Czech Extraliga season preview: coach Patera stresses humility, referees test new three‑assistant rule

Head coach Pavel Patera of the Karlovy Vary ice‑hockey team said that setting a finals appearance as a goal would be presumptuous and emphasized the need for humility and belief in the squad. He highlighted the team’s stable roster, noting the retention of key foreign players such as Daniel Brickley, Elmeri Eronen and Tobias Winberg, and reflected on the recent semifinal loss to Třinec (1‑4) as valuable experience.

At the same time, the Czech Extraliga referees’ association held a training seminar in Tábor, led by manager Vladimír Pešina and international referee Miroslav Lhotský. The programme focused on physical conditioning and new rule implementations for the upcoming season, including the direct ejection of players without prior warning and the introduction of up to three assistant captains on the ice when a team has no designated captain.