While the rest of the Vancouver Giants were racking up an impressive win record, one of the team’s top players was busy in another contest.
Milos Roman headed to Buffalo, NY to play for Slovakia in the 2018 World Junior Hockey Championships.
On December 8, the Slovakia team beat the United States 3-2. They advanced to the quarter finals, before being defeated 3-2 by Sweden.
We asked Roman a few questions about his time in the world spotlight, and about one of the Slovak team’s part in one of the biggest upsets in the tournament.
What did you do to prepare for the World Juniors?
I played a lot of games with the Vancouver Giants. I had lots of ice-time in every game and we had very good practices which prepared me for the challenge of World Juniors.
How did you feel about representing Slovakia in the tournament?
It was great to play again for my country. I think it’s a big opportunity for a player to represent his country so I was very happy about it and I just tried to play as hard as possible.
What did you think after Slovakia defeated the US team?
It was a great win for our team. We played very well. Everybody was committed to what we had to do. It was definitely the highlight of the tournament for our team
Did you feel that playing in the WHL gave you an edge when playing against Canada or the US?
Yes. It helped me a lot because a lot of players for Team Canada and the USA are in the WHL. I knew them already and I tried to help my teammates prepare themselves.
Did you learn anything from the World Juniors that will change how you play with the Giants?
I need to play faster and I need to play stronger. I want to use my World Junior experiences as a positive for me and I will try to play the same way here as I did at the World Juniors.