The Carpathian Junior Hockey League has gained a strong "player" to its team. Rastislav Staňa accepted, to our great pleasure, the league's management offer and became the Ambassador of the Carpathian Junior Hockey League!. We believe that with his help, the Carpathian Junior Hockey League will continue its development and that his positive example of a successful career will motivate all KMHL players.

Rastislav Staňa, a former long-standing Slovak hockey player, ended his active career in 2016. However, he did not stay without hockey. His rich experience handed over to the young goalkeeper in his goalie school, but also as the goalie coach of Slovak national junior teams. At the end of the last season, he was celebrating Champions title in the MOL league as the goalie coach in Miskolc. In addition to preparing young goalkeepers, he is also working as ice-hockey games co-commentator for Slovak television.

During his active career, he played for several teams in lower competitions in the USA, but later got in the famous NHL where he played 6 games for Washington Capitals. After that, he returned to Europe where he played in Swedish SHL and KHL as well. After leaving the KHL, he first introduced himself in the senior jersey of his hometown Košice and immediately won the Championship title. The player's career ended for health problems as Sparta Prague player.

On the international stage, he represented Slovakia at several World Championships and on two Olympics Games (2002 Salt Lake City, 2010 Vancouver). He got a bronze medal from junior (1999, Winnipeg) and senior WCH (2003, Helsinki). He also participated in the biggest success of Slovak hockey, when in 2002 he won gold medals with a national team in Swedish Göteborg.

Photo source: facebook Rastislav Staňa (author of the title photo: Ondrej Bobek)