Dominik Kubalik celebrates his return to Ambri-Piotta with a goal and is annoyed about a defeat. Otherwise, the Czech is delighted, even though he could leave any day.
The 36th minute is running in the Gottardo Arena when the arena literally explodes. Dominik Kubalik's stick breaks in front of the Rapperswil goal. The Czech skates to the bench in a flash, grabs a new piece of equipment and is back in the right place barely two seconds later to tap a pass from Dominic Zwerger into the net to make it 2:3.
Euphoria and a little nostalgia arise in Ambri, memories of the 2018/19 season, when they finished 5th in qualifying and reached the playoffs for the last time. Mainly responsible for this: Dominik Kubalik with 25 goals and 57 scoring points in 50 qualifying games. The then 23-year-old Czech thus recommended himself for a million-dollar contract in the NHL and moved to Chicago. Now he is back, at least for the time being. Kubalik can opt out of his contract with the Ticino at any time until December 15 if he receives a suitable offer from North America.
Someone who likes to laugh
There is no sign of this. Kubalik is committed, creates scoring chances, scores the one goal and, above all, always has a smile on his face when he drives back to the bench from a game. "That's just the way I am," he tells Keystone-SDA after the game with a boyish smile. "I'm a positive person, I like to laugh." Then the Czech becomes serious for a moment. "But there's no reason to laugh at the moment."
He's referring to the 4-3 loss to the Rapperswil-Jona Lakers to open the season, not his personal situation, which is not easy at first glance. Kubalik scored 66 goals in three seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, then 20 in one year with the Detroit Red Wings, but only 11 for the Ottawa Senators last season. After that, he no longer received a suitable contract.
Kubalik then reportedly approached Ambri-Piotta on his own initiative with a request to train and play. Although the club from Leventina now has to navigate a not entirely unproblematic oversupply with eight foreigners, sports director Paolo Duca could not refuse. The Czech also proved his undisputed class at the home World Cup, where he contributed five goals to the Czech title. "After that, I trained as normal, as always," the winger assures us. "I'm 100 percent fit."
With his heart in Ambri
And with all his heart. "I try not to think about the NHL," he says. "I'm fully focused on the present. We'll see what the future holds, but for now I'm here and I'll do everything I can to help the team." After all, it's not just Ambri that owes a lot to Kubalik - the reverse is also true. The provincial club from the mountains was his springboard into the big, lucrative world of the NHL.
For coach Luca Cereda, who was already his coach six years ago, Kubalik's presence is certainly a great asset. "He hasn't changed much," says the Ticino native with a laugh: "He just looks very young physically." On the ice, he had already seen the familiar strengths again in the first game. "He's extremely dangerous offensively, puts a lot of pressure on the goal and shoots well. And he has certainly gained some experience and charisma."
He is glad that Kubalik is back, says Cereda, even if he knows that this may not be permanent. "He certainly still has big goals ahead of him, and he has the chance to take the next step here. It also shows that he was happy in Ambri."
Enjoying the new arena
And this despite the fact that the club was still playing in the dilapidated, cold Valascia at the time. "The arena is a bit better," says Kubalik with a grin, looking down the corridor of the new Gottardo Arena. "But that wasn't my first consideration. I'm just happy that we've found a way to play here again."
Swiss ice hockey fans should also be happy. A player of Kubalik's quality and with his NHL merits rarely ends up in the National League in his prime. However long the second guest appearance will last.
SDA
