youth national teams. Just because a 15-year-old excels in a Finnish under-16 league doesn’t mean they are automatically a generational talent. Some players born in 2009 are already established in the Slovak U18 Extraliga, and some even in the U20 Extraliga, which are two levels above their age category. Therefore, it’s challenging to predict how a 15-year-old’s career will develop. At that age, young Europeans—whether Slovak, Czech, Finnish, or Swedish—are on an equal starting line. It’s up to them and their parents to choose their path and see how far they can go through hard work and dedication.
How does the SZĽH view the departure of young players abroad, and what steps is it taking to reduce it?
The SZĽH does not prevent anyone from developing their hockey skills abroad. Naturally, it seeks to retain as many potential national team players as possible within the domestic system. Starting at age 15, it offers several alternatives within the domestic hockey path. This includes the centralized preparation program for players under 18, with opportunities to play men’s hockey (TIPOS SHL) and excellent facilities and care in Piešťany, or support for university hockey. Several players who chose the path abroad, like Slafkovský, Dvorský, Kňažko, and others, were regular members of youth national teams. The federation doesn’t close the door to anyone. If young Slovaks abroad meet the necessary sporting criteria and are patient, they will be invited. If the parents of minor players decide to transfer them to another country’s national team, it’s their choice, and we wish them luck. However, it’s sad that they can’t wait a year for their children to join the youth national teams, which suggests a lack of Slovak spirit. The SZĽH has extended a helping hand to anyone interested and has cooperated in obtaining Slovak citizenship, as seen with players like Patryk Zubek (born in Poland), Lucas Novak (born in Canada), and Mikey Tkac (born in the USA). Today, all three are part of the centralized under-18 preparation program. While Slovak hockey may lose two potential players, it has gained three others. SZĽH plans to release educational materials in the near future to help young players and their parents decide on their future.
TLDR:
1. If young Slovaks abroad meet the necessary sporting criteria and are patient, they will be invited.
2. We don't have any scouts abroad and have no idea how good the players are.
3. Being average player in Slovak U18 > Leading Finish U16
4. We lost two players (Dravecky, Taliga) but we also gained 3 new ones (Zubek, Novak, Tkac). So its all good.
1. If young Slovaks abroad meet the necessary sporting criteria and are patient, they will be invited.
2. We don't have any scouts abroad and have no idea how good the players are.
3. Being average player in Slovak U18 > Leading Finish U16
4. We lost two players (Dravecky, Taliga) but we also gained 3 new ones (Zubek, Novak, Tkac). So its all good.
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Taliga put on quite the show today in the U16 league. Against the last-place team, he recorded 7 goals and 4 assists. He could have just as many more points. He was practically flying on the ice and nearly every goal was scored in a different way. After today's game, he now has 17 goals and 19 assists in 11 games.
The "real games" start next month when teams like today's opponent are no longer part of the U16 top league.
There's been clear development in his play since the start of the season, as he's now looking to pass more instead of holding the puck for too long. After passing, he positions himself well on the ice to get the puck back.
He can become a great addition to the Czech team. He might fit well on a line with Elias Matousek, as they are good friends. For center, they'll need a more defensively oriented player to balance the line.
The "real games" start next month when teams like today's opponent are no longer part of the U16 top league.
There's been clear development in his play since the start of the season, as he's now looking to pass more instead of holding the puck for too long. After passing, he positions himself well on the ice to get the puck back.
He can become a great addition to the Czech team. He might fit well on a line with Elias Matousek, as they are good friends. For center, they'll need a more defensively oriented player to balance the line.
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That's nice but I would rather see him play in u18 already, dominating U16 as a 15yrs old is not that extraordinary, you are basically the oldest age group in the league.
Still he may be good addition to Czech hockey in the future. We will see
Lukko is currently TOP3 team in the U18 league, if not the best in the U18-league. They have 15 forwards, so you need fight to found a spot in the lineup. He will get chances to play with the U18 team, but he needs to use those chances to earn more ice time and a bigger role on the team.
Taliga´s next U18 games are likely coming up soon.
