The long-awaited success has finally arrived for the oldest youth category of Rytíři Kladno. After winning the regular season, the team defeated three opponents in the playoffs to secure promotion to the Junior Extraliga. The club achieved this milestone after spending four seasons in the second-highest junior competition. Coached by Miloslav Hořava, the Knights reached the top division following a dominant finals series against Vsetín, sweeping the matchup 4-0.
The Road Through the Regular Season Was Not Without Challenges
The Junior League, divided into two groups based on geography, offers each team 44 games to collect points. In the Western Group, Kladno faced one of its main rivals in the race for promotion, the Chomutov Pirates. The two teams met four times during the season, just as Kladno did with every other opponent in its group. During the inter-group phase, the Knights also played home-and-away series against teams from the Eastern Group, including dangerous opponents such as Zlín B and Vsetín.
At the start of the season, Kladno needed time to build chemistry and find the right balance within the squad. As a result, there were disappointing performances against Chomutov, Hvězda, and Chrudim. A partial explanation was that several key players spent significant time away from the junior team, either playing for the senior squad or gaining experience through loan spells and dual-registration opportunities in other senior leagues.
For much of the season, Chomutov led the Western Group standings. However, that changed after the New Year, helped in part by Kladno's victory over the Pirates on their home ice. The Knights gradually found their footing and began dropping very few points. The return of key players and the arrival of goaltender Ondřej Šrámek from Tábor also played an important role. Kladno secured first place in the regular season in mid-February by defeating Chomutov 1-0 in the final meeting between the two teams. Thanks to lower point totals among the Eastern Group leaders, Kladno also earned the top overall seed heading into the playoffs.
Quarterfinal Duty Successfully Completed Against Přerov
After a successful regular season came the expected climax of the year – the playoffs. As the top-seeded team, Kladno faced Přerov, the fourth-placed team from the Eastern Group. Although the final series result of 3-0 in games clearly favored the Knights, the individual contests were far more competitive than the scoreline suggests.
The first two home games in particular proved challenging for Kladno's juniors. The opening game was decided only after a dramatic shootout, while the second was won by a single goal. Surprisingly, the most comfortable victory came in the third game on Moravian ice. Thanks largely to an excellent first period, Kladno cruised to a 7-3 victory and celebrated its place in the semifinals.
A Tough Semifinal Test Against the Rams
Waiting for Kladno in the semifinals were the Zlín Rams, whose B team competes in the league. With Zlín's senior team facing almost certain relegation from the top division, promotion for the B team became essential to maintain the club's presence at both levels. As a result, several players from the Extraliga squad reinforced the junior roster.
Although the Knights handled the opening home games confidently, even recording a shutout in one of them, they ran into serious trouble on the road in Zlín. The series was tied at 2-2 and returned to Kladno for a decisive fifth game. There, the Knights secured the desired advancement with a convincing 4-0 victory. Goaltender Ondřej Šrámek delivered an outstanding performance, while Jakub Kulich scored the decisive goal.
The Anticipated Final Against Vsetín Turned Out Surprisingly One-Sided
One year later, Kladno's junior team once again reached the final of the second-highest competition, where they met their strongest possible opponent, Vsetín. The team was boosted by the return of key defenseman Tomáš Vandas, who had recovered from a minor injury in time for the series.
The first two games were tense and low-scoring, making them all the more valuable for Kladno. The second game was especially important. Despite controlling the play and outshooting their opponent, the breakthrough goal did not come until Petr Šíma scored in the third period. With a 2-0 series lead, the Knights traveled to Vsetín.
In the crucial third game at the packed Na Lapači arena, Kladno surprisingly dominated from the start, overwhelming the home team with a 4-0 first period. The visitors eventually cruised to a 7-2 victory and earned four opportunities to clinch promotion.
They needed only the first of them, and they did it in dramatic fashion. In Game 4, Vsetín built a commanding 5-2 lead. What followed was a comeback that Kladno's juniors will never forget. The Knights won the remainder of the game 6-0, turning a three-goal deficit into an emphatic 8-5 victory and securing promotion to the Junior Extraliga after four long years.
Throughout the season, Kladno relied heavily on offensive leaders such as Daniel Jakab, captain Tomáš Sém, and Petr Šíma. Important contributions also came from players with experience around the senior team, including Belarusian prospect Aliaksandr Višnieuski, who recorded 36 points, and defenseman Josef Trojna with 22 points.
For the playoffs, the team was strengthened by established Extraliga player Oskar Lisler, who contributed not only steady performances but also impressive offensive production, recording 9 goals and 10 assists in the postseason.
Alongside Jakub Hájek, Kladno once again recruited a goaltender from South Bohemia, this time bringing in Ondřej Šrámek from Tábor. He played a major role in the promotion campaign, recording three shutouts during the playoffs.
Head Coach Miloslav Hořava's Assessment
"To be honest, I don't think I've ever experienced a game where a team came back by seven goals. It showed the incredible strength of our group. The boys fully deserved the league title. They worked hard all season long and earned it through dedication and commitment. Everything came together at the right time.
A great deal of credit also belongs to the entire coaching staff for their excellent preparation for both practices and games. We are extremely happy to have achieved promotion, especially for the players, who truly earned it. That feeling is even stronger after last year, when we were eliminated in Game 7. This season they worked even harder and absolutely deserved to win promotion."
